Buenas! I just returned from two weeks of traveling around the country. The first week was “cuture week” where we split into groups and traveled to the region where we will be working to learn more about the specific culture in which we will be living, and the second week was “technical week” where we split up by sector to learn more specific skills that we will need for our work. Here’s what I had to say after culture week:
Ñontore! I’m writing to you from the Coaster (or small bus) on my way from culture week to technical week. Seven trainees took the long trip across the country to Bocas del Toro. We stayed in a Ngabe indigenous community where a current volunteer is working. We each stayed with a host family- mine was nice but really quiet as Ngabe tend to be. It was a busy week. We helped teach classes at the elementary school, hauled dirt and collected seeds with the Panama Verde club, visited a finca (or farm) to see cocoa and other various products including pineapple- we even got to help clear the land with machetes!!- we went on a two hour hike through rivers and mud to see a waterfall, and we danced some traditional bailes with the community. Each day we had a few hours of language training- a mix of Spanish and Ngabere. It’s a bit overwhelming to learn a third language when I’m still working on Spanish, but it was interesting. It was a very exhausting week but we had a good time and are feeling more confident to get to our own sites in a month.
OK, back to present time. Yesterday I returned “home” to my host family near Panama City. It was nice to unpack my bag and hopefully my laundry will get washed soon. It’s always an adventure when I don’t actually have control over daily things like meals or laundry. Technical week was a blast!! We stayed in a volunteer’s site on an island on the Pacific side of the country. I had the nicest host family there and we talked for hours every night. During the week we taught English at the school and put on a three day “taller” or workshop for the members of the community that are interested in tourism. The island’s main industry is watermelon but they are one of only five places in the world where sea turtles go in large numbers to lay their eggs on the beach. We helped create their very first tourism brochure- pretty awesome. We also got to walk the beach one night and saw three turtles laying eggs!! Swimming in the ocean wasn’t too bad either!
After tech week we had one free night and a number of us from the training group went to El Valle in the province of Coclé. It is beautiful there with mountains surrounding the city- and talk about some huge houses. It’s pretty crazy to see the two extremes in living style. We got mud masks at the thermal pools and went horse back riding. Having my second warm shower in two months was also a highlight. It was a nice relaxing trip after two weeks on the road.
Only about three weeks left until I swear in as a volunteer and the real adventure begins!! I must give a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY today to my wonderful sister!!! I hope this message finds everyone well! I will also try to post some more pictures on facebook so check those out if you can. PS I bought a cell phone and it is free for me to receive any calls or texts so please e-mail me if you would like my number! A phone call would make my day :) Hasta luego for now!
