No hablo español

The minute I stepped out of the car at the Tampa, FL Airport I could feel my stomach start to flip. I was so nervous and excited all at the same time I couldn’t help but let out a little squeal. I had been anticipating this day for months; I couldn’t believe the day was actually here, and by later that afternoon I would actually be in a different country. This being my first time ever flying International, I had no idea what to expect. After getting on the connecting flight in Miami, we were off. On the flight, we were given two forms to fill out that we would need to turn in once we reached customs.  I began attempting to fill in my information and literally stopped to say “uh oh” as I continued to stare in confusion trying to decipher the words on it. Granted, I’ve known for a while now Panamanians spoke Spanish, and I would have to adjust. However, after taking two years of it in high school, in addition to two semesters of it on line in college; I figured I’d be able to get by with the help of the English/Spanish Dictionary I had. Now that I’ve actually spent a little time in the country over the last two days, I realize how sadly mistaken I was. Thankfully, we have teachers and a few other students pretty accustomed to the language that have been very helpful; I’d completely doomed without them.

We landed in Panama around 4pm on May 26^th. The first thing I noticed when getting off the plane was how small the airport was in comparison to what I am used to, and the security measures taken to get through customs are not as intense. On the way out of the airport I saw a women dressed in a beautiful multi-colored bright dress. Unfortunately I was unable to take a picture of her, but I learned there are about 7 different indigenous tribes and different sections here in Panama; and each have their own type of dress. What I saw in the airport specifically was considered Traditional Rural Panamanian Attire.

We took a bus from the airport to The City of Knowledge. Here, we stayed in Villas that used to be part of an old U.S. Military Base until 1999 when it was handed back over to Panama. Around 2003, a group of twelve entrepreneurs approached the Panamanian government about an idea they had regarding the base. The group consisted of sociologists, physicians, engineers, etc. All men from varied specialty backgrounds, but one common goal. That goal was to provide resources to help raise, educate, and build opportunities for the Panamanian people. Being that the government as well shared this goal; they agreed to allow these men to lease the Military base for $1 per building. Today, there are over 45 non-profit organizations leasing buildings there. It was cool to have the opportunity to stay in some of the on site houses and hear the history behind them.

151B: The building at the military base I stayed in
with some of the other girls from the program.

On Day 2, we traveled to the “old” city of Panama. Here, we saw old churches, and buildings that have been around for centuries; many of which were being restored. As we walked around through the streets we saw there were many market stands set up where you could buy hand crafted jewelry, paintings, hats, dolls, etc. I was very surprised how cheap everything was and enjoyed bargaining different prices. Luckily, numbers are a part of what little Spanish I still remember. I ended up buying 2 pairs of earrings, a necklace, beaded key chain, and a painting all for about 8 dollars. There was also a man selling shaved ice on a little cart that has wheels to travel.  I was amazed as I watched him one by one make snow cones by frivolously scraping this huge block of ice on the cart. One of my classmates, Laura even got the opportunity to try doing it by herself.

Just a few.... of MANY construction workers
there, working to restore the area

Amanda and I, being touristy in the "old" city of Panama

Laura working out those muscles on the ice block.
 In the process of making her snow cone. 

Later we visited the Panama Canal and watched, as these huge boats would try to fit through the little space the canal provided. There was also a museum that had a video playing if you wanted to learn more about the canal and a little history behind it; as well as another portion that featured insects, and different types of animals common to this area. At night, we went out to dinner at a place called Pencas. I’ve noticed rice is an extremely popular food here. It is incorporated in the majority if not all, of the meals I’ve seen so far.

Panama Canal

Picture of a boat making it through
 the tight squeeze of the Canal.

Currently, we are on the bus headed to Chiriqui and I’m not really sure what to expect at this point. I’ve really enjoyed my time here so far, so I am extremely excited to see and learn more about the communities. The one thing I’m still very concerned with is my lack of Spanish. It’s been a huge barrier so far, but I am hoping to find ways to work around that and still learn more about the culture.