A Wonderful Land In A Wonderful Cage

The title of this entry is the title of a song that Rivka wrote earlier this week. Her words have proved to be prophetic.

The biggest storm in 30 years has hit Panama, conveniently right when we have all our bags packed and checked at the airport, ready to move home. For the past three days we have been on the waiting list for the next flight off the island. That means that all we have with us are the contents of our purses. Why didn't I think to keep my toothbrush with me? Or a change of underwear?

All the roads in the area are washed out which means two things- there ain't nothing gettin off this island except by plane, and likewise there ain't nothing getting TO the island. The stores are already running out of food and it will still be about five days till they can get trucks out here again (by road and ferry).

Oh and did I mention that the phone and internet service was out and the banks and ATMs were nonfunctioning? Tons of tourists became homeless when they ran out of money, many of them camping out at the airport. We hear the gun-toting army guys came through the airport last night and kicked everybody out. We are a heartbeat away from a riot.

Fortunately for us we are staying at the company sales office, or the "Palace" as Natalie would say. It is the biggest house I have ever stayed in with plenty of room for the kids to run around and cable TV. We also count our blessings that the power has not gone out at all through all the mayhem. And with the internet finally working again at least we can now notify our friends that we are going to miss our flights from Panama City to the US of A, so no one will wait for us at the airport wondering why we fell off the face of the earth.

Another miracle- the ATM machine is now working again.

It feels a bit like Groundhog Day. Everyone wearing the same clothes day after day, still waiting, nothing changing. We have had several chin people shows, read all the books in the house, eaten random meals we threw together from leftover food we found in the house.

After over a week of downpour the rain has finally stopped and we hear it is now wreaking havok in Costa Rica. They expect a plane to leave from P.C. anytime to come pick up some of the thousands stranded here, but it has to get authorization first. Some people are hiring charter flights but we figure there is a reason the planes haven't come for us yet. We choose NOT to die this week, we would rather wait.

I just keep telling myself that when this is all over I will be in the United States.