Okay, peeps.
Heeeeere we go! The final Panama post!
I suppose I need to look at the silver linings of being stuck here with a sick Little Man for giving me a few hours to sit, to sift through pictures, and to post…slowly but surely.
In so many ways, this Panama trip will always feel a bit like a fever dream (literally, given the illness that I’ll share more about, later).
I was always half present and half worried about a child (or two) in bad shape—and constantly concerned about backup plans and worst-case health scenarios and whether or not I was making the right calls about pushing or resting (Chica, especially).
The final day was a planned excursion to the small island of Taboga and in theory, I was so excited. But in practice, I knew there would be a lot of pitfalls for Chica while she was still so drained.
A long bus ride to the ferry.
The actual ferry ride.
High humidity and a beach situation without an indoor reprieve locked in.
A full day when she hadn’t managed more than five hours of moderate functioning.
So many potentially disastrous scenarios, but such a glorious excursion that neither Chica nor I wanted to miss out. So we started scheming.
Never have I been so appreciative of my hubby’s forward thinking. Knowing it would all be A LOT for a flu-riddled kid, he proactively located a beautiful little B&B-like hotel right off the ferry platform. He booked a room—if only to be used for a few hours—and $139 dollars felt like such a solid peace of mind amount to pay.
And, wow, did it pay off.
Okay…a few pics of the early morning before our departure and the travel to Taboga:
The church above is the second-oldest in the Americas. Built in 1524 in the Spanish Colonial style. It was Sunday and an actual church service was happening, so we stuck to the exterior.
Okay. After a very (very) brief walk to the church, our crew found a restaurant where I had the yummiest, lightest vegetarian pasta dish and everyone enjoyed the shade and a little sustenance.
Then afterward, our Taboga experiences divided, ha.
Chica and I spent a few secluded little hours that were so badly needed and so vastly different from what everyone else was doing.
We checked in at our tiny hotel where the owner was originally very confused about why we paid for an entire night but only wanted a room for a few hours (understandable) but was ultimately very sympathetic to poor Chica.
Then she and I sequestered ourselves into the loveliest little haven of a room that gave us some much-needed respite. Truly.
The view was so magical inside the little room, and just down the hallway was a gorgeous balcony and infinity pool overlooking the ocean and the ferry dock (which kept us close to everyone else).
We snagged a book from the lobby that I’ve always wanted to read (that’s also a Netflix movie) and spent a bit of time reading out loud, then napping, then watching. And, honestly, I was so relieved to just to let go of the tension of my sick kid being out and about in the heat…if only for a little bit.
I really can’t say enough positive things about a couple of hours to breathe in the air conditioning and know that Chica was stable and resting. And it gave me so much joy to know that Chicklet and Little Man were each having their own beach adventures with the rest of the family.
Now. Unfortunately, while Little Man was living his best beach life and experiencing his first jet ski with Daddy, his health was tanking, rapidly.
By the time he made it to our little haven of a hotel room for a restroom break before the ferry, he was in a bad way.
It was the start of a terrible round of flu that’s landed him in the hospital (don’t worry; he’s going to be okay), and, honestly, by that point, I was grateful we were flying out early the next morning.
I think it’s going to take me a while to process the past ten days or so and solidify my core memories about it all. It’s been a lot to work through (and still going!). So much that was beautiful and positive and once-in-a-lifetime like. And so much that really forced me (and Chica and Little Man and the hubby—and, honestly, Chicklet to a certain extent) to dig deep.
There’s no way around it: illness is such a bummer. Illness during a holiday break with a loooooong planned vacay in the works?? Forgetaboutit.
I’m hoping we make it through the next few days with recovery at the forefront and a positive 2026 vibe going forward!
More, soon, regarding all the health stuff.
Until then…over and out, peeps.
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