There was a young girl in Nic'ragua
Who smiled as she rode on a jaguar.
They returned from the ride
With the young girl inside
And the smile on the face of the jaguar.
This limerick, credited to Anonymous, can be found on the first page of Salman Rushdie's "Jaguar Smile". When I started reading this book, which is set in the Nigaragua of the 80's, I realised that Mr. Rushdie had done it again. "Midnight's Children" taught me more about India than any Lonely Planet ever could; now, Central America started making more sense. Most striking was his observation that, although the busses were full, the city was empty. I sometimes have the same impression: the traffic ('El Tranque') is legendary, the many fast-food restaurants here in Panama always seem to be packed. But take a stroll in the old part of town, and you can count the number of people you encounter on two hands.
But without further ado, here today's special treat, a rewritten version of the limerick by yours truly. Adapted to fit the geographical setting (clears throat):
There was a young girl in Panama
Who was in a great big dilemma.
But she couldn't decide
If to run or to hide
So she stayed and just ate a banana.
(Don't worry. I plan to keep my day job.)
