Heidibella in the Tropics

How much longer????

I don't think I remember a dingier or muggier July in all my years of living in the tropics. Or maybe it's that every year I put it out of my mind and I really DON'T remember it, even though it happens. Or maybe when summertime comes around it's so wonderful that I completely block out all memory of the dark, horrid months of rain and excessive humidity. When I woke up this morning I could have sworn that it was still 5:00 am...when I looked at the clock I couldn't believe it. 8:30!!!!! What is going on? I hope I don't get Seasonal Affected Disorder or something. Will the sun please stand up? 

And the floods continue...

I took this picture through the windshield of my car with my camera phone. I was on my way home from work on Wednesday afternoon, anxious to get into bed with a cup of tea because of this cold I'm just now getting over. I came to a halt behind a bunch of cars and I zig-zagged my way to the front of the line. I suddenly realized that the reason why nobody was going anywhere was because the entire street had been flooded. I couldn't move forward for fear of getting stranded (and after my recent car flood I didn't want to take any chances) nor could I move backward because there was a another sea behind me...made up of other sedan-type cars that didn't dare brave the muddy barrier. A policeman yelled at us on a loudspeaker, "If you aren't going to go, then back up and find another way!" Back up?  There must have been at least 30 cars behind me, certainly not organized in 4 neat little lanes. Oh no...the cars looked like random polka dots on a piece of fabric. I waited at the very edge of the water, for about an hour. I watched car after car drive full speed into the lake, only to get stuck right in the middle. It looked so scary because as larger trucks and buses sped by the stranded cars, the waves made them bob up and down as if they were leaves floating on top of the water. Children were splashing around as if in a community swimming pool, and they would help push cars out of the water whenever they got stuck. Finally, the cars behind me started backing up one by one as they realized we weren't going anywhere. And I certainly didn't want to get stuck there all night. So I backed up and found another way home. Two hours after leaving work, I made it home...safe and sound...my car nice and dry inside.

A Moment in the Sun

We finally got some sun this past weekend. Sunday morning came like a blessing after so many days of BLAH. I went outside early and opened up my car to let it air out after the flood disaster.  It was a great day, until it rained around 1:00ish. But we took advantage of the little sun we got. The loser in me forgot to close up her car though...and it got wet...again. Oh...and my battery died.

Car Flood

How did everyone fare in yesterday's rainstorm?  Here's how I did:

The Weekend is Here

Think we'll get some sun today? It looks promising so far. Landon and Lola have been laying out all morning. Have a great weekend everyone!

TGIF

Have a good one!

A Sign of the Times

This card was brought with our bill the last time we went to Market. Definitely a sign of the times, wouldn't you say?

Translation: Please ensure that you haven't forgotten your mobile phone before you leave. Thank you.

Right before the storm

Oh I do love a rain storm...one of the best things about living in the tropics!

Photo by: Austin Gorum, a few minutes ago right before the rain came down

Tornado!

Last night was my final night in Round Rock, TX. When I got to the hotel after work, I ordered dinner and started to pack for my trip home the next day. I had the gameshow Duel on the tv for background noise.  The show was interrupted by a very concerned weather man who said that a tornado watch was in effect for counties north of Round Rock and that the storm was travelling south quickly. At first I wasn't concerned, but when I went to weather.com and punched in the hotel's zip code, I got a big red banner that said TORNADO WARNING!  TAKE COVER NOW!  What the hell?  I looked out the window and I could see some lightning flickering, as if someone high in the sky were turning the daytime light switch on and off really fast. The concerned weather man went on to say that we should park cars under cover because we would be getting baseball-sized hail that could cause severe damage. Back to the window to look at my rental car which had no hopes of being parked anywhere other than the open hotel parking lot where it already was. Would the insurance cover huge holes in the windshield caused by baseballs made of ice? The weather man showed us a map with a big red spot in the middle, right above where I was. He said the storm was getting closer and that we should take cover. I went back to the window and saw rain, lots of rain. I heard thunder, but saw no hail...no tornados. Would we get sucked up by a cyclone in manner of Dorothy Gale?  The weatherman was still showing us the map, and the big red spot was right over Round Rock.  I went to the window again with my camera, ready to film the action. Rain, rain, rain, rain...more rain. 

The rain came and went, the concerned weather man went back to regular programming (still on Duel), and I realized I had just witnessed the Texas version of what in Panama we would call an "aguacero", except at home it happens on a regular basis. At certain times during the year it happens every day. We go to work in it, we sleep through it, we leave our cars outside in it, and sometimes we even walk in it. As we like to say...such is life in the tropics! 

Glad to be going home...just a few more hours. Sorry for the misleading title...but you have to admit it's more exciting than "Rain!"

A little bit of London

Last night was a night for pub food. With the hustle and bustle of pre-carnaval, trying to get everything done before offices close, fighting the horrendous traffic, we needed to chill. And what a great place to do it we found. Michelle had been talking about The Londoner Pub for a while after driving past it since it's close to her office. We finally decided last night was the night. Upon walking in you realize that if it's a British Pub you want, that's what you're going to get. The food was amazing which is not surprising when you learn that it's prepared by the Ozone kitchen right next door. Fish and Chips were the highlight of the cuisine for me. Perfectly battered pieces of corvina, so crispy you actually hear a crunch when you bite into the fish. It's served with delicious tarter sauce and vinegar in the traditional style. The music was awesome with selections ranging from The Rolling Stones to Guns N' Roses to Lynard Skynard. The large flat screen tvs gave the place a real bar feel and the pool table made it easy to keep guzzling down imported beer because we just couldn't leave...we were having too much fun! I suck at pool by the way, but I actually managed a few good shots. The danger here is that the beer is not cheap, and when you're downing one after another it really adds up. When the menfolk downed a couple of Jägermeister shots, well, that's when it really got crazy.

The highlight of the Londoner Pub (directly across from Starlight on Calle Uruguay in Panama's banking district) to me was the service. The owner, Pierce, was extremely friendly and very interested in what we had to say about his place. The waitstaff were on, and always around when you needed them to be. The beer (we had Bass and Newcastle) was ICE COLD, which is essential for me, although experts would say you shouldn't serve beer so cold it gets icy...but that's the way I like it. The Londoner Pub gave us a night of amazing food, deliciously cold beer, superb service, and a darned good time. We are definitely going back! Pics here.