Panama Invasion 2

The Blackboard was an Arts and Entertainment magazine which was published monthly. The magazine recently ceased publication and along with it went the website which contained numerous Travel stories written by Travel Invasion. We are in the process of republishing these stories for your entertainment.

Last month I left off along the Pacific coastline of Panama having driven over the Panama Canal, explored Manuel Noriega�s bombed out beach house and determined from conversations with the local people that democracy had been restored for the most part. Travel Invasion�s last objective of our Panamanian Invasion was just to enjoy a great beach villa which would prove to be an easy task.

Day two of our adventure had Denise and I returning to Villa Yearwood from the day�s exploits to clean up for a special traditional dinner prepared by the caretaker and his girlfriend. We would be dining on a Panamanian delicacy known as Ropa Vieja which basically translates in English to old clothes. We breathed a sigh of relief when we realized that the spicy shredded beef concoction served over rice was delicious and tasted nothing remotely like thrift store duds. After dinner we spent some time by the swimming pool and then finished the evening by laughing our asses off while watching Napoleon Dynamite on DVD.

It was now onto the El Nispero Zoo. The Lonely Planet guide had given this place a pretty bad rap but Denise and I were still curious. The zoo turned out to be much larger and better than expected. Although no where near the standards of most U.S. zoos, I am also sure the place had nowhere near the funding to work with. Most all the animals seemed content although a few of the monkeys did appeared to either bored or depressed. Supposedly this is the place to see some rare golden frogs. For some reason we never found them, but we did leave satisfied with what the zoo offered.

Heading out of the valley we stopped for lunch at Restaurante Santa Librada 2 and discovered the $6 bacon wrapped filet mignon. At that price it was easy to decide what we were having for lunch. While waiting for the food, a small dog wandered in and made his way under our table. It appears the word is out in the canine world, Jeff is a sucker for big sad hungry eyes. Lunch for two became lunch for three.

A forty minute drive down the mountain took us back to our vacation destination of Villa Yearwood. Walking along Playa Corona beach which is situated less than 50 yards from the vacation house, we felt honored having the entire beach to ourselves. I doubt this beach is ever crowded. This is one of only a few places where the Pacific Ocean actually faces east. If you don�t believe me then take a look at a map. Denise and I were fascinated by the different mixes of sand along the coastline. A few attempts into the water were rebuffed by the strong waves which knocked us around. After about an hour we headed home and party time was on .

Villa Yearwood has a great pool area with a giant palapa covered patio, bar and bathroom. The swimming pool has netting over one side with a basketball hoop. The next few hours were spent catching up on each other�s lives while enjoying a few cocktails and the sounds of a Panamanian radio station.

Dinner that evening was at the Bay View Hotel & Resort which is located about 10 miles south of the villa. The restaurant is a visually appealing open air design looking out to the Pacific Ocean, which makes for a romantically peaceful candlelit dinner. I tried fried Yucca for the first time and no it didn�t taste like chicken. Actually it tasted like a dry french fry. Afterwards we attempted to play pool but I think the humidity had did a number on the pool cues. A great evening in probably the nicest restaurant in the area

When we got back to Villa Yearwood we spent the last part of the evening watching the bats circle around our patio area. Plans were also set for the following day. We would do basically nothing but chill by the pool. The following day we did just that, as nothing beats a vacation day lounging poolside. The only problem was that being almost to the equator, I didn�t respect the sun they way I should have. A few hours had turned my skin somewhere between tomato red and lobster orange.

Being creatures of habit or basically looking for another romantic rendezvous, we decided to spend our last night back at the Bay View Restaurant. Tonight the two of us appeared to have the place to ourselves and dinner turned out to be a pleasurable experience once again.

Thursday morning we were up and ready to head back to Panama City for our flight back to reality. Villa Yearwood had passed the vacation satisfaction test with flying colors. Panama had exceeded all our expectations. Friendly people, rock bottom prices and beautiful beaches all located in a country begging for tourism. Can a person really ask for more?

You can learn more about Villa Yearwood on the Web at:

www.panama-vacations.com