Tags
Baby, Billie Morton, Bocas del Toro, Colon, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, food, Hotel Francais, Lucia, Mama, Mascot, money complaints, Panama, Pavlova, Peru, pests, Port Limon, San Jose, site-seeing, travel, weather, X
P. 1
[Letterhead:
Hotel Central
Cathedral Park, Panama, Republic of Panama
Post Office Box No. 976]
Panama, April 11th 1917
Dear Mrs Morton.
It is quite a while since I have heard from you or you from me. We left Cuba March 15th and sailed to Costa Rica. The trip was very interesting our first stop on the way was Colon “Panama” a very dirty place our boat stoped [sic] here till Tuesday 5 o’c. The only thing that was lovely there was the Chinese & Persian stores but as “X” does not pay anymore salary merely living expenses we could not spend very much. The food on the boat was love[ly page torn] On Wednesday morning we arrived at Bocos del Toros [sic] but we di[d page torn] not dock near land as the water is not deep enough [sic] [page torn—word missing] was very interesting to see the people shooting sharks [illegible, page torn—word missing, illegible] hit a shark and killed him outright and oh [page torn—word missing] was a huge monster. In the afternoon we arrived at Almeranty [sic] which is up the Bay about an hour ride and simply glorious [inset hand-drawn map of the area] with its Palms and Mountains lining the sides. We stoped [sic] over here and till 5 o’c. Then we went on land The place itself consist [sic] of just a few native huts and a few American homes [???] hotel but the country around is lovely simply the wildest tropics you can imagine We only discharged cargo there. From there we sailed till the next day Thursday 22, to Port Limon Costa Rica where we went straight to the train for San José which is 5000 feet up in the mountains Well the trip up I cannot discribe [sic] for it was to [sic] wonderfull [sic] first through absolute jungle then through fancy little villages & Banana Plantations and Cocoa plantations and then the wonderful valleys Mountains and river just below us and we right up on such dizzing [sic] heights When we arrived at San Jose it was just lovely just like spring so cool and lovely so absolutely different from the atmosphere down below. We had a very nice Hotel there a french Hotel Francais. the food and all was delicious. The town itself was so quaint
P. 2
and old with all the cloud coved peaked mountains all around. and the comen [sic] people mostly a mixture of molatoes [sic] & Malayans, & Spanish all going around bare footed with many colored shawls on all embroidered. I was very sorry I could not send you any post cards from there but they did not print any except a photographic post card of the theater which was really a beautiful building inside and out. On Wed. 4th we stoped [sic] playing On Friday we saw two riligious [sic] processions. On Sat. 7 we left San Jose and went on the Boat at Port Limon, but we did not sail till Sun 8th. And we arrived at Colon on Mon. After we left from Colon we saw them loading Bananas on the boat (By [page torn—words missing] we traveled by the United Fruit Company first time by the “[illegible, page torn—words missing] 2nd time with the “Pastores”.) Well you never seen such train loads of Bananas as they put on Board by machine and just tired of Bananas now I have had a few too many. Well from Colon we went by train to Panama along the canal It was 5 when we arrived at Colon but we did not sail till 11 at night and we arrived about 10’c. at Panama here the Hotel are terrible the only one which is really possible cost 4.50 per day when we are [illegible] it cost 2.50. per day each American place. By the way I must tell you in Cuba you have the pleasure of ants & cockroches [sic] & sometimes bedbugs, in Costa Rica you are eaten up with fleas, and here in Panama you have mice, Rats, fleas, big long worm like ants, cockroches [sic] and the rest I have not discovered yet this town is any pity for its [illegible] not very old and very many squares but oh the people live in terrible dirty places they are all mixed [illegible], colored, white and [illegible] We are stoping [sic] here 14 days then we go to Lucia Peru South America we give one performances at a place in Equador [sic] before we arrive at Peru. Except for the country & scenery the towns are squallid [sic] and horrible I wish I were home with Mama & my Baby instead By the way Mama has moved our address in New York is 150 W 62nd Street. But my address here for the Co. is 165 Broadway c/o Mme. Pavlova [illegible]