as i sat down at the computer this morning, i was prepared to write about our trip to panama.  well, eileen has already done that, so i will just highlight a couple points.

it's kind of weird being in a tourist town in the situation that we're in.  everybody else thinks we're tourists, so unless i already know them, about all of my interactions or conversations end with "no soy tourista, vivo aqui."  or, as you can probably guess, i'm not a tourist, i live here.  there are so many tours and adventures to do here, but we never do any of them on our own, we have experienced a little here and there when eileen's mother came, and when alan bobbett visited, we went four-wheeling.

so, after arriving in david (the city in panama where we got off the bus) late, we had another forty-five minute drive to boquete, the mountain town where we decided to stay.  we got in really late and stopped at the first place we came upon.  after the owner introduced us to the world champion boxer at 124 pounds from panama who was sitting out back with his possy, we were lead to our humble abode.  now, i will not mention much about this "humble abode," but just use your imagination.  if you know me personally, then you can really start to imagine a room that i would consider a "humble abode" as i have stayed in many a situation and not thought twice.

the next day, after breakfast, we looking for another "affordable" room.  that was first on the list; we were carrying everything we took with us for the four day trip, including make-up.  we found a jewel next to the river.  the loud river.  now, we're in the mountains, and mountain rivers aren't like what we're used to in indiana.  couple that with the tail end of rainy season, and you've got something worth seeing.  as we were looking for things to do, eileen mentioned rafting.  i agreed, that if we could get a good price, i would enjoy that as i have never white-water rafted.  

after making the right contacts, we were on our way.  from boquete, there are fifty-four class 4-5 rapid runs within an hour and a half drive.  a kayaker/rafter's dream.  once at our launch point, i was helping inflate the raft, and get things situation.  then came the instructions.  about ten minutes was spent on what the different orders and directions were, and what was expected of us in those situations.  then, about twenty minutes was spent on what happens "if" someone falls out.  the whole point of me writing this article is to share some of the things that eileen said to me during and after the trip, which i found to be quite funny.  so.... 

"geez, after he kept talking about what to do when falling out of the raft for so long, i was like, i better pay attention."       eileen fell out twice.

"he kept screaming, hard forward! hard forward! [which means paddle forward hard], and my paddle couldn't reach the water because my side was in the air, so i just closed my eyes.... the next thing i new, i was in the water.

"he said, hold on, this next part will be really bumpy, but i didn't know what to hold on to, so i just flexed every muscle in my body.... that didn't work.

i'm sure you "had to be there", but i hope you can get the general sense of how we were turning something potentially fatal into something we could laugh about.  moms, and grandmas, we're safe and sound, and notice i didn't talk about the time spent in the water becoming good friends with the big river rocks.