Food and Such

I went to a finer restaurant in David, the third largest city to be amused by their display of Sara Lee and Budweiser. Texaco, Mickey D's and Pricesmart (Left my card at home!) lend even more familiarity.

There's a huge cybercafe with online phone service to the states for almost nothing.

From street vendors you can get Pipas Frias, fresh cold coconut milk, right out of the real container. Not to mention Jugo de Cana, freshly milled sugar cane juice (looks like pond water) with a squeeze of lime (looks like an orange). The acid cuts the sweetness just a bit to make for a very refreshing beverage. Ahhhh!

Native Panamanians

Unbeknownst to most Americans, there are many indigenous tribes in Panama. This area is home to the Guaymi (why-me) tribe. Their plight in some ways is similar to that of the Native Americans.

There are reserves set aside for them although many live outside of the reservations. They don't seem to mix well in the latino society. Poverty and alcoholism seem to be prevalent.

The Guaymi women are known for their flowing colorful dresses and some of the men engage in a kind of tooth filing ritual. I plan to visit a reserve very soon and will likely have more comments and photos.