Adding Insult to Injury

We weren't planning to send another blog post this soon, but the mercurial nature of mother nature makes us send you this brief update.

Because we don't leave until Thursday, we're just killing time until the "Freedom Bird" (A.K.A. Costa Rica Green Airlines) takes us to San Jose, Costa Rica on our way to Philadelphia, USA.

So yesterday we were doing nothing...we each had a book and were reading and swatting no see ems. Nancy was standing on the porch, trying to exercise while reading and John was exercising by laying in bed reading a new book "The Teachers: A Year Inside America's Most Vulnerable, Important Profession." It's a really eye-opening book if you get a chance to read it.

When all of a sudden, Nancy (on the deck) said she felt like the piers that hold the house up were moving and she noticed bubbles in the water. John (on the bed) saw what appeared to be the deck moving toward him and then away from him twice. John thought we had experienced an earthquake. He immediately typed "Panama Earthquake" into Google and got the following:

You bet! a 6.2-6.6 earthquake. Reuters reported that the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said "a magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck off the Pacific coast of Panama. The quake hit some 72 kilometers south of Boca Chica, Panama.

No damages were reported. However, in a local soccer match in Panama, a player fell to the ground as the quake hit. The game was paused as the ground shook and stadium lights swayed. According to USGS, the quake registered a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) below the earth's surface. There is no threat of a tsunami following the earthquake, the U.S. Tsunami Warning System said.

We really, really, really can't wait to leave.

Our total score:

No see ems = 1,000,000 - John and Nancy 1

No hot water = Dozens - john and Nancy 0

Electricity Off = Dozens - John and Nancy -10

No gas to the stove = 1 - No coffee for us 0

Earthquake = 6.6 - john and Nancy -100

LADIES AND GENTLEMAN...WE HAVE A NEW WINNER!

It appears that Polignano al Mar, Italy (Oct 17-24) has now been displaced on the "I'll Never Go Back to that Place Again" Cart with...you guessed it BOCAS DEL TORO!

Its Not Only Us

And you may think it's only us, but three days ago a really nice couple from Ohio moved into the house next door. We were just getting to know them when 8:00 am yesterday morning they called over and said, "we're outta here!" Seems they had no hot water, sporadic electricity, the AC units they had weren't working, and, unlike us who have a free ride to the dock, they had to call for a boat (which cost them $40 each way).

So again, we bid you fond farewell from beautiful (sarcasm) Bocas Del Toro, Panama.

Catcha Later,

Nancy and John