The "good word" from Playa Blanca ...

As we implied earlier, our accommodations are nice for two nights on the Pacific Coast.

Reeve and Daniel haven't been able to get into the surf since a "red flag" has been flying most of the time, indicating the presence of jelly fish and stingrays + the absence of a lifeguard. However, some time has been spent building sand castles and playing soccer on the beach. Today (Thurs.) we took the bus to the village of El Valle, situated in the caldera (valley) of a dormant volcano. In the village we did some shopping for cosas typicas and visited a zoo.

The golden frog that we saw there is a national symbol, along with a "national tree." Also at the zoo (in an outdoor, tree-and-shrub-filled setting) were jaguars, parrots and a host of other animals. From Playa Blanca we take the bus tomorrow (Fri.) back to Panama City where we have a last night's stay at the same hotel where we stayed the first night. - rw