Rehearsal on Friday evening

We have enjoyed our selves here very much. The wedding rehearsal on Friday night was no less fun. Kelly and Beth were awesome in their direction and charge they gave the group. They are professionals and know what they are doing in an incredibly wonderful and loving way.-- Imagine leading Stephen and Jen and their friends, in the midst of a celebration, but they set a great tone and gave great direction to the practice and evening.




if you need advice regarding your stay, our friendly if un-knowing staff was there to help. We waited for the start of rehearsal, which was of course a little slow in getting of the go mark. I am writing this on Saturday afternoon at almost 2 PM the wedding in in two hours, -- We will see. Should be close to on time



brides maids in a row - and a fun group which should not surprise anyone.




guys== just a few alpha males in case you needed to find one. None of these guys seem to be quiet either.



Stephen and Jen practicing walking out.



the whole group -- assembled and listening ! !



and Friday was a slow day -- see previous post !! I think the AM nap was part of it. Lunch was at 3 PM -- how is that for a slow start.

We just thought Wednesday was full, Thursday was REALLY FULL

The front lobby of the Hotel Panama is spacious and airy and beautiful. Thursday started slow and easy as Patt and I had a noon check out and ride to Gamboa, the AM was spent over breakfast, visiting with Jen's parents and trying unsuccessfully to get some final electronic details worked out for the evenings program.



We did enjoy our stay the the Panama and will probably make it our choice on return trips unless price gets out of hand, the included breakfast and other amenities, including location are great.




The welcome to Panama dinner was wonderful! ! ! The location at the Locks at Mira Flores was a spectacular choice. The place of course has its built in entertainment with ships going through the canal, and view and such. the staff decorated the room and the food was great. As were the recollections of "first time meeting" Stephen and Jen or Stephen or Jen. It of course made for some cute and funny stories, You may not know it but the two of them are an interesting and apparently entertaining couple to be around - and have had some strange first impressions on people. Go figure.

Above is Jen with her parents.















Above is Patt with Doug, Jen's younger brother and below is Jen's Mom's family from Brazil, and some now in India where they currently live and work. Traveling and adventure is really going to be part of Stephen's and Jen's children's heritage. From all sides they get it. Jen's father's family, Jen's mother's family and well sorta look at us- The Crissmans - Omans. So it is not odd that we would be here for the wedding I reckon. It is not a "destination wedding" --except for some of the guests.








Jen and her Dad



After the dinner we headed back to the hotel, which was closed down, a fairly large, but rapidly dwindling crowd stayed up on the outer deck -- among the last to call it an evening were these three. yes, Stephen was long gone by now. and there are witnesses ! well perhaps not long gone, but he had left for the evening before these guys did !

It was a long and full day

On Wednesday, we had one ton of last minute details to work on, the list seemed to grow. We did get to do a little of the necessary shopping for acessories, Panama Hat for example, (see future photos in future postings), and such. Crossing the street from time to time is a challenge, finally just go for it. or walk way out the way to a busy cross over walk way from which you can take a great view picture



and there are of course no shortage of people in the City- including some strange ones in hats, there is a shortage of space though.




Mom.s working, me running errands= Fa, and Patt, making name place cards for the reception. Acquiring proper pens, and such is a challenge, and then who do you think left stuff in his apartment that needed going after. and the stuff, like wedding suit, shoes, -- it was not the bride, so as groom is already at Gamboa,--- anyway, you get the idea, -- It still takes a Village.



Jen and her girl friends had their brides maid party in a somewhat Latin fashion I think, by having a "party bus" and the same bus provided transportation for a bunch from the airport to the resort, it I understand is a form on entertainment in and unto itself. Eric, among others, rode in it. -- I did not. -- The bus came by our hotel for final pick up of girls and to let the boys off for their outing.






the big party, limo-bus was huge and well appointed - the camera was running out of flash. so photos ran out too. as many cameras as were clicking somewhere there may be a moment un- chronicled, but I doubt it.

Got the hotel computer technician

Well, we may have the frustration index for this guy adjusted a bit and my ability to post and get some more photos done improved, -- the technician just left after adjusting the settings on my computer.

Stephen and Jen, visiting us in our hotel room I think on Tuesday, -- they have been remarkably sane given the pressure and comings and goings around here. and there are a lot, the Moms are helping a LOT ! me just a little too.



the brothers had to be posed with James in Old Town, -- Casa Viejo for we multi lingual folks, the city in the background.






various photos around old town,- the Causeway - or edge of the Canal is seen from the other side of Casa Viejo - no picture as it was looking into the setting sun.



a crowd of tourists we saw taking pictures and looking across the bay. Some of them looked like our group but they acted sorta strange so we were very careful around them. Later in the evening we saw them again all eating outside at a sidewalk cafe in some sort of city square -

Kelly and Beth arrived on Tuesday

Tuesday, Kelly Beth, James and Maddie got to town, we met them in old town aka (also known as) Casa Viejo) - your Spanish lesson continues, a-being- rebuilt- long-neglected- part - of town- that will soon be full of tourist stuff and fancy restaurants and such and now has a good start at it. It does have some spectacular views of the Pacific and the newer part of town.




the internet is starting to act up again, will try more later

Back in Panama City on Monday

Back in Panama City, the tired ones are Mark and Marie, their day started at something like 2 AM, that is what time you get up when you have a 6AM international flight from Raleigh - and you eat dinner late after some serious socializing with some brothers and Stephen after Stephen supplied refreshments poolside at the EL Panama.



There is not a lot of beach access, public access seems to be a foreign concept, but between a development and a house, our driver knew of a spot and we got a view at high tide of beach front on the Pacific




We of course had to put our feet in the water as the waves washed in and Linda first, then in quick succession others and finally Fa got caught by fast rushing water.

Today really is Tuesday

But this is what we did on Sunday,

Edgardo and Heidi, two of Stephen and Jen's very close friends here --they are the people who run the frog rescue center and S & J have gone frog catching with them, Yes even Jen ! Heidi says the Jen is getting quite "outdoors- ie" yes our Jen the adventurer and naturalist in the jungles of Panama !! now that is a news flash.




The now very rare Panamanian Golden Frog being rescued from worldwide disease of all frogs at the frog center in El Valle, I will try to post a link to more about the Center in a future blog. We had a personal tour of the frog center at the zoo in El Valle on Sunday afternoon after Charles, Linda and Kate, Emily arrived.




Charles and I also hiked with Stephen, Edgardo, Alex, and Miles up the Sleeping Indian mountain trail (see one of my previous posts for a whole series of pictures) in one heck of a rain. The hike started out just hot, but turned into a steady jungle type rain - hence no photos. also the internet just got real slow here and has stopped loading pictures so I too will stop and hope this posts. More later

El Valle

On Saturday the fourth, we headed out to El Valle for a 4th picnic/cookout with some of Stephen and Jen's friends of which they have a number of very nice interesting ones, several of whom are former Peace Corps Volunteers. Leave Panama City for about an hour on an interstate type highway then turn off the road onto a beautiful mountain road up and over the rim of an old volcano and into the valley, clever name huh - the Valley - little Spanish lesson here for you guys. "El Valle" now you know some Spanish. -- It pays to read this thing -- keep it up and you will be multi lingual.



The party was great, - of course loud and lasted far longer than Patt or I did. We had a room in a small 8 room hotel in town, or what there is of one.-- "The Valley" is not the biggest town you ever saw, - no stoplights for one thing.



The food was great, lots of it, and guests brought a mixture of things to add, mango cobbler for one, Patt made apple pies, and there were copious quantities of beverage of choice including Budweiser since it was the 4th and all.













Since it was the 4th and beverages were consumed, it was time to do the time honored US custom of riding in pick up trucks, so we secured drivers, (being in need of such) and went to the top of mountain top road reachable by 4 wheeling trucks, so we could see the Pacific. It was of course a lot of fun and very nice ride. I think I remember from Peace Corps Days activities of a similar ilk - though I think it may be typical of many young ex-pats on holidays.

trip down the canal

Here are the photos of our trip down the canal as we flew in on Friday. really nice, though cloudy in spots as you can see. great and thrilling to see the canal from end to end.

today the 4th we celebrated in El Valle, that will be another post. I am a day behind, but that is best I can do for now.






Bridge of the Americas and the Pan American highway -



cargo being loaded at west end -




Stephen with his future mother-in-law in our room at the Hotel. Fatima or Fa is such a fine and fun person to be with. Patt and I like her a lot and enjoy being with her very much. Stephen is once again -- a lucky guy.- and he knows it too.




the view from our "veranda" or whatever in front of our room -- replete with swim up bar under the thatch roof.




Our room is one of the middle ones just past the 3rd palm tree, - not so fancy, but nice location

Arrived for the event

We are here after a safe and nice flight via Continental Air. Flew right down the Canal. East to West, through the clouds saw about 70% of it out the left side of the plane, have a bunch of photos but the connection is so slow I can not load them, tried last night, and will try again later when I have a better connection. Had a delightful dinner last night, with Stephen and Jen, then Fa, Jen's Mom, joined us at our hotel and we visited late.

this morning we are headed out to El Valle for the weekend, I think Charles and Linda are joining us. El Valle is a small mountain town about 90 minutes east of here, where Stephen and Jen have a house. Fourth of July happens here too, It is just not as big a deal- and is not a national holiday - go figure.

more later and lots of photos, when I can