On October 19 by dual-cab pickup we left Puerto Lindo at 7 a.m. to head out for Tocumen International Airport near Panama City to fly back to Florida for 6 weeks. Our flight was at 2:30p.m., but we needed to get thru Portobelo which was going into the throws of "The Black Christ". This is a celebration of a 1650 a.d. Spanish statue, black of course, which had saved Purtobelo from an epidemic according to legend. The town fills up with supplicants who travel by car, foot, knee, etc. to pay homage at he church and then revel in the streets and byways blocking all traffic. Because of all the hoopla, the police set up as many as 7 roadblocks to keep the revelry down to a dull roar. As things happen, we made it to Tocumen without incident by 9:30 a.m., in time to wait for one and a half hours for the unmarked Spirit check-in counter to reveal itself and open. From there we went to the gate, thru x-Ray and metal detector security of course, to be screened again, this time with pat down, at the gate waiting area. Made us kind of nervous: Two full security checks. We even got scanned and patted a third time 'cause We made the mistake on going to the (bano) head. The flight to Ft. Lauderdale was uneventful until Linda went flat (and I mean "slam-bang-whap) on her face exiting the aircraft. Banged her bad knee, her neck, chin, side and big toe that had tripped her. (Three days later and some Oxycodone she seems to be on the mend, SLOWLY). It did get everyone's attention and a Spirit wheelchair. Man, that's the way to get thru Customs and Irritation. Several flights had arrived all the same time and the place was packed: probably an hour plus wait. We got thru in 20 minutes max, sitting down! We took the shuttle bus to Budget (the counter is at Arrivals???), got their $58 Ford (one way to Orlando for crying out loud and without the extra insurance) and made it by mid-night to Jackie and Duane Williams in Altamonte Springs.
Rob and Lauren Dehaan, Southern Comfort, are watching and reporting on Kuhela which is doing fine power-wise so far. When we are not there the power consumption is way down and the solar is enough to keep,up,easily. She even missed the thieves who stole our neighbor's dingy fuel tank. I took ours out, thank God, along with the battery and put them in the saloon before we left.
The weather here so far is wonderful, but cold (less than 80*). We are doing our shopping, sleeping, eating, visiting, etc. in a leasurely fashion, slipping back into civilization.
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