Paul and I woke up before everyone else did, as usual. We left a message for the girls that we were getting coffee and to call us when they need us. We rode our bikes to the hotel and had coffee with my brother. Then when his wife woke up (she slept in until 7, gasp) we went and had breakfast at The Deli.
We went home and got the kids, my dad, his wife and went back to the hotel to swim one last time. They found a small inflatable tube, and the girls were all excited about the variation to their usual pool frolicking. Sandy had already perfected the slide because she’d done it probably 50 times with Cali the day before. Dad went down the slide a bunch of times, much to the delight of his grand-daughters. He didn’t exactly slide down it, it was more of a continual skooching. The girls kept trying to figure out why he couldn’t slide down. They’d give him a different tip, he’d try their suggestion. They really had a ball playing together, all of them. Meanwhile, the rest of us are plugged into our laptops, Kier is plugging into a book. Paul is off working out at the gym or taking a long ride up in the mountains. Happy clams all were we.
For lunch we decided on an Indian restaurant. Turns out the decorations on the wall were Indian, the food, not so much. This time Cali got a drink she didn’t really like, a salad that she didn’t like at all. I’d say the food was passable, but not great, and certainly not overwhelmingly Indian.
Originally everyone was going to go to Antigua for the last night. But the consensus was to stay in Pana for the extra day. More relaxing and we’ve all been to Antigua. The hotel my brother and his wife were staying in here was already booked for Friday night. They decided to stay in a hotel run by a Japanese couple, on our side of the river. Paul scouted it out earlier for them. When we saw the hotel we decided he was right, the floors were so shiny clean you could eat off of them. In the second floor lounge there were two rifles sitting in the corner, a bit of a concern for people who aren’t fond of guns. No one in the group knew enough about guns to tell if they were loaded.
Shopping today included my niece getting more notebook covers and an elephant, Sandy bought a pair of earrings with turtles on it, material to make a table cloth and a blouse, a book cover. Cali got another present from my brother, a pink beaded lizard. My brother likes to buy things, Cali has a mother who doesn’t humor her very often when she asks for things. Cali was so pleased to finally find someone who would say yes to something she wanted. Poor kid. We also looked at more cloth for my brother to get for shirts, but he got distracted by fried chicken. The pen guy Elias found us again. Kier got three pens made, her cousin got more made, too. Elias was a happy guy.
My brother was talking to a couple of girls who were selling souvenirs on the street. They were two sisters, ages 10 and 11 who go up and down the streets selling trinkets. They wanted my brother to buy a little stuffed animal. He said he didn’t want one. They said he should buy a present for his daughter. He told them he offers to buy presents for his daughter, but she doesn’t want anything. The one girl said she wishes someone would buy her a present. My brother asked, what kind of present would she want. She said, “Chicken.” My brother went down the street and bought two fried quarter chickens with fries from a street vendor in front of the school. Gave the plates to the girls. He asked if they could eat that much, they nodded. They asked if he could buy one more plate for their friend who is 15 and has a child who is a year and a half. He bought one for her, too. These two girls are sent from Chichi by their parents, about an hour away by chicken bus. They have to make a minimum of 30Q or they can’t get home. My brother has a soft spot for the street kids who have to sell things for their families. They are often lined up to sell things to him. Sometimes I feel bad saying no to almost all of Cali’s requests for trinkets, that to her are treasures that call to her 7 year old heart. Then I thought of these girls who come here to sell the same trinkets that allow them to catch a bus home, and eat. Today with fried chicken and a pink beaded lizard my brother made four girls incrediby happy. A good day’s work for anyone.
We decided for our last meal together, we would go back to Atlantis, the place we were last night. This time we ate in a grass hut private table in the back. It was adorable. Again we had a great meal.
By now Cali has mastered making origami cranes all by herself, and she folds them constantly. We already have a bag that has at least 30 of them. At the one end of the table my brother was teaching people how to fold flowers. He also folded penguins and two kinds of bunnies. My dad is well known for pointing out the flaw of any folded crane. I mean, he points out areas in which the bird could be improved next time. Staying true to his teaching roots, he would give us grades. He gave Kier’s bird an A+, which made Cali a little crazy, until he gave one of her birds an A++. Then life was good again. I told them all my life I’ve been trying to get an A for my folded crane–go figure!!
From the place where we had our meal, Kier went to a bastketball game where the team was playing from the school she attended last time we lived here. They were winning until the final second when someone from the other team made a 3-point shot. After that she went over to a friend’s house who was having a small group of people over.
After the meal we walked home and got a bit organized for the early morning departure. Fantastic week, fantastic family memories.