Beast of Burden

Finally the rains have stopped and a sunny day for the Jazz Festival. We dropped Brian off in town and headed over to Valle Escondido where the  concerts are held. This is a beautiful condo community within walking distance to town. There is a hotel, restaurant, golf course and rental cottages. Luckily we found a parking space and walked a short way to the amphitheater. The setting is pastoral with a stucco building that houses the stage. The seating is on raised levels of stone and grass set in a semicircle. All around are lush plantings.

We have tickets for the VIP seating area which is at the top, shaded and cushions to sit on. The general admission seats are in the hot, hot sun. Behind our area is an open space with misters to cool you off and a few food trucks and stands. There is a tented area with tables and chairs.

The first act was Guy Davis who is a terrific blues guitarist with a nice voice.We enjoyed his version of "Lay Lady Lay."

I found my friend Victoria who had come up to Boquete from Panama City for the festival. Vicki had been my friend and manicurist from Yardley and we saw her and her husband Jacob last year.

Next up was a salsa band and not a favorite for us. But the next act just blew us away. Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers all the way from New Orleans. Dwayne looks like a NFL tackle, but he plays the accordion and is an incredible entertainer. His band includes a guy playing the washboard and they all put on quite a show.

Dwayne and the band did a great job with The Stones "Beast of Burden" and got people to form a  conga line and go through the audience. Then he had people singing into the mike. One guy near us had the worst voice ever and the whole place erupted into laughter. Poor Dwayne could barely control himself. Another funny comment cracked us up. There are lots of volunteers who work on this festival. One guy had the worst job of picking up the cans and trash. As he approached our area, the guy next to me starting putting out cans and said, "Gandolf will pick them up."

The next band was okay, but we were tired and decided to leave and call it a day. It is so much fun to be around people near to our age who are having such a good time. Singing, dancing and smiling faces make for a great day.

Went back to rest a bit and then joined Brian for dinner at the Fish House. This place is small with seven tables and a bar. Brian and I had really good fish and chips made with red snapper. The best cole slaw I have had in a long time.