Day 7—Gorgona Fish Market and Mangoes

So we finally scrounged up the nerve to go to the Fish Co-op. (When I say we, I mean me, because Sean really has no fear about these things.) Unfortunately we waited until about 11a.m. and the weather was super muggy and hot (have I mentioned that yet?)…the worst we’ve experience so far.  So I sprayed myself with sun screen, grabbed a towel (I also had every intention of taking a dip in the ocean), a camera, and some cash.  As we were on our way out,  Donna, the Mormon/Jehovah’s Witness,  accosted us and invited herself along.  The thing about Donna is she doesn’t stop talking.  Luckily, so far she is only regaling us with stories of her past.  She apparently has lived everywhere, and has a lot of stories to tell about it.  

As we were doing the Bataan Death March to the beach (it was soooo hot!) I listened politely as Donna told us her loser –tenant- from -hell story (we also have one of those, but it would be unlikely that we would be able to share our story).  As we approached the sand I glanced at the Fish Co-op a quarter mile down the beach, and then I looked out at the ocean, which was at low tide so it seemed like a bazillion miles from where we were standing,(but probably closer) and as soon as Donna took a breath, I said, “I need to go swimming now!” Can anyone say heat stroke?  I figured I must be getting a third degree sunburn standing there.  So while Donna and I headed to the water, Sean turned to head toward the Fish Co-op.  Donna never broke stride in her story.  In fact as Sean started to head off, she said, “No wait, you have to hear this part of the story!” We all froze, and she continued her story as I looked longingly toward the ocean. (I'm pretty sure I could here a sizzling sound coming from my skin). Finally, Sean was dismissed, and Donna and I made our way in to the ocean.

The ocean is not clear here.  It reminds me of Southern California beach water.  I was a little timid to go in, (because I could not see if there were any deadly sea snakes or man-o-wars) and had I not been on FIRE, I might have changed my mind.  Oh, there were little rocks and shells at first, and then, ewww, I felt sea weed, and then stepped on something that I just assumed had to be a deadly sea creature, jumped and squealed, before I realized it was a rock.  Donna just gave me looks of disdain, as she continued her never ending monologue. We only stayed in a couple of minutes (because seriously, I was freaking out the entire time), and then headed off to the Fish Co-op, or as we might say in our country… Acementshedwithnoclearentranceandacoolerinthecornerfulloficeandafewunrecognizablefish.

  

Sean met us on the way there with a beer in his hand, swearing that the taste of Panamanian beer is all in context. I grabbed it, afraid I was about to die on the spot of heat exhaustion, and took a pull.  He was right, best beer I've ever tasted.  When we finally got to the Co-op, clearly we were in between fish arrival times.  Sean asked about the langostino.  They only spoke Spanish, but we were able to communicate pretty well. We decided we didn't want any of the fish, and they told us to come back in una hora por Langostinos.  Muy Bien!

So we stumbled back down the beach, me spotting and running for any shade I could find, Sean, beet–red, hot on my heels, and Donna, bringing up the rear,  babbling the entire way.  When I made gasping sounds from the sheer heat, she interpreted these as actual responses to her story, and would respond with things like, “Oh, Lisa, you are so naïve about people.” Whaaa?  Lady, I don’t even know you are alive, I just need to get into a cold shower before I die!  So we finally make it back to the condo complex, and as she starts to head up her path way, all I’m thinking is cold shower, cold shower, cold shower, and then she turns and says, “ Do you want to see the place?” Arrrgh…even in my addled state I could not be impolite.  I sighed, and turned up her pathway, and then I was trapped—for an hour—in her dark condo—without water or a cold shower, as she told me the ins and outs of her airline career and retirement.  Sean even knocked on the door to try to rescue me at one point, but gave up and left.  Finally I said I needed to go, and she followed me all the way out and to the steps of our condo, talking, talking, talking…I kept taking steps backward, and she kept pace with me.  Emma came out to see what I was doing and finally in desperation I blurted, “I have to take a cold shower before I pass out!” She got that look of disdain again, and muttered “Wimp” as I turned on my heels and sacrificed my only daughter to get away.  Sure enough, even after a long, cold shower I could hear Donna regaling Emma with stories.  I kept hitting Sean saying, “Go rescue your daughter!”  And then we would both just laugh because neither one of us was willing to risk it! 

So an hour later, Sean decides to brave the Fish co-op again.  When he returned he had two pounds of beautiful, large, fresh langostinos in tow.  He paid $12! Score one for Panama!  

Mystery building next to Fish Co-op

So Sean decides he needs another cold one to make it across the hot sand.  He goes up to the same window he went up to before, and asks, “Una cervaza, por favor.” Now, I need to describe this place to you.  It is a cement and tin shack right next to the cement and tin Fish Co-op, just smaller and set back more.  There is a patio in front, and plastic tables and chairs filled with Panamanian men and woman.  No signs, just what looks like a square opening in the building.  I personally would have never thought to order a beer from a square hole in the side of a building, but as I said, Sean has no fear about these things.  This time when he orders the beer, the lady replies, with an irritated look, in rapid Spanish. Sean thinks he hears the word bodega (and assumes she is telling him to go get his beer from the store).  Unflappable, Sean just smiled politely and said, “Lo siento, no comprende.”  She made an exasperated tsking sound and went to get Sean a beer ($ .50).  

Sean still isn’t sure what that was all about, but I suspect he infringed on the fisherman’s exclusive hang-out, gringos not welcome, or was it someone’s private home, and he just showed up demanding a beer?  I guess we will never know.

That afternoon, Simone and Ernesto were out by the pool, so we all went for a dip and ended up spending the afternoon having cocktails, talking and sharing funny stories. Sean started to explain how he tried to buy mangoes from a produce vendor outside of the supermarket.  The man seemed to have no idea what a mango was.  Sean was thinking, I’m pretty sure the Spanish word for mango is mango, but he said, “Fruita?” The man proceeded in naming different fruits in Spanish, “Manzana, anaranjado…” 

“No, no mango (he gave it another go with the emphasis on a different syllable in hopes that he was just pronouncing it incorrectly.

 Finally, he just gave up.  As Sean was telling this story Ernesto and Simone were laughing, and then Simone cuts in, “No offense, but I was just saying to Ernesto, what kind of idiot buys a mango at the store here?” And we were all like why?  And then they start pointing to trees all around the property just dripping with ripe mangoes, and laughing the whole time. 

This tree is directly behind a neighbors cottage. See it is literally dripping with mangoes.

After we were completely pruned from hiding in the pool from the sun, Simone decided it was time collect some of the mangoes, but Ernesto was very reticent, since these trees were behind other people’s villas.  So I just marched up to what looked like the appropriate front door, knocked, asked permission and away we all went collecting tons of mangoes.  The problem though is that these little wild mangoes do not have as much flesh around the pit, and so I still say store bought mangoes are the way to go.

We have not had a grill here since we arrived.  Since that first dinner of grilled burgers, which turned into pan fried burgers, we have not been able to resolve the BBQ issue.  Regardless, we have been turning out some pretty great meals on our two burner cook-top.  Here is the langostino dinner we whipped up...

Langostino, yucca, plantains, broccoli (yipee!)