I am amazed that 48-hours could result in three, and possibly four blog posts...I guess I am just long-winded! Anyway...if you have somehow stumbled upon this blog, I would recommend going back to Part One, and getting the full story...otherwise, it may not make a whole-lotta sense.
So...we arrived safe and sound in Panama, Scott and I that is...Tanis however, was left in Phoenix. We did find out, shortly before we left Houston, that she was able to get a flight on another carrier, and would be arriving in Panama later that night. That meant our whole team would be intact for the delivery of the program to Adidas!
As we exited the plane, the first thing I noticed was the humidity. I felt much like the Caribbean...and smelled like it to. Those of you who have traveled to the Tropics know what I am talking about...there is that smell...it's not a bad smell...just different. An odor that results from the amount of moisture that is in the air...I like it...it brings back great memories of past trips to the Caribbean. We made our way to baggage claim to pick up the testing equipment that had been checked...then on to Customs. Those of you who travel internationally know that Customs is somewhat of a crap-shoot. It can either go really smoothly...or it can go...well, let's call it 'un-smooth'. Fortunately, this time was very smooth...no problems...just a quick glance at the passport photo, followed by a quick glance at me, followed by the loud 'thwack' of the rubber stamp as it made it's indelible mark inside me passport. Customs...done.
We quickly found our driver holding a sign that read ADIDAS...good thing I wasn't alone...I would have been looking for a sign that read TIGNUM. Scott however, was quick to make the connection, and soon we were on our way to the hotel...and not just any hotel. We were staying in the Trump Tower in Panama City! Not bad for my first Tignum program!
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| Not a bad looking hotel huh? |
As we drove from the airport to the hotel, the first thing I noticed were the buses. Many of the buses in Panama city are run privately...as opposed to the 'city-run' transportation that I am used to in Phoenix. These private buses were decorated with murals and bright lights, making them quite the attraction.
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| One of the buses in the daylight...pretty amazing! |
We arrived at the hotel and were escorted through the ground floor lobby, up to the registration desk on the 12th floor...that's right...registration was on the 12th floor! The hotel was beautifully appointed, and had amazing views of both the city, and the Panama coastline.
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| Ground-floor Lobby artwork |
My room was located on the 27th floor...and in typical firefighter fashion, I made mental notes of where the nearest fire escapes (stairwells) were located, and thought about what I might have to do to get there in the case of a fire or other emergency. Once again...welcome to my world! As I entered the elevator, I noticed the amazing view of the city as I ascended quickly to my floor....pretty breathtaking at night! Unfortunately, I couldn't get a clear photo of the view at night, but the next morning I was able to get the shot below...a great view!
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| View from the elevator |
I entered the room with a quick swipe of the key card, and was greeted by automatic lighting that turned on the instant I stepped into the room. The room was beautiful, and I immediately felt bad that I was here alone...without Donna...so I quickly took pictures of the room to share with her.
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| Nice Tub! It even has mood lights on the floor! |
I quickly unpacked, and headed down a few floors to meet up with Scott for some dinner. We ate at one of the restaurants in the hotel...a tapas place...imagine that! The food was great, and the views were awesome from the patio...what's wrong with this picture? Here I am eating great food, and drinking nice wine on the patio of an amazing hotel...with Scott. Don't get me wrong...Scott's a great guy, be he doesn't hold a candle to my wife! Tanis arrived around 10pm, and we quickly got to work, preparing for the next morning.
If you are still interested in how this little adventure of mine ended up...you'll need to keep visiting! I can see at least two more posts before this thing is wrapped up and put to bed!
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