After staying with a Panamanian family in Boquete for 6 weeks I am now an adopted part of their family. They insist that I come back in ten years time with some kids, a wife and my by-then-old travelling boots (because you apparently can't buy good work boots in Panama). For 2 of the 6 weeks, I stayed with the grandparents of the family - with 9 children it is a big family and their house was always busy with family dropping by.
I was there for birthdays, for minor childhood milestones of their grandkids and also for the death of a daughter in law. She died of a heart attack on the first day of school (she was a teacher) - her 6 year old daughter came back from her first day of year 1 to learn that her Mother had died. The daughter could partially understand what dying meant, but at times she would ask about it. I could barely stand to look at the husband who lost his wife, it was just too sad.
I also learnt that theirs was the fifth family to settle in Boquete. I heard stories of a nearby mansion (which the elderly owner now opens to the public as 'my garden is your garden') that was forcibly possessed by the military government in the 70s. It was in view of my host's house and in the 70s the guards would sometimes threaten to shoot her kids for staring at them. I also had a special conversation with one of their daughters about her troublesome 14 month son who made her exhausted. I mentioned that his incredible 'curiousity' meant he was going to be very smart when he grew up - although an offhand comment I think she took it to heart as a purpose behind all her hard work. And I'm proud to say all of this was in Spanish :P
I also discovered Boquete was a town of just the right size for great rumours. When some 15 year olds from the Spanish school got in trouble I heard 3 different accounts: That they had Marijuana found by the teachers but the police were not involved, that they punched a policewoman when she caught them with drugs or (from the most reliable source) that they were caught by the police for having alcohol and bribed them to stay out of jail.
