Arrival into Lima

Sunday 24 April
Hard to believe I am leaving now. Where has the week gone??!!!! I am very sad to be saying good bye. Sophie will be very changed by the time I see her next.

I am up early - beat the alarm by 1 minute. It is a pretty civilised departure time (11:47) but Tocumen airport is 20-30 minutes away - IF there are no traffic delays (today there is a cycling event!) so Evelio suggests 8 a.m. rather than 8:30. And processing at the airport is generally slow!

So - to help out as best I can before going (and Kathryn and Sophie are still asleep - I heard Sophie crying just after midnight), I put out Bobba and get him his breakfast (no walk today I'm afraid), fold the washing, clear dishwasher, put out the rubbish, strip bed, get my breakfast, close suitcase - and then the girls appear. I chop up some pear for Sophie - and we wonder where Evelio is! He is normally on time and now it is after 8 a.m.

He gets held up at the security gate - they really ARE hopeless! And then after our farewells, we are off. Bye Sophie and Kathryn (& Regis in Echador - no news on when he'll return ...)

EXCEPT just as we go through security to exit the gated community, I can see that my phone is not in my bag - we race back to the house (fortunately security waves us through) and there it is - on the kitchen bench. I had taken it out last thing to get a photo!!! Just as well I checked ...

Fortunately the drive to the airport is straightforward - fast! Evelio is not working today - he has come just to pick me up. I tip him for his trouble.

Yes, we wait in a long queue; I see some people turned away at the check-in counter after their long wait. Hmm - I hope I have everything in order; or is this one of those airports where I am supposed to have paid a departure tax at a separate counter before check-in? I scan the departure hall for a long queue somewhere else while I wait where I am.

No, all good. I pass through with the minimum of fuss; the locals seem to be the ones that run into the problems?

Another long queue for immigration - very long. Then slow progress through security. Some places want you to take your shoes and watch off; others don't seem to care. Panamá City wants it all off.

Off to Lima! Hard to believe!

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

In Lima, we are staying in the Miraflores area which is a 'good' neighbourhood. Pam C's plane arrives later than mine so when I get in I set off for the main part of Miraflores - it has lots of boutiques, cafes, restaurants.

Down a small lane I find a local handcrafts shop and get myself a pair of woollen gloves ($US3) to make up for the pair that were in my luggage up until I left but are no longer there?

The weather here is in fact milder than I expected - about 22 deg C, so quite pleasant. I was aiming for one of the central parks - Parque Kennedy (dedicated to JFK). It is a nice area formed at the intersection of three busy streets and has an amphitheatre (where there was a mass of people enjoying themselves dancing frenetically to music plus street vendors, painters, craft stalls, flea market and food.

There are also dozens of cats! They meandered, nibbled, lazed, slept and whatever - with people stroking and patting and feeding them.

I found my way back to the hotel; Pam C still wasn't in and I was about to flop down when I realised I didn't seem to have my reading glasses. In a panic, I went back and retraced my steps, groaning inwardly and at a loss as to how I could have had them slip out of my bag. I was cursing myself but acknowledging it could be worse - like a passport! And resigning myself to the loss. On my return, I found them on the top of my suitcase ...

Pam C arrived soon after, so after her settling in we went looking for dinner. This meant she could get a little exercise after all that sitting on a plane, plus get a taste of Lima rather than just going to bed. We enjoyed a yummy meal at La Tiendecita Blanca near Parque Kennedy with a glass each of some very nice wine (don't know what it was); the service was very good too.

A nice night out. I am walking like a local already - having covered these streets three times this evening!

Pam C has done very well after all that travel - I'm surprised her eyes aren't dropping out of their sockets!

Last day in Panamá

It's 11:30 p.m. here and we have had a long day of it.

We planned to leave 'early' this morning to drive to Panama Viejo but of course, kids being what they are, it takes FOREVER to get out of the house! 

Panama Viejo is the site of the original city which was founded by the Spanish in 1519 and became an important trade centre for gold and silver until it was destroyed by pirates in 1671.

After this, it was never rebuilt on this site; the new city was built several kms away - this is the Casco Viejo that My Friend and I visited on our last visit. Of course, the modern Panamá City is not this area; it is an adjoining area of freeways and skyscrapers and is a huge modern business hub - and a tax haven as we are all currently finding out ...

From Panamá Viejo, one can see the modern city in the distance. But at the archaelogical site are many reminders of a bygone time: there are ruins of what must have been once lovely stone buildings. The cathedral tower is very prominent and has great views out over the Pacific coast.

Afterwards, making the most of Sophie sleeping in the car, we kept driving. At the Albrook Mall we stopped for lunch and some shopping. Got an electric can opener! Plus a PINK phone charger so Regis won't disappear off to other countries with Kathryn's. Mosquito wipes were on the list; we got six packs. Somehow we ended up with a blue fluffy chair for Sophie too???!!! Plus new (TINY) sandals for her. We even managed to find steristrips and replaced the grotty one on Kathryn's thumb. Touch-wood - the healing process seems to be going well.

Back home, a late afternoon short nap for Sophie, take Bobba for a walk, dinner for all of us, bath time for Sophie, bedtime for Sophie (!), clean up kitchen (& the floor - where so much food ends up), put on a wash (I leave in the morning), pack - and a wine and chat with Kathryn before bed ...

Oh yes, and the electric can opener worked very well opening the can of dog food!

Ester not here again ...

So the usual routine: Bobba out, cuppa tea and a bagel (while there are still some left!) for us Big People and breakfast for Sophie - which, despite some fairly sporadically accepted spoonfuls from nonna followed by Sophie indicating she didn't want any more - when left to her own devices, she scooped fruit out of her bowl into her mouth and chomped on pieces of fruit bagel (those teeth!) to her heart's content.

Some play time then a walk in the stroller to get her to sleep. 

No rain yesterday but it is heading that way it seems today judging from the cloud build-up.

Once she is asleep, I rescue Bobba from chasing bird shadows in the backyard and we go for our walk.

Sophie wakes from a sleep that is too short. I have just had time for a quick shower and am not keen to venture out again so I resort to pacing the corridor with the stroller and after 20 minutes or so of this, she FINALLY falls asleep once more. Hooray! Tick to nonna!

I grab a bowl of muesli and fruit as I am starving! It is now midday. Sophie sleeps 1.5 hours!

She wakes - messes around with fruit and soup for lunch and the three of us gals escape to a local shopping area for a very nice coffee and a 'brownie' (Us Big People only). Time to head back and the traffic is banked up. Sophie is tired but cranky; nonna gets her to sleep in the stroller - not for long: the phone wakes her and it is Regis in Ecuador.

Dinner, bath time, Bobba has a 'field day' eating all the leftovers thrown on the floor, and now it is rest time for nonna while Kathryn gets Sophie to bed. 

I drag the stroller up the stairs - a back-up plan. We'll see.

Life goes on

THURSDAY 21st APRIL
Ahhh... Ester is back today. Hopefully she doesn't pass on any of her sore throat germs to Sophie...

We weren't sure if she was coming so, despite feeling somewhat worn out when I got up this morning, I raced around doing the things that are required before I ended up with Sophie if Ester doesn’t come (!) - then everything is difficult because you don't have both hands free!! 

(Other nonnas will know what I mean). So open blinds, make beds, put dog out, give him fresh water, cuppa tea (for us Big People, not the dog), sort washing etc.

So it is bliss when Ester arrives - Bobba gets a walk, then shower for me and I make breakfast for us Big People. 

Kathryn is holed up in her office on Skype - endless meetings! I can enjoy saying 'hi' to Sophie along the way. Yay! - without all the hard work of full-time entertaining... 

Kathryn gets a shower after lunch. Ester has made a nice chicken soup during Sophie's morning sleep - and Sophie enjoys it too.

Kathryn and I race out mid-afternoon between meetings to get the groceries done. She is not sure how long Regis will be away so we are trying to stock up as it will be more difficult for her to get things done once I leave on Sunday. It's expensive here - $US11 for a packet of bacon!!!

Regis' stay in Ecuador may be extended - it could be beyond Tuesday. She has enough to get by with for now and I have made a batch of spaghetti bolognese sauce as one meal in reserve. We'll try again for more food tomorrow if there is time to escape from the office (and, no! I am not driving in this traffic!). 

Plus we need an electric can opener - if one exists in Panama - to avoid a repeat of the thumb-slitting episode the other day; so a visit to a bigger shopping centre is in order.

Meanwhile, Sophie has been grumpy today and isn't settling tonight (it is now 11 p.m.).

[Photo caption: "My new thongs!"]

The wet season has arrived

WEDNESDAY 20 APRIL
The rains came today after several days of a gradual build-up of dark clouds; and the bright clear sunny days have disappeared. It is very humid.

I am taking Sophie for walks twice a day in the stroller (déjà vu Rome!) to get her to sleep; yes, I'm babysitting as Ester has not turned up for work the past two days. 

Bobba gets a walk after one of these stints; he eyes me off through the gate when I'm out with Sophie and stands there and grizzles. Even though you return from these walks soaked from the humidity, I don't mind taking the poor sod for some exercise - the dog, that is...

We've managed well between us today. Got washing done, cleared out the fridge, made a shopping list and Kathryn had a success today with the Indian national's visa being processed despite all the hiccups with documentation yesterday; although another drama arose today with a procurement contract.

Regis rang in - deaths now spiralling towards 600 with many people still unaccounted for. He slept through the 6.2 magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Ecuador last night - one of the advantages he says of being away from Sophie is a good night's sleep, despite an earthquake!

[Photo caption: Sophie on the move with her dinner bowl & spoon]

A day in the life of a working mother in Panamá

TUESDAY APRIL 19th
As the death toll in the Ecuadorean earthquake continues to climb towards 500 and the humanitarian impact is beginning to be more fully understood, all aid agencies are now stepping up their efforts to assist.

Regis tells me that many places are very remote; he has been to the office on the Ecuador-Colombia border previously and it was several hours walk from the local office to one of the local villages (no roads); he says he doubts anyone has been out there to assess the damage yet. Despite reports that the capital Quito has been predominantly spared, he says there are cracks in the walls from the 4th floor down in the building where their office is and that the staff have relocated. The government has requested help from WFP (the UN organisation Kathryn & Regis work for).

And Ester hasn't turned up for work today. So my baby-sitting duties begin ...

Now Kathryn has cut her thumb badly opening a can of dog food for Bobba. Lots of blood everywhere. I fortunately had a steri-strip which hopefully will keep a very deep cut 'sewn' together.

Regis has to fly to Ecuador tonight so that's it from him until at least next Tuesday. 

[Photo caption: Bye bye Sophie!]

In the meantime, poor Kathryn has to deal with a teething baby; a nanny that may not turn up to work again tomorrow; full-time work (including an urgent visa for an Indian national that either gets processed tomorrow or not until June - and HR in the Rome office has not delivered on the promised documentation but still finished work at 5:30 p.m. while Kathryn attempts to manage the situation well into the night); and a VERY LARGE dog who last night in the backyard managed to have an altercation with what I can only think was a porcupine (Rothschild's) judging by the four long black and white quills sticking out of his nose which required a muzzle being applied before the offending spines could be removed with pliers.

SHE doesn't complain but I can see the many frustrations for her trying to get her job done without interruption.

On a lighter note, I have just caught up on the Johnny Depp 'apology' (aka 'hostage') video regarding the illegal entry into Australia last year of his and his partner's two dogs. Clearly the video is a send-up but I think the last laugh is ours as the video is so absurd; indeed, it is being mocked and parodied all over the Internet.

Needless to say, the media are having a field day: "a triumph of minimalist cinema" -
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/stephen-colbert-mocks-johnny-depp-and-amber-heard-apology-video-20160420-goaiol.html

Kathryn's birthday

MONDAY APRIL 18th

Kathryn's birthday: one of the reasons for my visit as it has been years since I have been with her on her birthday. 

She chooses to sleep-in after finding she has no meetings scheduled until 10 a.m. She is very tired.

Sophie and I go for a walk around the estate. It is already hot. 

Ester arrives so I hand over and then take Bobba the Dog for a quick walk. After breakfast - I have a nonna nap; I can't believe it! I'll have to be careful to minimise these at this time of the day or I won't adjust my biological time clock.

We go out for dinner when Regis gets home. The traffic and the road design are ghastly - no-one lets you in and it is really hard to work out which lane to be in to make the correct turn-offs. Bacon & eggs at home are looking good.

The restaurant we were aiming for is closed due to a power black-out. Staff are hanging around outside hopelessly. Other restaurants are closed too (Monday night). 

After some stressful moments, we go to one called the Market which has a nice casual ambience (and my baby pork ribs are lovely). We share a nice bottle of Fantinel rose pinot noir brut from northern Italy; and Kathryn opens her presents from Regis, David, Alison and me (& My Friend).