[PHOTOSTORY 3 Hanging out with strangers at the beach]

 By: Brandon Murray

The other day on the beach I met Asher Lowe from South Carolina and he invited me to hang out with him and his friends. They were on their last week in Panama and they wanted to meet more people visiting the beach. 

This row of colorful beach houses above the sand dunes is where Asher and his friends stayed. 
Asher and his friends rented for two week and he gave me a quick tour when we first met, mentioning how his room had the best view of the ocean.

Asher looked out at the nearly empty shoreline, with waves going by in the distance.
He mentioned that he always picks this time to come to the beach saying it stays pretty quiet this time of year. “Still early summer,” he said, “give it a couple more weeks.”

Asher introduced these guys as Jackson, Seth, James and Megan saying that this is the first time they were all able to vacation together. He said they were the laid back type who wouldn't mind letting someone tag along for the day. 

Megan asked if I liked to draw at the beach saying that she isn't that good at drawing but she still finds it fun. She said drawing in the sand helps her relax “like doodling, but with a beach vibe.”

Asher introduced him as Justin as we threw the football around for awhile. Asher later told me that Justin is 6 foot 6 inches towering over him anywhere he goes. 

Asher’s friend group set up camp near the shoreline, dropping bags and chairs unfolded without much of a plan. Everyone just sort of drifted between the water and the sand, I asked them how long were they planning to stay out and they said until the sunsets. 

Asher said Kellen isn't a big fan of the beach but he comes out for the drinks and music. He said they have him on 24/7 DJ keeping him busy at all times.

This is Liv and Justin who are both looking forward to throwing the football in the water. Justin said "I don't have much of a spiral but in the water it doesn't really matter." 

In this picture Seth is admiring Megan's beach doodle for her creativity. In the shot she was making different Spongebob characters in the sand.

Two of Asher’s friends Jackson and James mid-conversation eating snacks on their beach towels. Between bites of chips and sunburn talk, they tell me on how each person met over the years.

This is the front of their apartment and where they park their cars for easy travel to and from the beach. Asher says they have a big group so it wasn't that hard splitting the cost. 

 After the beach their friend Sam drove me back to their place saying they had more than enough room. "We brought a truck with 3 rows of seat so we can potentially pack 8 people in one car.

Here is a picture of Seth and Meg telling us the story of how they met. Asher says they are some of the most down to earth people you will meet out here. 

This is a shot of their neighbors house that has a bird who yells every morning. Justin said he walked outside the first morning and couldn't believe the things he heard the bird saying to him. 

    This is a picture Asher told me to take of his roomate James passed out after the beach. James later woke up and said he was conserving his energy for the basketball court.

Asher advised me to get a picture of Justin dunking which I couldn't believe he could hang on the rim. Justin said "I can't dunk a basketball but I can easily touch rim I wish I played more back in the day but I'm more into soccer."

Another angle of Justin hanging from the rim portraying a clean one-handed dunk. Surprisingly even though the courts where next to a daycare they were regulation meaning they stood at 10 feet. 

    At the end of the night Asher and his friends went out on the beach at night and found crabs. James said " I was kinda walking near the water and I stepped on something so I yelled for a flashlight real quick." 

 At the end of the night Justin and Asher posed for some pictures before I left. He said he understands how hard it is to find strangers chill enough to let you take their picture and as a former college student he wanted to be helpful anyway he could.