The Third Goodbye

Day 8- August 14, 2015

Maybe my host brothers were on to something- I woke up on the floor. My knots loosened in the night so my day started with my back straddling uneven floorboards and my feet up in the air. It’s a great way to start a travel day.

We dashed off to see Victor before breakfast. We took pictures with him and his family and he gifted us GIANT cucumbers. All four of them were 3-5 inches in diameter. Diameter, not length. Back at Yuli’s, we had a fried breakfast smorgasborg of fried tortillas, fried corn mash, fried dough, fried plantains, cucumbers, and coffee.

My last visit was to my second host family, the retired pastor and his wife. We chatted for awhile and he ranted about the terrible water system project the government had installed. He was right, it was a terrible system for the community, but every other person in town had ranted to me about it in the last 36 hours so I had trouble mustering up empathy. I gave Jorge a Spanish/English Bible, each page listing the verses side by side in each language. I told him to practice his English for my next visit!

Then it was time to go. A flurry of handshakes, high fives, hugs, and then I was at the river. Bombelé had put a special little seat in the front of boat just for me. It was the first time I disliked how short my boat ride was. It was the third time I’d left this community indefinitely. While I can’t say I was used to it, it wasn’t as apocalyptic as it felt the first time or two.

The rest of the trip to Panama City was straightforward and quick. Leaving Playona at 10, we were at the hostel in Panama City by 5pm. While making dinner that night, we bumped into an RPCV back for a visit. He’d finished his service the year prior and backpacked Central America just like we were about to. We shared our dinner with him and he shared his adventures with us.

My last task before sleeping was to repack. It was a highly frustrating process because I couldn’t eliminate enough stuff. There would be mountains and beaches, so I needed hot and cold clothes. There would be hiking and museums, so I needed outdoor and city gear. There would be 8 different countries of parasites, so I didn’t dare part with any of my meds. I got my bag to close easily but it was still uncomfortably heavy.

I gave up and went to bed cranky.

Today I am grateful the bittersweet ending is also the beginning of a new adventure!

Distance Traveled Today: 240 km 

Total Distance Traveled: 240 km