Sunday, September 12, 2010

The alarm goes off, its 5 in the morning, it’s time! It’s time to return, its time to hoist the anchor and leave the quite bay of Honda, but more than that, its time to start facing home. Despite the controversial feelings, we are heading back to Boca Chica, Panama. The boat is loaded with coconuts, sugar cane, a huge papaya, bananas (guineo and red), cucumbers, cilantro, lemon grass and spinach. Domingo and his family made sure we had plenty to eat and plenty to remember them. Last night there was a feast at their house with “cambute” (conch) and lobster, freshly caught, coconut rice with freshly squeezed coconut milk and homemade bread. We provided the Coconut-rum mixture, the wine and a pasta salad “American style”.

The house was a happy place. Rosalin and I in the kitchen, she demonstrates the cooking and I, with the wine in my hand, observe, taste, wonder and ultimately, learn. The kids are playing circles and dancing in the living room, the men are outside listening to the life lessons given to them by Domingo. We ate; we complimented the chef, did a classy lick of fingers and heard a few more stories. The rain has slowly been announcing that we must retreat back to the boat, we procrastinate the moment of Good byes. I would like to say ‘”we’ll be back” and avoid the feelings of guilt for making old Domingo be sad. He asks again and again if we could ever be back, again and again my heart sunk. The rain has slowed down, but the tide is way out and still going. It’s a now or get stuck moment. The dingy was sinking itself in the mud. We exchanged addresses, pictures, hugs and be well and good fortune wishes and… we left!