Have been excited all week to have them come here, and now the time has arrived to see them. Plan on doing a lot of excursions with them.
Sunday January 12,
I figure our guests will be a little jet lagged, so we let them sleep in and we just hang out at the beach. We walked the beach in the morning, and went swimming quite a few times throughout the day.
We went to look at a condo complex that is being built in PalMar. being that we only have a car, Stew was going to take the motorbike...but since we see people piled in trucks, and riding in the boxes as well, I figured do as the locals do. So Stew and Dave got the front of the car, while Karen and I and the kids jumped in the back. Brandon really wanted to ride in the trunk, would have been more comfortable for the rest of us if I had let him.
Karen H, Brandon, Jada, Me sitting on Jada's knee, Stew driving
Dave Fraser.
Condo floor plan
Karen Hudson loving the outside deck
Outside deck of PalMar overlooking the ocean.
After looking at the complex, we drove to Coronoda to show them the big center. went to the Machetazo Mall which surprised Karen on how big it actually was in the inside. The mall has three levels, but you would never know that from looking at it from the outside. Went to a great little steak house, Leonardos, for lunch then came back to Mira Mar for more swimming and games in the ocean.
Monday January 13.
Start of the same routine of getting the kids up and ready for school. The drive to Gargona and back takes about an hour and a half. By the time I got home Karen Hudson and Dave are ready to go out to the jungle with Stewart and I to see where we used to live in Altos Del Marie. We drove up to the Pyramid so they could over look Altos. No matter how creepy it can be in the jungle, it is always so beautiful to overlook it.
Next we went to the house to visit Kerry, then went to the old swimming hole where stew and brandon would go swimming. It was a lot clearer now that there was not as much water rushing down the waterfall. Amazing how much the water actually rose during the rainy season.
We then took them the back way to El Valle, which has a lot of steep twisty roads. We took our time driving in hopes of seeing wild monkeys or sloths. Never happened this time.
Had a great lunch at Carlitos, and will definitely take our future quests their.
Time was a ticking, and we had to hurry and get the kids from school. So again, we had to cram four of us in the back. Brandon was not happy.
The Pyramid lookout point.
The two Karens overlooking Altos Del Maria
Walking to the swimming hole
The water is a lot clearer now that it isn't moving so fast
water fall is a lot smaller than what it used to be.
Im getting brave wearing a dress in the jungle.
That evening we walked to the De Cameron, (which is a big tourist spot by our condo), to actually check it out and to see about renting a fishing boat for the day. We were planning to rent sometime during the week, but the area to rent the boat was closed for the day, will have to come back tomorrow.
January 14.
Karen H, my condo neighbour Evelyne, and myself had a spa day, while Stewart, Dave, and Evelyne's husband Bill had planned on going for motorbike ride for a few hours.
We were really enjoying our spa day when I got a phone call from Stewart that we had to make it short because Dave was in a motorbike accident.
I am going to let Stew type the details:
Dave and I along with Bill, a friend from the Miramar condo building, headed out early to hit the road to Pedasi (a cool little surfing town). The day was bright, sunny and the perfect temperature. We headed down the 4 lane highway to the turnoff to Ocu (a small town) where we were greeted with a very nicely paved twisty road that climbed up into the mountains. The area is mostly farming with corn and sugar cane as the main crops and some ranching as well. If not for the different trees, I would have thought we were riding through the foothills of the Rocky mountains in the ranch and farm land there.
The road was wonderful and the scenery was breathtaking. We got into Ocu and decided to head further South to see how far the good pavement went. The drive from Ocu to Las Minas was very twisty and climbed further up into the mountains. Las Minas was a very small little town and we kept on heading South.
About 5 km South of Las Minas we were in some turns up and down hills. Bill was leading on his adventure touring bike with Dave and then I following. Coming around a corner Dave's tire slipped on something (fresh cow manure on the road maybe) and he skidded, braked, recovered and then braked again and went down across the road into the ditch. The bike went in sliding backwards and threw Dave into the weeds where he landed with a thud on his side and bounced over onto his other side. Note that Dave is a very experienced rider and controlled the skid as much as he could have and when he knew he was going into the ditch, tried to slow down as much as possible. We were going about 50 km/hr when it happened and I figure he was going between 15-20 km/hr when he hit the ditch. One other tidbit to explain corners in Panama: Very few curve signs and no speed limit reduction signs.
I got my bike to the side, parked and then ran over to Dave. He was severely winded and his hand was bleeding a bit, but seemed mostly ok. Dave's natural instincts took over and he got to his feet. I tried to have him stay still but when you can't breathe then nothing else matters. He regained his breath and focused on his hand, which looked like his little finger was broken. He had quite a bit of pain in his ribs, so we thought he bruised them or maybe cracked a couple.
There was a nice man in a car behind us that did some traffic control and offered to take Dave back to the Las Minas hospital. Dave hopped in the small car with a little difficulty (because of the ribs) and Bill and I followed on our bikes. We arrived in Las Minas with some very helpful hospital staff who tried to clean him up a bit but really just got an ambulance for us to go to Ocu, which is a bigger centre.
The ambulance was not quite Canadian standards. It was a small van with a small bed in the back with a seat. Dave got in somehow and we were off. It was the scariest 15 minute ride of my life. A lot of Panamanians drive in the centre of the road and only move over when other traffic is coming. Going around corners really fast in the centre freaked me out!!! Dave was bouncing along in the back wincing at lots of bumps.
We got to the Ocu hospital where they Xrayed his hand and ribs. He had a broken finger and a broken rib. They sent him to the bigger hospital in Chitre via ambulance again. Dave again barely fit in the ambulance (his head at one end and feet on the back door). I asked the driver how long to get to Chitre and he said 40 minutes if he drives really fast or 50 minutes if he drives cautiously. We opted for the cautious approach and it was much better for Dave and less scary for me.
In Chitre over the course of a very harrowing 5 days, Dave had 3 more sets of x-rays, a CT scan, full blood workup, an ECG surgery and 4 nights stay in hospital. Total cost $109! It took until doctors saw one of Dave's can't breathe fits for them to really dig into what was happening. They found 5 more broken ribs. So in Total he has 6 broken ribs, a broken finger and fractured wrist.
To finish up, Dave will recover fully but will be in quite a bit of pain for a few months. Sorry buddy.
My bike lost a clutch lever, a saddle bag and a windshield, but it is all fixable and I drove it home after getting the 2 halves of my clutch lever soldered together. Now to work on replacement parts!
January 15, 16, 17
Dave in the hospital in Chitré. Karen and Dave had their own Experiences here.....so I can't really indulge too much. All I know is that the doctors were great, the nurses, and Karen made some really great friends in the hospital. They all became family in the room, being that there were 6 beds and 5 people in one room. Everybody helped with their fellow patients.....for example, if Karen H had to leave, another Lady would look after Dave for her.
The only problem Karen had was with one security guard, and all i'll say is he had major little man syndrome. ASSHOLE.
January 14th. Chitré emergency
January 15th, Dave Surgery on his hand
January18th
Thought dave would have to stay over again, so stew and I took the car to Pedasy to a surfing community. Beautiful beaches that go on forever and rolling waves perfect for learning to surf.
Stewart and I had lunch at Playa Venao......very expensive burger, that really turned me off beef....was way too thick, had to get them to cook it more because it was to pink for my liking. after leaving to go back to Chitré my stomach got really upset from the burger and I ended up making multiple stops on the side of the road.....lets just say our car rental agreement was used for other purposes. We know carry kleenex in the car!
The restaurant
Stew's dream, maybe one day we will sail instead of ride.
Karen Hudson finally got a hold of us to let us know Dave is being released from the hospital. We went back to Chitré to retrieve them, and headed back to our Condo in Mira Mar.
Today January 19th.
Dave and Karen enjoyed the beach this morning, and we will take them to Panama city this afternoon for they fly back to Calgary tomorrow morning at 9:50 AM.
I am really sad for their flight home because of our short visit and the unfortunate events that took place. I am so relieved that Dave is doing well despite all that happened, because it could have been so much worse. Dave Wanted a Vacation to remember.......this vacation with the Adams Family will be one that will be talked about for a very very long time!
I love you guys so much, and will miss you immensely. The next time we will see you will be at your wedding in April. Can't wait!!!!
Oh, and no one will be renting Motorbikes in Punta Cana!!!!!
Until then.....
Karen Adams
Dave in chair, karen enjoying the ocean
Karen and Dave
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