This month we were thrilled to welcome my parents to Pedasi. They were our first family from the U.S, to come visit us in our new home. I was so excited, but the boys were even more excited to see their grandparents. They have a special bond with them, and they couldn’t wait to make Panama memories with them.
When my parents arrived, we broke up the long drive from PTY to Pedasi by staying a couple days on the coast in Santa Clara. It was the best way to ease in the vacation. They were able to thaw from their frigid winter temperatures in Buffalo, and we were able to relax while playing in the pool and the beach.
The next week was a mix of relaxing at home and sight-seeing. There’s not much to do in this town beside the pool, beach, eat, sleep, repeat. Luckily, they were down for some time to chill. We did want to show them all of our favorite spots- our local beaches, Playa Venao, Isla Iguana. They also got a peek into our lifestyle. They were able to meet our friends, see the kids’ school, and eat at our favorite restaurants. They even joined the party crowd and went to Smiley’s twice to hear live music. However, I think dad’s favorite spot was Cou Cou Crazy, our local micro brewer. I wasn’t sure how their Germanic, industrious nature would adapt to the tranquilo lifestyle- and I’m sure it was a lot to get used to, but they did mention maybe even coming back next year.
The only thing that really hampered their visit was that my dad got a horrible infection in his foot. The first day he was here, he took a walk on the beach and got a huge blister on the bottom of each foot. Afterward, one foot started to swell and turn red and shiny. He thought it was a gout attack, which is prone to, so we didn’t take him to the doctor. Big mistake as it continued to get worse. When he finally went to the clinic when they returned to Florida, he was admitted and had to stay in the hospital for several days and have surgery to remove an infected abscess. What a mess, but luckily, he was able to heal and recover. I’m not sure if that’s going to affect their feelings about their trip. We’ll see if that return trip ever happens.
As always, saying good bye is so hard. One of the most difficult things about living in such a remote area is that it takes two travel days to visit anywhere. Therefore, when we see family, we like to take advantage of every minute together. We can’t wait to see them again!
Family Stoke 