2 minute read
PANAMA IS SO HOT
A family of five recalls what they learned on their Central American escape
by SUZI IVERSON
Photos: Courtesy of Suzi Iverson
My husband, Todd, and I wanted a spring break that was adventurous, aff ordable, educational, entertaining, and relaxing. Our kids wanted only one thing: to go swimming in a sunny place.
Like sneaking vegetables into smoothies, we’re the kind of parents that like to sneak history and culture into a vacation. We’ve been to California, Mexico, and Costa Rica. For this trip, Todd and I wanted more than just sun and fun. We wanted our kids to learn something new. We wanted Panama.
“The best part about Panama is it’s so hot,” declares Finn, age seven. But he is forgetting how he loved the animal displays at the Biomuseo, the Carnaval dancers at our resort, and the band playing at Plaza Herrera in Casco Viejo.
“The fi shing was amazing. We caught some bonito,” remembers Gus. He also practiced his sixth-grade Spanish ordering new foods, found he liked papas rellenas, and learned “just how bad Americans are at soccer” while playing on the beach with kids from Brazil and Panama. “The thing about Panama is … I love sea creatures, but they don’t love me,” Arthur, age 10, informs me. Arthur, in fact, loves all creatures, from the leaf-cutter ants we spied on hiking trails to the teeny-tiny scorpion Finn found in a shoe. Snorkeling in Panama had been one of his dreams. However, he found out the hard way that there are some creatures – like jellyfi sh and sea urchins – you should not touch.
We all learned a lot, but Arthur, our history buff , may have learned the most. Aft er seeing the famous canal, we stopped and played pirates among the 18th century ruins of the Santiago Battery in Portobelo.
Finally, on a quest to make this the “best vacation ever,” we ended our trip at Dreams Playa Bonita, an all-inclusive resort. Which is why our kids still tell people, “The best part about Panama was the unlimited drinks.” We touched nature, we touched history, we touched new foods, and we even touched some creatures that should probably have been left alone. We came home a little wiser, a little sunburnt, and a lot happier.
