Hey Dude! Where's my money?
On December 1st I deposited a check drawn on my US bank. My Panama bank
immediately charged me $5.00 for doing me the favor of accepting my
money. On December 4th, my check had been received and deducted from my
account in the US. There was a picture of the check available for
download, so it wasn't a matter of electronic transfers; my US bank
actually had the check in hand. Hey, pretty fast, right? Well, don't
get excited Henry, there is still the little matter of the “hold” put
on foreign checks cashed in Panama. Although my US bank has charged my
account and made the transfer to my Panama bank, it may be 4 weeks
before I can use that money. I'll report in the next Newsletter how
long it took.
Mother's Day
In Panama, mothers are honored on December 8. This is not like the
Mother's Day that is celebrated in the US. No, this is a BIG DEAL. The
whole country shuts down. The oldest Mother in the Republic is sought
for TV interviews and written about in the newspapers. Special masses
are held, families gather (as did ours), and Mother is honored by
playing loud music, shooting off fireworks, and drinking great
quantities of beer and Seco, just like all the other holidays, but with
more exuberance and a lot of crying.
I am now the patriarch of my Panama branch of family, a position I
earned simply by being older than the rest of the survivors. The family
honors me by ignoring my position. I wouldn't have it any other way.
We gathered in Colon and went to Melia Resort for lunch. Hotel Melia is
located on the old US Army Ft. Gulick on the banks of Gatun Lake. It is
one of the most beautiful settled spots in Panama, with virgin jungle
beginning at the fence. The hotel itself is gorgeous, and presents a 5
star image. We found the staff polite and helpful. The buffet lunch
itself left a bit to be desired. The food was tasty, and there was a
good variety, but there were times when a given dish would run out and
it would take too much time to replenish, table busing was less than
prompt and the advertised champagne never materialized. Nevertheless,
given the luxury atmosphere and the good food, I consider the $20.00
per person charge a good deal.
December Traffic
It is not possible to convey a true feeling of just how bad traffic
becomes in Panama City in December. A trip into town that might take a
half-hour during normal times can stretch into an hour or more. Tempers
are short, and courtesy isn't even a faint memory. It's everyone for
him/herself and the trick is to look straight ahead and don't give
anyone an inch. I hate driving in PC in December.
I live less than two miles from Los Pueblos Mall. Yesterday I went
there to pay two bills (15 minutes) and fill a short grocery list (10
minutes). That took more than two hours, most of that time spent stuck
in traffic. From there I went to Albrook Airport for a 5 minute stop
and then to the US Embassy in Clayton to pick up mail (10 minutes). I
returned home more than 4 hours after I left. I'm really getting the
Christmas Spirit.