waterblogged

A while back I developed an attitude that there are no "bad experiences"....only "learning opportunities". My trip to Panama this time really pushed the envelope on that attitude. I won't go into the details here...I am doing that on my blog "The View From the Volcano". I invite you to check in. I did take some nice photos, though, met some fascinating people, and, hopefully, made a few friends. Two of those delightful people are JuJu and Rodrigo who are surf pros. JuJu is a remarkably beautiful young lady, and Rodrigo, is well, a surf pro. They have a very interesting blogspot Surf Panama 2009 with some great pictures...neat to check out.

I stayed at Hotel Bastimentos...a hostel for serious folks. Rooms are $8 to $40. I stayed in the $8 room because I'm a starving artist and a cheapskate. They have 3 kitchens and wireless Internet, so everything (most everything) I need, they have. The hostel is old-timey wood architecture going up the side of the mountain in about 6 levels with umpteen decks and balconies. My room at the very top looks out over the water on one side and into the jungle on the other. I saw parrots, toucans, oropendulas and 15 million hummingbirds. It rained most of the time I was there, so I didn't really get any great photos. The only day that it was bright and sunny was Monday, and I went out without my camera, naturally. My son says I take better pictures when I leave my camera at home. On the rainy morning I left, I took a picture of the front of the place. It turned out terrible, but I posted it anyway. I was trying to show the Tiki columns from the set of Survivor a while back. I did get some nice photos of some stumps. I'm gonna do some stump paintings. Sounds exciting, huh?

Anyway, glad to get back to CR, but I'm also ready to go back to Bocas del Toro, too. For now, I'm back to my paints, working on some mystery artists.

Panama Bound (and Gagged?)

Well, I'm off to Bocas Del Toro for a few days to bug the Panamanians (I also make faces at the tourists). I say gagged because I may not be posting for a few days. Now quit that...you don't have to look so happy and relieved. And..don't get your hopes up...they have an Internet Cafe in Bocas if I can learn how to use it. Maybe I can get that sweet little senorita that runs it to show me.... :-P

Anyway, I did want to touch base on a few things. Windows to the Words can be such a nice adventure. I never want anyone to consider it MY project, but YOUR project. I invite and plead for y'all to visit it and tell your friends. I have tried to make it simple to understand...from the Home Page to navigating to the 3 associated pages. But I can give instructions on how to eat a banana, and they have to call in a team from MIT to explain it. Akiko and Margaret have submitted the first paintings to the Artwork page...and both are stunning. No photos or writing (except for mine...Tears in the Rain). Incidentally, I have had several E-Mails commenting on Tears in the Rain. YES....I did write it...OK? It has been a coon's age since I did any serious writing. You can check it out as Subject 2 on the WTTW Home page.

Cya for now. I'll be thinking of some of you snowbound artists going out and doing your "plein airs" under the icicles while I'm watching the waves break at Red Frog beach. Keep Strokin! Your buddy in the Rainforest......James

The Eye Has It

I go to Panama often. Bocas del Toro. A group of small islands just off the Northeast coast. Absolutely beautiful and actually quite inexpensive. Ten bucks for a bus ride to the border, Sixaola. Then a tourist taxi for 6 bucks to Changinola. Then a 30 minute water taxi to the islands for another 4 dollars. You can stay at a hostel for 6 bucks or a fairly nice motel for about $30. A couple of months ago, I was coming back and hopped on the taxi. Got in the back seat and there was this incredible young lady sitting there. I introduced myself and we visited for the half hour back to the border, and visited some more at the border. And visited some more on the bus. When she got off the bus at Cahuita, she waved goodbye. As the bus pulled out, she waved goodbye again. As the bus pulled away, I waved my head against the window a dozen times for not getting out at Cahuita, too, and taking a later bus back. After 62 years, I would think a little common sense would come along at some point.
Anyway, she was a beautiful creature. From The Netherlands, 27 years old, visiting Central America and then going back to Holland in a few days. Now, I know, 62 and 27. My oldest grandson is almost that old. But my interest wasn't of a romantic nature...(if I was only 30 years younger, not as ugly and a few more dollars in my pocket)...ah, one can dream. And I am so straight and gentlemanly I bore myself to tears sometimes. But there was something..some kind of chemistry or sumtin that affected me more than I can describe. I can count on the fingers of one hand the times a person has zapped me in such a fashion. You know how sometimes you can meet someone and feel as if you've known em for years. That's the way it was with Eva.
She gave me her website address and I visited it as soon as I got home and sent her an E-Mail asking her to reply back when she got home safely. She is a photographer and has a website that has some very interesting photos. One photo that really caught my eye was a close-up photo of her eye. I asked her to E-Mail a hi-res of her eye so I could paint it. She did. I did. I mailed it. She got it. She was delighted. I am delighted. Aside from being knock-down, drag-out gorgeously beautiful, she had a sparkle in her eyes that could brighten a galaxy. We communicate occasionally. If we never meet again, I feel my life has been enriched by this brief encounter with such an enchanting angel. Eva truly has the fingerprints of God all over her. I have posted her eye and my feeble attempt of a painting.