Flat Sam in Panama
/Dear Ms. Aja's Otters!!
Flat Sam asked me to share about his vacation to Panama over the holiday break.
First, he got on an airplane and took a flight from Portland to Los Angeles. Then he took another airplane to Panama City, Panama (which is the capital of Panama). Panama is a small country at the very bottom of Central America. It is like a bridge between North and South America. The most common language spoken is Spanish.
It was so hot and humid when Sam got off the plane. Every day in Panama is around 90 degrees F! And it never gets really cold. Panama has a very tropical climate and it has beautiful rainforests, mountains, beaches, and islands with palm trees and orchids.
Sam was hot and tired but so excited for his Panamanian adventures! He went on a car ride to a beach called Coronado. It was about two hours by car from Panama City. He swam in the pool and played in the sand of the Pacific Ocean.
During the trip, the car got a flat tire. Flat Sam knows all about flatness, so he was happy to help change the tire on the car.
Flat Sam was visiting at a very eventful time of the year. December is the beginning of the summer (the dry season) in Panama. Panama really only has two seasons - wet and dry. In December, the school year ends and kids are on vacation. Most people also celebrate Christmas and New Year’s, so there are parades and parties.
Sam also got to participate in making tamales on his visit! Tamales are a traditional food made from ground corn mixed with peppers, onions, meat, olives, and capers then wrapped in leaves and tied with a string. Making tamales is a time-consuming effort, so they are usually just made at the holidays.
Sam enjoyed cooking and eating all of the amazing food in Panama! He especially enjoyed the many rice dishes, fish, chicken, ceviche, plantains, and papaya and mangoes. He also sent you a recipe for Arroz con Piña- which is a delicious and refreshing drink made from rice flavored with pineapple.
Panama is a country that is sandwiched between two oceans: the Atlantic and Pacific. And it has a very famous canal that connects the two oceans. Sam did not get to visit the Panama Canal on his trip, but he is excited to go there in the future.
Panama City is a town that is many centuries old. Sam traveled to the ruins of old Panama where you can climb a tower from the 1500s. Panama City is also a very modern city. Sam spent some time at the mall and went bowling on his trip.
Sam finished off his trip with a New Year’s party where there was loud music, delicious food, and lots of new friends along with hours of salsa dancing. Sam enjoyed his time in Panama so much that he decided to stay there a while longer to practice his Spanish and enjoy the summer!
