Panama excitement builds

I've got a nervous excitement going on now that the Panama trip is getting closer.
As I’ve said previously, this will be my first time visiting a country where I don’t speak the language, so yes I’m nervous and excited all at the same time.
When my husband first mentioned his interest in Panama a few months ago, I suppose I had the same response most have, which basically consisted of “Where?” followed quickly by “Why?”
But as we’ve done more research on the country and seen amazing photos of the countryside posted on the web, I’m really looking forward to exploring it.
Most of the sites and blogs we’ve visited, and even newspaper articles we’ve read, stress how inexpensive Panama is and so far we have found that to be true.
Our hotel stays for the entire seven-day trip should be no more than $300. And our car rental plus the additional insurance purchase, which we did through Budget, will cost us under $300 for a mid-size, automatic car.
We figure our most expensive trip costs will be gas, because Panama’s prices are similar to those here in the States, and probably our white water rafting excursion. There’s so much to see and do in such a little amount of time, but we hope to hit the areas we really want to see, namely Boquete and Bocas del Toro. Now my husband’s latest idea is to meet with a Realtor and visit some homes for sale just to get any idea. I’m up for that!

Something unexpected

My husband is testing me. And from what I remember from my school days, I don't like tests.

Here's the story ... The other night we finally stopped into this new community within Lely Resort that we both have admired from our occasional drive-bys. What's always attracted us is the bright colors and the distinct architecture, which is really unlike anything we've seen in Naples, Florida to date.

After driving around a bit, we parked and walked. As my husband knows, I love exploring new places, especially newly-built homes, so I peeked in windows and tried doors in an attempt to see more. No worries, most of the homes are vacant so I wasn't venturing into Peeping Tom status.

Needless to say, the community was awesome! Not only were the homes great, but the town center was definitely the cherry on top.

We found a way to get into the pool area even though most of it was surrounded by locked gates, and we also snuck into the movie theater where we caught the last 15 minutes of "Fracture."

Once we arrived back home, I immediately looked the community up on the internet and found that the homes offered a lot of square footage for a decent price.

So after all my gushing about this amazing Naples find, this is my husband's test: Would simply moving to a new home in Naples quench my need for adventure and change?

Like I said, I hate tests.

I'm Itchy

Some people crave change. I am one of those people.

My husband, not so much. He is content putting down roots and letting them grow so deep that when it comes time to move, it almost takes a bulldozer to budge them.

But I'm not giving him enough credit. I think he may have caught some of my itchiness, too. We talk more and more about leaving Naples and enjoying a not-so-demanding life elsewhere, hence the trip to Panama to see if it may be just that place.

My itchiness, though, has grown to "Hulk-like" proportions. I am pretty much bored with everything. My desk job is far from challenging right now and our house is, well, still the same as it always has been.

I stay at my job because it's nice to have a regular paycheck coming in no matter how meager it may be. We stay in the house because the market conditions continue to make this a great time to buy but not to sell.

I love change because it is scary and fun and inspiring! The good news is that my freelance writing work is keeping me creatively challenged.

Maybe we'll fall in love with Panama as so many other Americans have. Or maybe we'll come back and think of it as a nice place to visit but not to live. If it turns out to be the latter, well then, it is back to the "Where's a cool place to live" stage.

Maybe we'll buy a world map and throw darts at it. Doesn't that work in the movies?

No habla español? No problem!

Not having a grasp, or any grasp for that matter, of the Spanish language, I was concerned about trying to make hotel reservations in Panama. Most hotels and hostels can be found on the web, but some of the smaller, cheaper places did not have any more than a phone number with which to contact them.

I didn’t feel confident enough in myself to phone and say “Hola. Habla ingles?” So instead I searched everywhere for another means of communication.

Email to the rescue!

Every place I emailed responded promptly, letting me know either way if they had availability for the night requested or not. If I emailed over the weekend, some would respond while others waited until Monday, which was fine.

The only place I reserved online, through a service, was Hotel Marparaiso for our one-night stay in Panama City. The rest I have emailed back and forth with the managers and reserved a room that way.

Once it was determined that the night I wanted was available and the rate was OK, I followed up by saying I would take the room and asked what information they needed from me to hold the reservation.

The answer: Nothing!

I’m not too worried about the reservation being honored once we arrive. Maybe I am being too trusting of a third-world country, but I’m not a glass-half-empty kind of person, so I remain optimistic.

Plus, I’ll pack the printouts of our email communication just in case.

So I planned a little

I couldn’t help it! The old me tackled the new me and made some hotel reservations.

But just some. The whole trip is not completely planned out, so I feel OK about letting the old me have some say.

Basically we will be traveling out of Panama City on a Sunday morning, which Jessica my Panamanian resource said would be best since most city dwellers head out to the beaches for the weekend and all clamor back into the city on Sunday. So we’ll be heading in the opposite direction of the mob, which is fine by me.

Depending on how long we choose to drive and what sights we see, it’s anyone’s guess at this point where will stay Sunday night. That night is for the new me.

Come Monday we hope to be in David, which is 6 or 7 hours away from Panama City. I have an email out to Hotel Alcala to see if they have a room available that night. I’ve heard and read that it is cheap and clean. I love that combination!

Tuesday and Wednesday we hope to be up in Boquete, which is about 45 minutes away from David. On Tuesday we will be staying at Pension Topas for $32 including tax. Too cool!

And on Wednesday in Boquete we decided to splurge and stay at Villa Marita for $66.

Thursday we start heading back across the Interamericana. We’ll stay someplace along the road that night and be back in the city on Friday. We fly out early Saturday morning.

A little bit of a plan, but not too much. My Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde compromised.