Arm wrestling grudge match in Pedasi, Panama

Editor’s Note: My roommate in Panama recently had his friend Josh visiting from Atlanta. We gave him quite a tour, the highlight of which was test of strength with a local fishermen. He sent in the following story…

I am a high school history teacher in Georgia, so I naturally enjoy seeing the historical sights of the places I visit on vacation. In addition to my love of history, I also want to have an authentic experience wherever I go. This can roughly be described as “becoming one” with the local culture. At many tourist destinations in the world the “airs” of culture are put-on to impress tourists and lack a genuine sense of authenticity. Many times you have to get outside the tourist traps to really experience local flavor.

To find that visceral, really “real” experience, it can also require one to get outside their comfort zone. Every time I have made the effort, the experience was well worth it. The way I loosely measure the authenticity of my travel experience is how interesting and memorable the stories are that I can tell even years after. On my recent trip to Pedasi, Panama I enjoyed fishing, the beaches and seeing the exception surfing waves of Playa Venao. But my most memorable experience involved nothing other than…arm wrestling.

Yes, I said arm wrestling.

Driving back one morning from a nearby surf spot outside of Pedasi with my friends Rob and Casey, we passed by a ramshackle cantina where two men were engaged in the ancient art of arm wrestling. A group of their amigos looked on, cheering and laughing noisily. As soon I began to ask if we could make a quick stop, Casey slammed on the brakes. We piled out of the vehicle to inspect the action more closely. From the looks on the faces of the locals, I don’t think many “gringos” frequent the joint.

It was a Sunday and the fishermen were off work enjoying more than a few early day beers. We bought a round for everybody (bottled beers are an amazing 50 cents!) and proceeded to watch the next match. Casey and I pretended to wager on the outcome to take the energy level up a notch. The scene and its odd cast of characters was simply bizarre; reminiscent of that Star Wars bar where Han Solo blasted Greedo.

After the match concluded I looked at Rob and asked sheepishly, “Do you think I should arm wrestle the winner?” A resounding “absolutely!” followed. In Rob’s first-rate Spanish he told the guys that I would like to challenge the champ. Upon hearing this, nearly everybody inside the cantina came out to watch. The pressure was on.

The turned around, the nerves workin’…it’s GO TIME!

Over The Top

After a moment of nervousness, I took a deep breath and turned my UGA baseball cap around as an homage to Stallone in Over the Top (how great was that movie by the way?). I clasped hands with my rival and went to work. Though it probably lasted less than a minute, the struggle seemed like an eternity. I could hear the laughing and hollering going on around me. Despite the competitive nature of the event, I couldn’t help but have a smile on my face the whole time. Even in the fight, I knew it was hilarious.

IThe gringo goes “over the top”

I managed to emerge as the victor. I shook my opponents hand and uttered “gracias” amidst the boisterous cheering, laughter and Casey’s goofy chants of “USA, USA, USA”. Everybody at the cantina was chattering about what happened - a gringo tempted the fate of Panamanian arm wrestiling destiny, and arose victorious. Despite the temporarily wounded pride of the former champ, he and everybody else were great sports.

We bought everyone a round of beers, talked some jive and left soon after. We laughed about the experience in the car ride back to Panama City, on the plane, and at home in Georgia. It will be one of the first stories I tell my students about Panama when the school year starts. I imagine that even the Panamanian fishermen back at the cantina may mention on occasion, “the gringo who beat the champ”.

These are the authentic travel experiences I relish and remember. You’re very likely to have your own should you ever visit the charming beach town of Pedasi, Panama.

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Written by Josh Sailers
GA History Teacher & Arm Wrestling Champion in Training

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Filed under: Country Guide, Culture on July 11th, 2008