Panama - End of Day One

Sunset, beer, tequila and watching a boat drop a net for the catch. Cannot figure out what is going on. Will watch and look. Try to learn.

The boat is barely off the beach where the waves break. He has dropped a flag to signify the start of the net. We watch, he moves slowly and is about a mile from shore, having stretched the net out to sea. Different from the beach scene earlier in the day.

The sun disappears, we can still see the sun in the distance. A light flashing every so often. OK, he wins. We are hungry and there is no sign of him pulling up net.

We decided to go to a restaurant that we passed on the drive-in. It’s only about 5 miles up the street, on top of a hill. The Camerones.

The place is all lit up with lots of chairs. 4 tables are occupied. One is a table of eight, that happens to be the gringos staying at out place. The restaurant has table cloths and lots of candles, but no walls. Open air with a thatched roof overhead. Very nice. Our server brings the menu, which is in Spanish and English, and offers to get cocktails. Beer and tequila is a good start. Ceviche - cool and refreshing - either with shrimp, octopus or fish. We choose fish. He’s off to get our starters and we continue reading the menu.

I read two words (actually 4 in Spanish) shrimp and garlic. That makes it an easy decision for me. Tracy is found of rellaneos, usually breaded and fried peppers stuffed with all kinds of goodies. Looking at the menu, we were not sure stuffed with what, so we tried to ask.

Both are pork, but one was jowls and the other intestine. Let’s go with the jowls.

Drinks and ceviche arrive - yum! Fish, diced onions “cooked” in a vinaigrette. Perfect.

Large shrimp with heads on sauteed in garlic and butter. So simple, so good.

The rellaneos are four small roasted red peppers cleaned and peeled. Stuffed and smothered with pork. Very good, but not what we are used to.

The gringos speak as they are leaving, acknowledging Tracy as the fisherman from today on the beach.

Dessert, no thank you, but they do have a cheese plate. In Panama ? Why not.
It is supposed to be 5 cheeses but our server tells us they have only 3. It’s ok, we will still try it. I think they only have 2 ( brie and manchego) but they put enough on the plate, that we took some home for a pupu platter the next afternoon. All in all, a nice evening out.

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