Driving into or out of El Valle you have to go through mountains. You just do. It is a mountain valley town. A pretty mountain valley town surrounded by mountains.
Edgardo and Heidi live there, they are friends of mine and Patt's. They are also friends of Stephen and Jen. In fact, Heidi was one of Jen's bridesmaids. (see blogs from July of 2009- for photos from prior trip to ElValle, photos of Edgardo, Heidi, and of course the wedding).
On the porch with William the lessor and Pepi, the bold, -- my signature naming. In the morning when Heidi and Edgardo would go on their one hour walk (Heidi is with child -7 months already) I would sit on the porch, drink coffee and read the news on my computer -- like I have said, right now, this retirement thing just might work. The dogs would keep me company, or rather, I would comfort poor William, the lessor -- or not bold--especially when Heidi is not there.
At the frog center at the zoo, Edgardo providing some conservation education to third graders
The third graders themselves. They were very attentive, saw me taking all sorts of pictures and thought Edgardo was some sort of famous person (actually he is). I think I looked sorta wierd to them, shorts, columbia baggy shirt, jobst hose on one leg and a tilly hat. Dark socks too. Stephen would have been proud.
The famous golden frog
Below is "Mikey" I think Big Mike is a better name but no one asked me.
and these following are out of sight beautifull, the photos leave much to be desired in the way of showing just how beautiful these frogs are.
Edgardo has a real fancy car with exhaust up over the window, running lights all over it, wheel clearance like a state fair truck, monster tires and so on -- it is for field work in these mountains and valleys and streams.
Well apparently, one of the axels, gears, somethings stopped working, fortunately as we were approaching Panama city. So we got a tow truck. I got to ride right there in the front seat in the middle of the big ole tow truck too. Fortunately Benjamin, our tow truck driver wanted to live. Therefore he did not play his cd player in his truck.
On the way to El Valle, a two hour drive - give or take 30 minutes - I rode the bus - for $4.50. Tell you anything? Well at the bus station, I quizzed the ticket seller to be sure I was on the rapidamente bus. Assured I was, I was pleased when we began stopping at every crossroad, driveway, for every pedestrian, roadside store or where one could or should be. Actually I was not pleased, that was sarcasm in the previous statement.
The really really good thing was that the bus driver, purely for the benefit of the passengers, who filled the bus, by now, played bad Panamanian rap music really really loudly. I mean I like rap music as much as any other 63 year old white guy who thinks some of Elvis's best work was his gospel album, and whose idea of good current music is Enya.
So you know how pleased I was to learn the words to "Pero- Pero - Pero - Pero - Pero - Pero - Pero - hey - hey- hey - Pero - Pero - Pero - Pero . Now if you can get that base from the guy whose car is shaking all those other cars at the stop light there near the mall, (you know the one) include some real strong base. You too can start shouting Pero- Pero-Pero. (be sure to trill the "r")
I was about 7 minutes from taking the radio, speakers and trying to impale the driver with them, then I planned to burn his house and village, and sell his family to Arab slavers. The world would be a better place, but you probably would not know the words to Pero Pero Pero.
oh and I will definitely go back to El Valle. It is that kind of place and I like visiting our friends Edgardo and Heidi -- the bus ride, just one of those things. Perhaps the next driver will like Patti Page? or Connie or Rosemary Cluney, or Scotty McCreary. Who knows.
