Work

I just wanted to do a quick update on the work we're doing at UTP, because I have just been including the fun extra weekend stuff in Panama (not that work isn't fun), and we are being productive. So, every weekday we are at UTP (Universidad Tecnologica de Panama) from 10 am -6 pm. In all seriousness, we are pretty much busy during that entire time, minus our 1 hour lunch. We had put up flyers about our one-on-one English tutoring sessions and immediately students started signing up and now almost every time slot is filled for the next 2 weeks. We get students that come to us wanting to have a conversation session but there aren't any spots left, and it's really unfortunate because there are only 3 of us, but I feel like I could find so many people from home who would want to come and help! For example, when Peter visited, he met with a number of students to practice their English and he doesn't even speak Spanish. It's such a simple thing, but I think it really helps them. 

In addition to our tutoring sessions, we're teaching a level 10 (the highest level) English class. There are only 4 students in it, and the university couldn't afford to hire a professor for such a small class, so we offered to teach it. This is also mainly conversation/interaction-based but we are going by a textbook. 

So...though our weekends are filled with eventful fun, during the week we are usually either working, sleeping, or eating. The days go by quick but we can feel the time in our exhaustion at 6 pm. However, it's really good and I'm really happy that we've gotten such good responses from students.

San Blas...

So this past weekend we went to a real, actual paradise. I'm being so serious it's not even funny. San Blas is an archipelago of 365 islands off the Caribbean coast of Panama, and they are home to the Kuna Indians, extremely colorful natives that were driven out of Panama by the Spanish and fled to the islands around. Honestly, the Kuna got the better deal.

Most people fly to San Blas; it's about a 20 minute flight. But we had met a girl in El Valle who gave us the number of a friend who provides rides and packages (cheaper) to San Blas. So we called this friend, Plas, who is Kuna, and he generously hooked us up with transportation, "lodging", meals, etc for the 2 days and 1 night we spent there.

We drove there with 8 people in 1 car through ridiculous mud roads and mountains. We literally drove the car through a river, but the scenery was gorgeous. We finally arrived (to where I'm not sure) but we transfered ourselves and our limited luggage to a boat, and canoed to various islands to pick up other people and then eventually to the beautiful island we would call temporary home. I can't even explain how picturesque these islands are. During the day, Plas canoed us to different islands in the archipelago and we snorkled in the clear water. The food was great and they even did their best to provide for Peter and I, us vegetarians. It was just an incredible feeling to stand at the edge of the water and be able to see the entire island I was standing on. So beautiful. It was unreal, paradise, really. I'm sure I'm being annoying so I'll just show photos.

Kuna village

our island

enormous school of fish

conch shell

monica's macro

root

a sunken boat

how we got our food

Peter, I, and Plas!

the Kuna Yala's colorful molas

Peter's holding our message in a bottle that we sent off into the abyss

Sigh. Just...wonderful.

Only downside (because I must list it since I'm a downer): I'm now covered in sand flea bites :-(

BUT! It was unbelievably worth it. Beautiful place! Don't stay at a resort there, go camping!

Pedro Cuadro!

My darling Peter visited :-).

So, scuba class started and I am pumped. We get certified this weekend in the coastal town of Portobelo (like the mushroom) with 2 open water dives deep into the nice, warm water of Panama.

This past week was the JAZZ FESTIVAL in Panama but unfortunately, we didn't see the big festival part on Saturday night because we were in paradise land (I'll get to it later). Instead, we indulged ourselves in many ways at a shmancy Jazz club in Casco Viejo on Thursday night. The live performers were incredible but the club was all reserved seating areas so instead we had to drift to the walls/bar to groove. I can't count how many times we complained to the owner that there wasn't enough room to dance. But it was a cool night, and I have a new hat.

The morning after this late night, Rina, Peter, and I somehow got up at 5 a.m. to go birdwatching in Gamboa (a nearby rainforest). This idea had originated several days prior because I wanted Peter to be able to see the rainforest while he was here, but our days are so busy at UTP that we decided to wake up early and go BEFORE work to birdwatch, and we hired a special taxi to pick us up so when the loud car honk came at 5:30 am on Friday, we didn't have much of a choice.

This is actually kind of a funny, bizarre story. We're in the taxi and it's totally dark outside and we're completely out of it from the late night and painfully early morning, all passing in and out of consciousness during the ride. We arrive and when we get out of the taxi and walk a few steps into the trail, we sort of slowly realize that we're in the middle of the rainforest, it's really dark outside, we have no flashlights nor binoculars, and we don't know how to birdwatch. ...I don't know, I found it amusing. So instead we just wandered/laid on the ground/listened to the terrifying sound of howler monkeys until it got lighter outside. It ended up being a great idea. We saw about 7 wild pigs cross the trail in front of us one by one and spotted a howler monkey from a distance. Trip=success, especially because Peter and I were able to sleep in a bit afterwards since Suz let us take the day off so I could bring him around sight-seeing before his departure. Woo!

So, now I will go into Peter and my day exploring Panama (this entry is quite massive).

I shall organize this by PLACE!

The Causeway

We walked along the Causeway (strip of pretty land made by all the land dug up to make the Panama Canal) and had lunch at an outdoor Italian restaurante. I drank the best orange juice of my life.

Panama Viejo

These are the remains of the oldest European settlement on the Pacific coast of America. These were really, really cool ruins.

Baha'i Temple

We visited the Baha'i Temple afterwards but got there at 5:58 and it closes at 6 pm. Our taxi driver (sweetest man ever) tried to get the guard to let us in anyway, but he did not allow this and so we only got to take a photo of the outside. But it was still beautiful :-)

And that was our day off/Peter's day of seeing Panama!

Quad-bike on the Causeway and Casco Viejo

The title explains it well enough.

Casco Viejo used to be all of Panama City until it got invaded and sacked by Captain Morgan and his pirate gang (I'm being serious). Now, Casco Viejo is a pretty and active area with old-looking architecture and nice restaurants and the like. We visited and watched an old man play the ukelele.