So this is Keith again. My day to work on the blog-site. It's a tough life when the hardest thing one has to do in a day is write a few words and thoughts on an Internet blog site, ya know?

Yesterday we awoke early to drive about 40 min north on the Pan-American Highway to La Chorerra to attend Church services at Guadalupe Ward at 9AM. We found the address, Bishop Medina's name and meeting time on the Church's website, LDS.org. Using Google maps, GPS, and intuition we were able to find the recently built chapel. All were very friendly, though we (with the exception of Cassandra and Annie) could understand very little of the service. Nevertheless it was humbling, moving, and uplifting to attend and blend our faith and voices with those of the local Saints. They were all so friendly, and I think we shook hands with almost all of the 100+ members in attendance. We met Elder Hunter from Utah and his Honduran companion from San Pedro
Sula, Elder Hernandez. We had so much fun trying to speak with the kids and teenagers. They had no piano players, so everything was acapella. It would have been fun to have Annie or Cassan or Kathy play, but we didn't think about it till later. The Bishop, Obispo, is 40 years old, and he and his wife served missions in Panama.













Here is a picture of one of the Panamanian ? fresh-water crocs sunning on the side of the Canal. Hands in the boat, Stacy. Here we are traversing the Guillard Cut, one of the most difficult-to-construct portions of the Canal, thru rock of the Continental Divide. Here the Canal is about 85 feet above sea level, as I recall. They are presently widening, dredging and straightening the Canal, as well as making a new channel for larger ships. Right now the larger ships need to unload containers at one end, which are shipped by train to the other side, and then reloaded on another ship.




Here is a picture of La Puenta de las Americas. Tradition requires you to kiss the person closest to you when you pass under the bridge. Chris is still recuperating from the best kiss he ever got.









In the background of the picture is Country Inn where we spent two nights. In the foreground is Balboa Yacht Club. We have not yet been invited to join...I am sure the invitation is in the mail. Next week we will head down there and see if we can bum a free transit thru the canal on a passing boat that might need some line handlers. Each boat or ship traversing the Canal is required to have a professional ACP (Autoridad de Canal dePanama) pilot on board. We saw a beautiful sailboat transit thru Pedro Miguel lock. I was jealous.



Visions of our future.


















This is the bombed out, destroyed shell of the Military Officers Club in Casco Viejo. This waterfront building was destroyed during the American invasion of Panama to oust Noriega in 1989.








And this is the shell of a man who has gone a month without a donut. Sadly, the donuts were not up to Puck's standards. The food court at this Albrook Mall was the biggest I have ever seen in any Mall. There were easily 30 food stores in just this section of the mall. The Mall was enormous. It was really packed, tho we were there the day after Christmas. Families looked like they just hung out there. Come to think of it, do Panamanians return gifts ?





A lovely picture on hundreds of years old bastion walls-turned-walkway at Plaza Francia in Casco Viejo. Many Kuna and other vendors sell their wares here.














Well, this morning we slept in. We decided to make coconut rice for breakfast, but discovered there is a difference between crema de coco and leche de coco. The former fried the rice without cooking it...we had to throw it away, and back to the local market. Now it tastes so good! And Chris made some wonderful pina coladas sin alcohol. We had these after spending an hour out body surfing. All the girls were out riding in their blow-up floaties. What a blast! Will try and load video if I can from my underwater camera. ( the battery was low and not sure if it took). I have discovered a new epicurean passion...ceviche de pulpo...octopus ceviche. It is citrus-cured seafood; they make it out of fish, shrimp, corvine (conch) or octopus, which I think is my favorite. Full of onion, lime juice, salt, some cilantro. Eaten with Ritz crackers. Muy sabrosa.

So, enough for now. We read and appreciate all your posts and comments, and your text messages and e-mails. We truly do miss all of you. We can't believe nearly a month has passed.