Settling in Panama 4/27/08 Update

I arrived on Earth Day (4/22/08). It has been a great ride so far. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to believe I'm really retired from 32 years of mostly fun Federal Service and sometimes I just have to laugh out loud. Like today, as I walked from my room at Las Olas Resort to the pool area, a huge 4' long green iguana was blocking my way. Hummm... we aren't in Alaska any more, are we? The iguana was resting on the cool marble/tile floor and seemed content to stay there. As I moved closer, he didn't realize that I didn't want to eat him (being the vegan I am) and quickly tried to move away. However, he couldn't get any traction on the slick floor and looked much like a cartoon character as he ran in place. I can't understand why the rest of the USA hasn't moved here yet. It's quite lovely. But one needs patience. Things move pretty slowly. One of my new found Panamanian friends compared living in Panama to living in the US in the 1950's. I hope to move from the Las Olas Hotel to my condo (Las Brisas Del Mar) tomorrow. My first furniture purchase will be a bed. Stay tuned!