Emirates flight taking off from DXB
Yes, yes, yes I do.
Even though (for no particular reason at all) Panama had vanished from my World Map, an accidental viewing of the “Route of Two Oceans,” the second episode of the Scenic Routes Around the World series, not only put Panama back on my map where it belongs but crash-landed it with such fierceness and intensity that its re-entrance was nothing short of a big bang, or rather, big bangs. How is it possible not to map a place so fascinating and intriguing, a place as unique and one-of-a-kind as Panama appears to be? It’s not an island, yet the country borders (or some say separates) two oceans on either side of its landmass, and it only takes a 1.5-hour drive between the two. Could it be my own lost Atlantis? I don’t know yet, but I have definitely found a place with the potential to become or be one, at least “on paper.”
The Persian Gulf. One can almost see Iran on the other side.
The two oceans. 1.5 hours. And equally important, the global hub in the making. That’s all I really needed to know. No requirement or wish for a prior visit to “check things out.” No reservation either (pun intended – will explain later). I was sold right away and on my way. ASAP at that. A one-way ticket to paradise?
But even paradise is not spared its share of problems. As I later found out, there may be a minor or not-so-minor difficulty ahead after all, and that difficulty lies in the very nature of Panama that attracted me in the first place – the two oceans. Having to choose which ocean to live by may prove somewhat difficult. The warmer and prettier, but less developed Caribbean coast? Or the more developed, but not as pretty, Atlantic coast? It’s a tough call. Thus, I made a decision already – if I ever have any trouble choosing a side, I’ll let my camera take the lead. Which, by the way, is not a problem at all. On the contrary, it has been my dream for quite some time now. To let the camera take me to a location.
Home Sweet Home
Dubai, or more specifically, Dubai Marina, has been my home for the past six years. But as much as I love Dubai (and I really do), it cannot be the end of the road. Can it? There is still so much to see, do, learn, and experience. In addition, my nomadic blood is getting a bit restless, demanding fresh stimuli and letting me know, “It’s time.” So, it is.
What a coincidence, what perfect timing. My Panama epiphany couldn’t have come at a better time. Or maybe it came (as it always does) when it is needed the most.
Dubai Marina, classic night shot
And while we’re at it – coincidence and timing, that is – Emirates Airlines totally synced my contemplations with their announcement of a new route launching on February 1, 201, 5to… yes, Panama, which consequently felt like an omen. And what a route it will be. The record-breaking, longest nonstop passenger flight – a 17-hour 35-minute direct flight from Dubai to Panama City. Can one ask for more?
It goes without saying – I had to be on that flight. To be honest, I don’t care all that much about the 17 hours 35-minute long flight. However, the premiere and the record-breaking aspect of it are right up my alley. After all, it’s pretty cool to be a part of the inaugural flight. To be one of the first passengers (together with some 300 others, “the ones” that is). All settled then? Panama – “Here I come”. And February 1, 2015, is the day.
The Original Six – the name of the first six buildings ever built in the Marina. This is where it all started only a few years ago. And before that? There was nothing but sand.
Or so I thought. No matter how much I wanted to be on that flight, there was something inside me that was holding me back and kept me from boarding that one-way-to-Panama inaugural flight and missing the perhaps once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be “the one.” It felt like I wasn’t quite ready to get on that plane just yet. So final. Like I would leave some unfinished business behind. Like there was something else I needed to do first. And quite rightly so, there was that one teeny tiny little problem that needed sorting before anything else… The Lunch Lady.
Dubai Marina
Not only is the Lunch Lady a part of an entirely different show and topic for another post, but she also lives in an entirely different part of the world, nowhere near Panama. The Lunch Lady is the queen of street food stalls in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in Vietnam. No matter how much I would like to, I simply cannot travel to Panama, or anywhere else for that matter until I satisfy my curiosity and taste this legendary lady’s noodle soup. I have to taste that soup before anything else. And so the course of my life was about to change once again.
Consequently, instead of taking the inaugural flight to Panama City, I’ll be taking a very regular one to Hanoi. The ticket has already been purchased. No need to wait for Feb 1 either, Jan 19 is as good as any.
Hanoi? Not HCMC? For some unexplained reason, I envisioned the Lunch Lady in Hanoi, but she actually is in HCMC (it isn’t the first time I’ll be taking “the wrong flight”), so I’ll be “taking” Hanoi first and then working my way South, which can take some 2-3 months. (What are two months compared to 25 years? It took me 25 years to get to San Diego. But, “as they say,” this is an entirely different story.)
All roads not only go to Rome but also to Panama. Eventually. In other words, paraphrasing Leonard Cohen, First I take Lunch Lady, then I take Panama. Nonetheless, I am so, so, so sorry to have to miss THAT flight…
