We arrange to go to the mall with Susan and David, sharing a taxi and meet them at their boat. The wind has died down a lot, which makes for a comfortable dinghy ride but this means it is stiflingly hot. Ah well, you can’t have everything.
When we eventually manage to find a taxi, there is no room for Jim so he goes off for a walk, arranging to meet us back at the marina bar in two hours.
David needs to find a metal worker to fix a bent bit of stainless steel. The taxi driver says he knows the address but it soon becomes very obvious that he has no idea where he is going. He stops to ask countless people, even borrowing someone’s phone so he can call the place for directions. We do eventually find the place, having gone round and round in some of the less salubrious areas of Panama City, and they take the part and tell David to return tomorrow to collect it.
We get to the mall and leave Mike and David to go electronics shopping while Susan and I go bikini hunting. David skilfully only gives us 25 minutes for this so Susan is unsuccessful in her quest although we manage to get into about 5 shops for a scout around. We meet back up for a drink then split up to do our ‘proper’ shopping. Mike and I buy some storage boxes. I am determined to keep our dry food supplies out of reach of insects, although I am sure that nothing less than spraying the buggers with DEET will do this. After that it’s more food shopping. How we manage to get it all in one taxi back is amazing.
When we get back to the marina, Jim is waiting patiently in the bar, having had his lunch. We lug all the shopping along the dock to the dinghy, meeting Judith on the way. Although we have been in the marina all week, Judith and I haven’t had a chance to chat so I arrange to meet her for a drink once I have offloaded the shopping. Mike looks less than pleased at having to come back in the dinghy to pick me up. I have obviously put paid to his afternoon sleep.
I scamper back along the dock to the bar before he changes his mind and Judith and I enjoy a rather strong but delicious mojito and a natter and arrange to go to the mall tomorrow as it will be a long time before we see shops like this again. Well, for me anyway, as Judith flies back to the USA in March. I will have to wait until Tahiti or maybe even Australia next summer before I see another mall.
Mike is amazed that I am not late to meet him. I am deliberately early so as to make up for him having to brave the very wet dinghy ride over. It is actually worse than yesterday, but at least it’s free.
I put another two loads of washing on, and grin at the machine like a moron. I think Mike wishes I was always so easily, and so cheaply pleased. For dinner we eat the delicious Thai curry that the crew from Skylark gave us after I commented how wonderful it was at the Pot Luck lunch. I wonder what else they can cook?
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