Ok, don’t tell Sean but I may or may not have sent the following
emails, in the morning, before any cocktails what so ever…
Hello, I am here on a
visit to Panama, staying in Gorgona. A feral cat family has decided to adopt
us at our condo. There is an adult male, female, and one of their offspring
(I don't know how old). I was wondering if there was any way we could get them
spayed and neutered. The owner of the condo wants nothing to do with them,
but left to their own devices, they will continue to breed. I would be
willing to bring them to where ever I need to, and then bring them back here.
Also, what is the possibility of taking the kitten back to the US? Thank you
for any information.
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To: "Lisa”
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2012 12:42:13 PM
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2012 12:42:13 PM
God bless you Lisa. We are
located in Bethania, Camino Real, 436a, in front of Hap Ki Do (look for us in
Google maps). We work 3 days a week, but for you, just let me know when
you can come. All the cats in pillow cases if you don't have kennels. (WHAT! I’m pretty
sure this is what you do when you want to throw cats in a river to drown them!
I’m not sure I am comfortable with this.)
If you take the kitten to the States
with you, we will help you out with the paperwork. (Sean, is going to have a heart attack).
From: “Lisa”
I feel bad asking this,
but is there any cost involved? Also, how long will they be there before
we can bring them back to Gorgona. Is there any place closer to do
this?
If not, I'm still
willing to bring them there. We are here for another couple of weeks.
We could probably bring them there any day this week (except Friday).
Thanks for getting back
so quickly,
Lisa
You wait for them and take
them back to Gorgora. Procedure very quick. We are a 501(c)3
non-profit and your contribution is tax deductible. We ask for $12 per
cat because we target low-income families. God bless you if you can give
a little bit more. (I’m not sure the protocol here. Do I have to pay
extra? Am I going to lose God’s blessing if I don’t?).
So
when I told Sean about the above emails, he almost did have a heart attack,
because, I guess rescuing cats is not a top priority for him on his
vacation. I say it’s a perfect thing to
do, because WE ARE DOING NOTHING ELSE and
Patricia Chan clearly speaks English, so for me it’s a win-win. But he is digging his heels in. He insisted that we check with the vet that
is only 10 minutes from here instead of in Panama City which is 90 minutes
away. What is the fun in that I ask you?
But we stopped by the local vet, (because he was afraid that the receptionist would
only speak Spanish, and so much the better to not understand someone in person).
Huh? The person did speak fairly good English, but informed us the cost would
be $280 for all three cats. What! I am
not that generous. I’m not even sure I
want to spend a dime more than $36.00 for the cats.
So
now I am trying to borrow a cat carrier from someone, because the pillow case
idea just seems totally extreme, and besides, they are the landlord’s pillow
cases, and I don’t think he would appreciate our leaving behind shredded, bloody, cat-piss soaked pillow cases. Plus I think it could scar the cats forever,
and I just can’t do that. The thought of
being a good Samaritan is so much easier than actually doing it, especially
when the good Samaritan’s husband has drunk the Panamanian Kool-Aid and is
singing Hakuna Matata all day long.
After
abandoning the “Get Feral Cats Sterilized Campaign” (for now), we drove to
Punta Chame. From what I’d read online,
Punta Chame is supposed to be one of the secret hidden gems of beaches. According to our landlord, Panamanians have
largely ignored it because the Mangroves there attract mosquitos. It was a fairly long drive, but beautiful.
 |
| Mangrove |
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| Swampy area on the way to Punta Chame. |
 |
| Cool Bohio. |
When we reached the end of the road I was like, "What the hell?" It happened again. Even though this is a narrow peninsula surrounded by water. We didn't see a beach or water anywhere! How can this be?
Really, from Google maps, it looks like you couldn't miss the beach or the ocean, but you can! There was not one road (that we found, although I bet they exist) that took us to the beach. It was super hot, dusty, and a bit down trodden, and deserted except for stray dogs everywhere.
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| After literally attacking our car, this dog was calmly escorting us away from his property. |
It wasn't a complete loss, because, truthfully, everywhere you drive is so lush and beautiful, that is enjoyable. And I will say, that for the most part, Punta Chame had good roads. But I would have loved to have taken a walk on the beach. Oh well. (I still have the cats.)
I can't wait to see if u come home with a cat. Of course, you'll have to teach it English.
ReplyDeleteI found your blog online when doing a google search (about Westland Mall) and you came up because you mentioned it in one of your entries- I have to say I haven't laughed so hard in a long time- I live in Gorgona, not far from Costa Grande (just further down the beach). Everything you describe is pretty much the way it is here and I complain about the same things-the rescuing of the feral cats almost made me pee my pants- I am hooked- have to see how your Panama experiment turns out!
ReplyDeleteHi Susan,
ReplyDeleteSorry for the EXTREMELY late response to your comment. I am always worried that I am offending you adventurous souls in Panama, so I'm glad you are taking it as offered, as a comic reprieve. Where in Gorgona do you live?