We moved to the smithsonian marine station today.the uwgb group showed up after us,we had to talk our way past the guard. We are settled into the dorms,we have a cook who came out before dinner

and read us the riot act about being in time for meals,7am ugg I might not be hungry.

The boys are out catching bats with a researcher from Florida. James may get a chance to dive with a researcher and help collect data.

Yesterday we spent the day on a boat with a local.He took us snorkling and frogging.We saw 3 different poison dart frogs,they are very tiny.The red one was from Bastmente Island,he(erwin, our guide) had us tromping thru the cemetary looking for one. Erwin talked pretty much nonstop, I can't figure out if he is an enviornmentalist or a poacher. He claims he has discovered three new species. He breeds parrots to sell in the US and Europe. He was also a bit of a sleeze bag about the topless beaches, He said he has a special arrangement with his wife!
Also, here is a picture of some flowering object for Rose:

Ellen: We have had a whole day in Paradise(Bocas del Toro) The boys room is with the surfers,I'm in the main lodge. La Carolina has a resident monkey,Edgar, a very naughty Capuchin.
The food here is excellent,the view is excellent,the rum punch makes me forget what I was going to do next. We have been to Bluff Beach, a 2 mile walk, yesterday and today for body surfing. James has been boogie boarding. The waves have pounded me into the sand,ripped off Jims shirt,my shorts and I'm not wearing my strapless top there anymore.

Pete: What up everybody? Anyway we're chillin on the beach in Bocas! Yeah we love it. I saw six different species of birds. My favorite was a bird of prey I have yet to identify... Hope you are all jealous. Just kiding we wish you all could enjoy this weather. The food at the place we are staying is freakin awsome!! Good drinks good food and good folks! talk to you soon.

• Our hotel was on the Panama Canal, it was dark by the time we got there but the lights were beautiful. We had to be up at 5 am for our flight to Bocas Del Toro so we only had 5 hours of sleep 2 nights in a row. New years Eve in Chicago was very fun. We had hors'dorves and drinks at Italian Village thanks to a hot tip from Marilyn,it was excellent. Then went across the street to Jersey Boys. We saw the understudies in 4 roles and their timing was off,it looks like it could be a really good show but not that night. Then we hopped on the train and went to Lincoln Park and had dinner at Baba Re Ba! a Spanish Tapas place (pete and jim thought I said we were eating at a topless place) food was fun and good,but no asparagus fries like the Tapas place in Frederick that Melanie and Eric took us too. They brought out hat and noisemakers and champagne for midnite.By the time we got back to our hotel it was 2 am.
• One photo is of Cloud Gate in millennium park

We are in Panama,arrived last night after 2 very easy flights. We made friends in the Customs line and met some people who were staying at the same hotel. James went outside and negotiated a price of $10.00 for the seven of us. The guide book said it would be $25/per person, but he found a guy with a van and through an exciting ten min., was able to knock $15 per head off.

Our new cats

Here are some pictures of our new cats: Lynx and Roux. They, like our previous two felines, are bengels, as im sure you can tell. Roux, the female has a distinctive marbled coat that may not be seen in the photos. They have started to settle in much better than our others, with them investigating newcomers and sleeping with us after only a few months. They along with a few plants and the ever present look-around are spending the bulk of their winter break in the very capable hands of the Overly's. 

Zanzibar airport

Holy crap, quite the experience getting out of Zan. We had a trnsfer to the airport so the driver had a guy there waiting for us rather than the bag boys attacking are bags when we pulled up. This guy was great he went up to the counter got the guy to take us next at another counter(there was a long line) they took all our bags (we were only allowed 22 kilos apiece we has about a hundred total),guy just took them no fee. then then had you come into the baggage area and walk your luggage to the screeners. The female screenersays to me open those bags, I saw let me get my kids over,while we were waiting she says if you give me a tip I'll make it okay, I give her my last 4 singles and my bags go thru the screener! then we step up to pay the departure tax,$30.00 I had put it aside because I had been warned about it. The guy asks me where I'm going after he has this huge scene with unhappy Romanians,lots of yelling and shaking of passports. I tell him Dar es Salaam, he says then where I say eventually the US, he gives me $80.00 back,stamps my boarding pass, I say to the boys lets get out of here. We walk out to the airplane and I can see all our bags being loaded except one of Pete's. I send the boys to board and ask the stew if I can stay and watch. After I tell her my whole sorry tale of lost luggage shes says ok. I see a load of luggage heading to the Romainian plane with Pete's bag on the very bottom,I refuse to board they've closed the baggage bay and started the engines, they send me over (running on the tarmac to show them petes bag. They throw all the bags on top of his on the ground grab his and tell me c'mon run! Crazy place!

We sayed at a B&B in Soweto fri nite we were right down the block from Desmond Tutu's house. We'll be home soon. sitting in Atlanta waiting for our flight we get home about4 pm and will try to have a normal bedtime. e

Hey Grandma!

Jumbo Grandma and readers,
I saw about a thousand pink Flamingos and a few African Fish Eagles. Those were the most important sightings along with the secretary Bird. Hope you are doing well and to the rest of our viewers an African Fish Eagle looks very similar to our Bald Eagle. Well see you all soon we depart today for Jo-berg and from there to the US. Hope to bring some of this hot weather back with us!

Pete