Caves at Lago Bayana
The jungle girls and I went to go and visit another Peace Corp volunteer ( Jungle Boy) at his site near some caves on a lake in Panama called Lago Bayana. The lake was roughly a 1.5 hour drive towards the Colombia border and then a 20 minute boat ride. We were clearly in the countryside as a police officer was very surprised to see 4 gringas in a car together and asked a bunch of questions to figure out why were in the area. Lukcily our boat driver was there to vouch for us and our reasons being there.
Our friend’s community was a fishing community that happened to sit on the outside of the caves. The community is known for fishing and having some chickens. The caves are not super popular yet. In order to access the caves you had to walk in the middle of the river as you entered into the dark hole of the cave. I was of course a perfect example of being graceful as I kept on slipping on the wet rocks and falling on my butt. Once inside the cave the rock formations were super big and cracks in the top of the cave let in natural light in some places. There was one scary portion of the cave where everything was pitch black and bats were literally flying a few inches from your head. We got caught in the bats migrating to another section of the cave and found ourselves screaming like little girls as we crouched down in the water. We ended up spending a few hours in the cave and serenading each with Lady Gaga as we climbed out of the cave. Once we were out of the cave we swam in the lake and then treated ourselves to a dinner in our friends hut. I opted to sleep in my hammock for the night and quickly learned that a hammock is much more suited for an afternoon cat nap as opposed to a full sleep.
I would honestly recommend the caves for anyone that is looking for a nice change of pace from the beaches and jungles in Panama. There is a smaller cave where you can go spelunking in should you dare. However I think I was super lucky to get to share this with a Jungle Boy who aims to have the cutest chickens in his community. I think I might head back down to the community for the chicken beauty pageant!!
Spa Thursday
Fun fact I have learned. You can pay $10.50 and go use the Spa and Pool facilities at the Sheraton. The Sheraton is one of the oldest and most respected hotels in the PCity even though there are newer and fancier hotels in the city. My group of City friends and I have started a tradition of Spa Thursday. Spa Thursday begins with gossiping my the pool, dinner/drinks pool side, dip in the pool followed by 20 minutes in the steam room and 20 minutes in the sauna. All of us emerge relaxed, caught up on the week’s gossip, and ready for a weekend’s worth of patying! However I would watch out for the valets as the wrecked on of our cars ( not the Yucky although I think it would of just given him more character.)
Fun things you can find at Dorians Part 4:
- Ohio State T-shirt for $9.00 with an original price tag of $50
-I-Phone 3G T-Shirt that is what was worn at Apple Stores for $2.00
-Calvin Klein dress ( sooo not my size) for $15.00
-Michael Kors dress for $19.99 in my size
-7 jeans for $4.00 ( soo not my size)
Dorian’s Feature Creature:
Cavity Count
I reported a few weeks ago that my teeth cleaning resulted in the discovery of 9 cavities.. yes 9. I have 5 of them fixed and have 4 more to go. Here is a fun fact for you.. they won’t give you novicane unless they are really bad. Apparently none of mine have been that bad but i beg to differ as I am the one with the drill in my mouth. However the dentist speaks English and they are pretty through… beggars can’t be choosers. Suffice to say I will be happy when the final 4 are filled and I don’t have to return.
Panama Restaurant Week
Panama Restaurant is week is awesome because it features all kinds of yummy restaurants that on a normal day are slightly above Gringa Kate’s price range. However the reduced prices during restaurant week give me the opportunity to sample the upper level of Panama cuisine. I suggest you check some of them out!!!!
http://www.panamarestaurantsreview.com/panama-restaurant-week-2010.html
