Apr 26, 2013 - My time in the Naso- The Long Awaited Post

Que paso todos y todas? It’s my last half day here in Wekso of the Naso community of Bonyic (pronounced Bonejeek). In a few minutes I’ll be leaving for Changuinola to buy ticket for a 12 hour bus ride to Panama City which leaves around 7:00pm. I don’t know when I’ll actually get around to posting this, but whenever I do all that will have already passed. When I get back to the city I’ll begin writing my minimum 30 page (double spaced) report on my time here. Shortly after that I’ll be heading back to The States and I cannot express how...

Apr 10, 2013 - Changuinola, Costa Rica, La Universidad De Earth, and back to the City

Hey fellas, Hope all is well on the States end. I just got back to the city last night, but the chaos never stops. I got in around 8 (after traveling since 6am that morning from Costa Rica) then had meeting with my ISP advisor at 9:30 which didn’t end until 11:30 or so. Got back to my apartment at about 12 and couldn’t fall asleep until around 1:30 because my head was spinning with all the logistical problems with my ISP that were brought up at the meeting. Then I had to wake up 5am to catch a bus that was supposed to be at the stop at 6am...

Apr 3, 2013 - Alloutta Sanctuary, Chiriqui Highlands, Volcan Baru Bocas Del Toro

Hey guys, Right now I should be in the Naso community of Bocas Del Toro along the Rio Teribe, however two days ago at the STRI station in Bocas I came down with some sort of sickness/allergy and broke out in hives that have yet to leave. A few days before that I felt sick in other ways with an upset stomach, a bit of nausea, but above all else just an extreme feeling of constant fatigue. About the time the hives came those feelings left so I now I feel fine except for the hives. I didn’t think this was going to pose a problem as they aren’t...

Mar 21, 2013 - David-Clam Huntin',Fishing, Gulf of Chiriqui, and Tropical Paradise

Como estamos, (How are we)? I’m doing well for the most part, sitting here writing this from my homestay house in David (pronounced Dah-veed). It’s Sunday here and tomorrow we leave for another place in Chiriqui (the province where David is the capital). I’m not sure the name of the place but as I understand it, it is a primate sanctuary where we will have a mammal’s ecology class for 2-3 days. Originally this wasn’t in the itinerary, but the other week a student brought to Ruben’s attention that this sanctuary is new as of a few years ago...

Feb 27, 2013 - Emberá Tribal Village

@@@@@@@ BACKGROUND To make my writing go a little easier, I have copied some excerpts from the Culture chapter of the Lonely Planet – Panamá: Of the several dozen native tribes that inhabited Panama when the Spanish arrived, only seven now remain. Perhaps the most well-known group in the West, due to their distinctive dress, are the Kuna, who inhabit the Archipiélago de San Blás and run their native lands as a comarca (autonomous region). The Emberá and Wounaan inhabit the jungle of the eastern Panamá Province and the Darién, and although...

Feb 26, 2013 - Across The Isthmus

@@@@@@@ BACKGROUND To make my writing go a little easier, I have copied some excerpts from the History chapter of the Lonely Planet – Panamá: Panama’s future forever changed from the moment that the world’s major powers learned that the isthmus of Panama was the narrowest point between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In 1846 Colombia signed a treaty permitting the US to construct a railway across the isthmus, though it also granted them free transit and the right to protect the railway with military force. At the height of the California...

Feb 22, 2013 - Catch up, Loma Bonita, Carnaval and Purio

Que xiopa todos, That's slang for "What's up everyone" (pronounced kay-sopa) and it's only used here in the city. It's derived from the universal form of "Que paso" or "Que pasa", both of which essentially translate to the English "Whats up?" Say it somewhere outside of the city and people will look at you funny before finally realizing what you're trying to say. Say it anywhere outside of Panama and you might as well be speaking Chinese. So that's your Panamanian Spanish lesson for today. Again (as if I really need to even say it anymore)...

Feb 19, 2013 - Road Trip - Panama Style

Of all the interesting things I experienced in Panama, traveling around the country had to be at the top! So as I stated in my last post, I had my (heavy! coffee is heavy!) bags packed, said adios to my new friends at the hotel and made my way to the bus stop super early, just in case. I boarded the waiting bus at about 6:28pm, it was about half full, so I settled in to wait for what I expected would be a full 7pm departure...wrong! At 6:30 on the dot we were wheels up and on our way to David. Awesome! To give you an idea of what it's like...

Feb 18, 2013 - Adventure Awaits

Recap from dinner last night...I was invited to sit for dinner with a couple that has adopted me (here comes my girlfriend! he exclaims as I walk in)...they have been married for 63 years. Wow. It was one of the more fun evenings of the trip. An 84 year old Jewish man from New York, who is half deaf and absolutely hilarious. We talked about his time in the military (Army), his schooling at Cornell and 30+ years as a hospital administrator. He yells at the waiter that he is going to have a talk with the owner when they do not have something...

Feb 17, 2013 - Mountain Paradise

Talk about a change in scenery!! The climate in Boquete is a complete 180 from Panama City and Bocas del Toro!! It's so green and lush here...temps were in the high 70's or so all day, with a strong breeze constant. Actually raining right now, which is making for another night of perfect sleeping weather. Unfortunately last night I was awakened at 1am by the people who saw nothing wrong with dragging their multitude of luggage down and up the tile stairs right outside my door. Seriously people? Pick the damn thing up and don't pack so much...

Feb 16, 2013 - A Day of Travel

So today has been a bit of a blur!! Started with a sunny and humid morning...final packing...breakfast...and goodbyes. I was told once that you should always leave a place with a little heaviness in your heart...that way you know you will be back one day! So it was with a heavy heart I bid Adios to Bocas del Toro and began the 5 hour trip to Boquete. About 3.5 hours of that trip is by van, and let me tell you, driving in this region is not for the faint of heart!! But somehow these drivers know what they are doing and we arried around...

Feb 15, 2013 - Fun In The Sun

Have you ever cursed at a dolphin or gecko? I did. Both in the last 24 hours, as a matter of fact. First I yelled at Charlie, the gecko, last night when he was chilling on my lotion and scared the living hell out of me when I reached for it..."DAMNIT CHARLIE!", he tried it again later, but I was prepared so he didn´t catch me quite as off guard. He´s a mischevious one, that Charlie. Then today, out on my trip to Isla Zapatilla (more on that in a minute), we stopped to watch a pair of dolphins frolicking around the boat. I´m at the front,...