Last evening the Bohio Restaurant at the BYC opened for the first time for regular dining (however, it has already been used for special functions). The tables were all set up with cloths, water glasses, silverware and cloth napkins for the two small groups that showed up to eat. A group of cruisers from the buoys here showed up for dinner as well, but they just pushed several of the round bare tables together and ate with the manager. We joined them for a late dinner, as we had spent much of the afternoon and well into the evening on the internet in the upstairs bar area. The opening had not been advertised, so the lack of customers was not unexpected and so far they are still using the same menu that is being used at the upstairs bar.
The cruisers in their corner having a great time, but without the tablecloths!
This week, starting with Easter Sunday, was a week of many activities.
Easter Sunday we enjoyed pizza on Lanikai with a few friends to celebrate not only Easter but Debbie’s (of Serenity) Birthday, which happened to be on Easter this year. Shirley from Windsong brought over a pretty salad to complement the pizza as well as additional toppings for the pizza; but best of all she brought her delicious rum cake for the birthday celebration.
Monday night, the usual cruiser crowed gathered at the BYC bar for a book exchange accompanied by lots of beer!
Tuesday evening we joined some of our friends at Paul’s house for a yummy barbecue. Paul was holding the event in celebration of our leaving Panama for the islands and on to Ecuador. Our leaving is being delayed as the anti-glare coating on Bill’s glasses is fogging up bad enough that he can’t really see! So we took off in the morning to Optica Lopez to order him new glasses. They will not be in for about 10 days so our planned Saturday departure is going to be postponed for an additional week.
Tonight is the opening – finally! – of the Bohio Restaurant at the BYC. The structure has been ready since well before Christmas, but there was not enough electricity to run all the freezers at the bar there and the final official paper work was just signed and stamped this week. Bill and I plan to eat down there tonight although, at least for a time, the menu will be the same as we have been enjoying at the upstairs bar. We are sitting at the bar now for its internet access and cold beers.
Today I went with Shirley (WindSong) and Debbie (Serenity) to Casco Viejo for lunch with a fun group of women. While wandering around the old city looking for the restaurant, we walked past the church with the golden altar that had been moved from Ciudad Viejo when the original city was moved to its new location after being sacked by pirates, many hundreds of years ago. The altar had been painted black to protect it from theft by the pirates. It was thus saved and eventually cleaned up and placed into a newly constructed church in the (then) new city of Panama, now Casco Viejo.
Bill and I have visited Casco Viejo many times in the past, but this is one of the few times that I have actually seen the church open! (see also A Tour of Casco Viejo) Although there was a large tourist group there, I did get some good new photos of the altar.
We finally found the restaurant and enjoyed a nice lunch, followed by a trip around the block to the ice cream store for dessert!
Thursday night we joined with the folks from two other boats for dinner at a Argentinian steak restaurant, Gaucho’s, in downtown Panama City. We got a late start as Bill was picking the web cam photos from the last of the Canal locks on the Caribbean side for friends on Claire de Lune that were finishing their canal transit of the Panama Canal.
The food was great and the friendship even better! The restaurant imports their steaks from the States so they were tender and tasty. Steve and Portia (of Dream Caper) are heading out to the Perlas Islands in the next couple of days and then on to Ecuador. We plan to follow them next week, but currently are hoping to stay in the Perlas Islands, enjoying ourselves in the water, until early June when we will follow them to Ecuador. Frank and Shirley of WindSong were here tonite too! They’ll be travelling along to Ecuador as well.
Yesterday was the first annual chili cook off at the Balboa Yacht Club. There were 6 entries. Shirley and I entered a combined batch of chili. Actually I made chili with two kinds of beans and 2 pounds of sausage and Shirley made her own recipe with 6 pounds of meat and chili. We then mixed the two together. Everyone liked our chili (although it was quite picante) and we got the people’s choice award.
Here Shirley is mixing our two chilis together and Frank tests the mixture.
Bill tastes the chili and also approved our mixture.
The official winners (according to our three judges) were the chilis that were the least picante, leaving those of us with hot chilis to gather in the people’s choice award.
After we cleaned up from the chili fun, a band appeared to provide music for everyone until after dark.
The Chili contest was a success and $270 was raised for the children’s home, Casa Esperanza.
