PDA Report #14
David, Panama.
My introduction to Panama comprised sleek Mitsubishi mini-buses, decent garbage-free roads on even terrain, highway strip malls and convenience store service stations, a middle-class hotel ($15) with air conditioning, hot shower and TV porn channel.
An altogether rude transition from my travel experience thusfar. And that's not including the fracas at the border where officials will "extort" a return bus ticket from you before letting you in, and to which my two Italian surfer companions yelled Mafia! Mafia! (I just muttered "you bastards" under my breath). Ironic too, because it's the only place of officialdom in Central America where I didn't see a single gun!
Boquete is a pristine, affluent white picket fence kind of town in the Chiriqui highlands, one hour east of David (the latter Panama's second largest city). It reminds me of towns in the Okanagon (Summerland, Penticton etc. sans the lakes and vistas).
I'm told the region produces some of the world's finest coffee. As the self-appointed connoisseur from Hell, this jury of one is still out. Presumably they keep some export grade beans to impress the tourists. However, preliminary samplings from the town's few (two or three) commercial grade espresso machines are inconclusive as of this writing.
David is Dullsville extrordinaire. Although a fairly modern configuration, it is utterly featureless. Its center is distinguished by a plethora of Midland Liquidators/Dollar/Zellers discount variety type stores. That's it! What's remarkable is that save for a handful of sodas (typical quick-stop eateries) and a few banal looking cafeteria/buffet style restaurants, there are NO restaurants, bars, or cafes as we know them. And needless to say, no espresso! Although the city is lively enough during the day, after 8 pm it falls eerily silent.
It's interesting, but Costa Rica is often deprecated for its homogenized demeanor and aspirations for all things American. Notwithstanding my short time here, I think it's safe to say that applies to Panama as well.
Still, Dullsville produced one of the more lively encounters of my trip. Meet Felix. I'm sitting in the Multi Café (cafe is a misnomer, but it's otherwise a fairly decent buffet cafeteria situated below the Occidental Hotel where I was staying). I'm typing on the PDA and Felix, a Panamanian from Bocas, taps me on the shoulder. Pulls out an older version of my iPaq and, WHAMMO! What a momentous meeting of minds!
Felix had lost his ebook Bible and wondered if I had one; could I help him replace it? I said I only had Homer and Shakespeare and why don't I just beam the files to him. Of course, technology always fails embarrassingly when you try to impress someone.
We carried on for hours, demonstrating feature for feature, exchanging tip for tip, URL for URL, email for email --- our enthusiasm must have been infectious -- several patrons beckoned wondering what all the commotion was about.
The cafeteria was closing and I had forgotten to order my meal!
The encounter reminds me of another spontaneous technophile friendship forged on the Gabriola ferry a few years ago. Someone mentioned iMac (in the days when Apple computers still meant something) and thusly I befriended Larry, also an island resident.
We've been unstoppable since...
(2006)
