What’s a movie or book that inspired you to travel?
Under the Tuscan Sun inspires me to travel to Tuscany. It is on my bucket list. I would love to spend a month there and take cooking lessons in Italy, like the movie Nonnas, which was recently released on Netflix.
Another one on my bucket list is Egypt; the pyramids have always fascinated me, as have movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark.
The book that inspired me to go to Panama was Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude. Although it takes place in Colombia, it is still close enough.
Like Water for Chocolate inspired me to visit Mexico.
I travel more now that I am retired, and I hope to have the energy and means to keep traveling. I probably won’t make it to Egypt in this lifetime because of the political climate there. But I’ve visited the Lake District in England 4 times and Sintra in Portugal once, and I hope to visit again soon. I lived in Mexico City for 6 months and visited Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta. Here is a little vignette I’ve written from Panama City.
The Geisha Coffee Experience
“The world’s most expensive coffee, a truly unique experience if you are a coffee lover.” Fernando, our Panama City tour guide, went on and on as we approached a local Casco Viejo coffee house known for serving the world-famous Geisha coffee.
The oppressive heat and humidity had taken their toll on me, so a sit-down at the air-conditioned cafe sounded inviting, especially since I love coffee and have Cuban and Colombian blood running through my veins. The place was crowded, but we managed to get a table when a couple got up. Jackpot! We also invited Fernando to join us for coffee.
“It is worth the wait. It takes them a while to prepare our Geisha coffees.”
Fernando continued.
He explained that they hold auctions when they sell the famous coffee.
“Last year, a lot of Geisha coffee from Hacienda La Esmeralda sold for $30,204 per kilogram.”
I began calculating what a cup of this precious coffee would cost me, eying the doorway for a quick exit. We ordered our coffees and waited 20 minutes. Only $10. I can do that, I thought, and relaxed.
“You don’t put sugar in it,” Fernando warned, saying it was considered a sacrilege.
I was already reaching for the sugar packets and stopped in mid-air. I took my first sip of this world-famous coffee and immediately thought it was very weak. Like washing your socks and serving a cup of the wash water. That is what I think when I am served weak coffee. I am used to the robust Cuban espresso served with a ton of sugar. They can keep their Geisha coffee; give me a coladita, please!
GrowingOlderHopeWiser 
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