Parties in the Pool

I learn so much from my days in Mama Rutí's pool, it's where all the action is.


About a month ago there was a kiddie birthday party in the pool and it was sooooo cute! They had a pinata!!! This was before I had Costa Rica plans for my birthday and I thought to myself I'd celebrate my birthday with a pinata.Well, my birthday's well over but I'm still thinking I'll get one for the craic before I go!

The pinata

Another week there was a wedding in 'la finca' (the soccer pitch) behind the pool in the evening. It was so sweet and understated. It felt pretty casual, and pretty idyllic, with a pool party after? Hell Yea...I don't actually know if they had a pool party after but I'm hoping they did!

My creeping snaps, sorry they're blurry!

Getting the place set up for the night

Another Saturday I went to the pool it was the local fish factory's work party. Well this was hilarious! I wasn't hassled all day until they were wrapping things up around five when this guy (drunk) and his wife perched themselves beside me on the lounger and started having the chats. Then it came to medal presentations for their soccer league and low and behold I was called upon to present the medals to the winners. The guy in charge would pass me the medal and I'd give it to the winner and shake their hand, it was hilarious- and mortifying! After that was over I decided I could walk home instead of getting my usual lift with Mamma Rutí, there was no point making a spectacle of myself any longer!


A few weeks later I went to the pool on a weekday. Usually its really quiet during the week, with one elderly man and his coach and then a few odd people. This morning was very different.

I was in the pool about half an hour when a soccer team arrived. Grand. They left me alone. Grand. But not for long....

One of the players was I guy I met at the fish factory party and so he came over and said hello. Grand. Then he wanted to introduce me to his managers (or so I thought), instead I was introduced to, and shook hands with, 30-odd players and their managers as they sat in a giant circle in the restaurant area of the pool. I couldn't escape! I had the usual chats I have here (why I'm here, the colour of my skin, what I think of Panama and Panamanians), and had lunch and a few beers with them, they were actually very nice! They found it hard to believe that there are people whiter than me in Ireland (and I thought I was tanned, so sad)!

Apparently you're not supposed to mix watermelon and beer though, so I only had the one (They were all drinking Panama Light, my fave) since I'd eaten a massive chunk of watermelon earlier! They left around 3pm, inviting me to join them at some wedding party they were going to but I politely declined!

These are just a few days at the pool, the funniest days, another funny day was after we arrived when I was my whitest and these little boys and girls were all curious about me, calling me 'gringa' (only the boys, the girls learned my name) and we played tig in the water.

Finally, I've been asked for my photo in the pool with kids on more than a few occasions too... I would hate to be famous! It really is gas though.

So that's it, feeling very popular by the poolside! :D