We rented 3 cabins at Cabana Potosi as each only sleeps three people--the little ones bunked with their respective parental units and the older 3 slept in a cabin together. However, because CJ’s mother insisted he sleep in a (silly) sleep sack, the poor boy barely got any sleep because he was continually sliding out of bed (because of said silly sack) and hitting the floor. Regardless, the boy is a trooper and was ready, chipper and raring to go early the next day. We refueled with orange eggs, Tang, tea and coffee for 9 for $20. Caroline seemed a bit put off with the orange eggs and Annie speculated that, perhaps, they were iguana eggs. : ) Caroline opted for French fries and toast.
Our Canopy Adventure was AWESOME! We hiked for about 30 minutes to the first zip line. Abby did the inaugural zip fearless and without trepidation (she went tandem with our guide), followed by Chris, our sports photographer, who was able to snap shots of everyone gliding to the next platform. Our guide, Roy, explained that we would individually control all but the third zip. We came to the 2nd zip with a bit more confidence and arrived at the 3rd only to be stunned at the steep angle of descent (thank heaven a professional was controlling our speed). Karen volunteered to be the first victim (actually, she was volunteered by the group) plunging vertically past the beautiful Chorro Macho waterfall but scared $%!*less nonetheless. She not only survived but also managed to shoot video of the rest of the party plunging past the waterfall amidst gorgeous giant blue butterflies (Morpho). Life is complete.
With a 2 hour hike and zip line tour complete by 10:00am we returned to the cabins and checked-out by 12Noon – after Abby and Claire fed Paco, the Parrot. 30 minutes of winding roads to the Pan-American Highway, then 10 minutes on the Pan-American Highway and we were looking for our lunch stop – Los Camisones – recommended by Dennis. We passed right by the place having to perform a U-turn. Well, 
now, we could not make a left turn over the median so had to overshoot and do another U-turn. When following directions such as, “the restaurant on the right, on top of a hill, with the red sign and the skinny two way driveway just past San Carlos,” of course we missed the turn.Driving the Inter-American/Pan-American Highway is a sport. This is a highway that also serves as Main Street and one must be constantly on the lookout for families walking on the shoulder, cars abruptly pulling off at various shops, pedestrians and cyclists crossing the road, as well as the random motorcycle officer enjoying a cigarette on the shoulder. Road signs are nonexistent and, therefore, driving directions go something like this: “When you see the truss bridge, take the right exit, bear right at the red restaurant sign, make a left at the Shell after the last fruit stand…” Secondary roads are more akin to our back, country roads and demand a driver’s utmost attention to cyclists, pedestrians, dogs, chickens and cows.
After a brief interlude at yet another armed checkpoint (Chris and Annie’s cool car caused them to have their passports held until Lee put in a good word for them), we arrived at Playa Uverito on schedule – 5:15pm. The house is set at the end of a very, very, very bumpy dirt road, looking out majestically over the Pacific Ocean, facing EAST, mind you. No, we are not geographically challenged — we are staying on the Azuero Peninsula—look it up. Anyway, we arrived to find only a canine (Rocco) to greet us through a closed and locked fence. 
He looked friendly but sure as hell didn’t seem to have keys. The kids immediately took off for the water, seemingly not worried at all about the possibility of sleeping in our cars for the night. But not to worry, Mr. Caretaker arrived within a half hour, barefoot and smiling to let us in to the house. The kids staked out their rooms, we put away the groceries, paid the caretaker and then piled the 9 of us into the Toyota for the bumpy half mile drive to a restaurant, Rincon de Faro – it was a very windy and S L O W dinner experience. The Derzak’s introduced the Arnold’s to ceviche, we tossed back a few beers, sodas, and other nibbles and enjoyed the kids’ renditions of Taylor Swift tunes on the bumpy ride back. The first night’s sleep was a little rough — hot and humid, the only A/C in CJ’s room, although the young lad doesn’t seem interested in cool, crisp air.
He looked friendly but sure as hell didn’t seem to have keys. The kids immediately took off for the water, seemingly not worried at all about the possibility of sleeping in our cars for the night. But not to worry, Mr. Caretaker arrived within a half hour, barefoot and smiling to let us in to the house. The kids staked out their rooms, we put away the groceries, paid the caretaker and then piled the 9 of us into the Toyota for the bumpy half mile drive to a restaurant, Rincon de Faro – it was a very windy and S L O W dinner experience. The Derzak’s introduced the Arnold’s to ceviche, we tossed back a few beers, sodas, and other nibbles and enjoyed the kids’ renditions of Taylor Swift tunes on the bumpy ride back. The first night’s sleep was a little rough — hot and humid, the only A/C in CJ’s room, although the young lad doesn’t seem interested in cool, crisp air.
No comments:
Post a Comment