Adventures in Panama

Markets. Spanish. Shaved Ice. Panama Canal. Panama hats. Hot. Beans. Rice. Scenic. These are just a few of the words that come to mind when I think about our first days here in Panama. The markets are full of color. Jewelry and crafted art filled the tables. My favorite purchase so far was a hand woven Panamanian quilt square that I plan to make into a pillow. It is the perfect souvenir.

I also stuffed my suitcase with Panamanian coffee to bring home to my family and took enough pictures in the first few days to last me the rest of the trip! I am still on the hunt for the perfect Panama hat. The country is beautiful. The Pacific Ocean paints a beautiful view from the Panama Canal and the mountainous rain forest is like nothing I have ever seen. It is going to be difficult to get any studying done on this trip!

I can already tell. The language barrier has been bearable so far. I expect it will be much more difficult to communicate in the remote areas of Panama than it has been in the big city. I’m really wishing I had stuck with my new year’s resolution to learn Spanish right about now! Our first few days have been full of new adventures. All of the students are so great and I can’t wait to share with them what will most definitely be a memorable experience for us all. The adventure continues!