The biggest jacuzzi on the American continent

When I found out I would be spending three weeks in Panama, visiting the Canal was probably the least of my priorities. This big money-maker has been the center of attraction for Panama since its inaguration in 1914, and honestly, I could think of 1000 better ways to spend my afternoon than watching a cargo ship slowly go from bathtub to bathtub. To clarify: learning about the canal's history was not at all a problem, it's just that I have high expectations for human-designed infrastructure.

Alas, after three weeks of being let loose in the tropical forests, islands, and cities of Panama, we were scheduled to visit the locks. By this point, my apathy toward the canal had diminished, but my skepticism about the entertainment of the locks was still running high. In the afternoon, we were finally driven to the infamous Miraflores locks where we began our tour with an informational video (in English) about the canal's history and engineering. I thought the end of the video meant a ship would be patiently waiting for us to step outside so it could begin 'the show'. Instead, we waited, and waited, and waited enough that we had more than enough time to make our way through the three story museum and to entertain ourselves with a miriad of pictures.

Well over an hour after we initially expected the ship, it slowly (and I mean SLOWLY) made its way through the first lock. And, not at all to my surprise, if I know Latin American culture, a gentleman began to MC as if on a TV show. If you had been a fly on the wall, you might have heard him make comments alluding to: retirement, selling houses to come to the canal, taking photographs, not dangling children over the ledge, the terrible winters that are coming (ehem, climate change), and the canal being the show of a lifetime.

Hard as he tried, 30 minutes after the ship started going in, and water had filled from one tub to the other, I was still unimpressed. Okay, I lie -- I was a little impressed, but mainly because the locks (or gates) are the EXACT parts that were there in 1914. Roosevelt did well with carrying out the 1500 'dream'.

1914

2010

After an entire afternoon out, and a quick visit to the Smithsonian Tupper Center (yes, as in Tupper from TupperWare), we crashed in our guesthouse to think about our next and last days in Panama.

Week 2: Wounaan, Panama TV, and laughter

To capture the entire past week into a blog is akin to "catching a wave upon the sand" (thank you Sound of Music). Thought somewhat exaggerated, the experiences from this week measure up to what one might do throughout a much longer period of time in Panama.

The following blog will in no particular order explain some of this week's favorites:

1. Academically, or things relating to our tropical biology course, included several visits from biologists who explained their current feld of research and had us join them in the field. Marc, who studies Atta ants (leaf-cutter ants), had us dig up several colonies to remove the queen and the fungus the ants feed on. The excitement for, as well for the others, peaked at seeing  an inch long queen feeding on leaf fungus. Little did we know that we would spend much more time with the Attas throughout the week.

Regardless, the highlight of the research visits was Justin and his research on the hourglass frog's oviposition sites. Thrilling as oviposition sites are...doing the frogging at night made me reconsider my major for a millisecond. Frogging consisted of wading to the middle of a pond and escavating the area for any frogs. Things found: a parrot snake, two random baby snakes, many hourglass frogs, red-eyed tree frogs (posterchild of tropical biology), and a horned frog.

2. Wednesday, we spent the morning with the alleged Wounaan tribe that originated in the Darien region but now resides on an island close to an ecotourist resort in Gamboa. They sustain themselves in great part through ecotourism, meaning that their income depends on the tourists (like us) who visit their community. I immediately felt overcome by a mixture of guilt and curiosity. Guilty that their lifestyle has been so changed, that they must depend on individuals like me to come/invade their personal space in order to sustain themseves. At the same time, I've always craved experiences like this. I've wanted to visit and see for myself the living conditions, the traditions, the people. During our visit we took a hike through part of their forest to learn about the different uses the Wounaan have for trees, we heard about their celebrations, and joined in on traditional dances.

3. Friday: The day started at Parque Metropolitano de Panama, we took turns riding up 30 m / 100 feet into the air inside a small box to look over the top of the rainforest canopy and the city. Unfortunately, the rain made it difficult for us to see any animals above the canopy, but the view was gorgeous. On our way back, we decided to stop by the Anthropological Museum, but as luck would have it, the exhibit we wanted to see was not open to the public. As we walked in, however, we noticed several groups of performers practicing and waiting. After asking around, we found out that it was a taping of the Panamanian TV Show "Mi Gran Talento" (the equivalent of America's Got Talent). No sooner had we figured this out, we found ourselves inside the studio and cheering on the most random performances. Both the canopy and the show combined made for a great day.

4. Panama City: Our sore feet at the end of the day didn't get in the way of enjoying our last day in the nation's capital. This implies that we walked endlessly up through the commercial Avenica Central to the Casco Viejo, the colonial area of town, down to the Mercado de Mariscos (fish market), back down av. central to the Canal Museum, where we learned that Woodrow Wilson pushed the button (all the way from D.C.) that exploded a certain area in Gamboa (my current loation), and then back up av. central to the bus stop. The day was a success, but it made it very clear that our third and final week in Panama would soon begin.

5. We rounded up the week by taking a trip to the Caribbean/Atlantic Coast of Panama. Our first stop? Punta Galeta, another Smithsonian research site. This one, however, is on the Caribbean coast and focuses on marine biology, so instead of rainforest, we had the privelege of looking out into the calming water and playing with the starfish. We then headed into Colon and later to Portobello where we saw a different lifestyle than that of the capital. Poverty

Barro Colorado -- Colored Mud

Sleepy-eyed and sore, our group of 19 stumbled inside a boat for the 45 minute ride to Barro Colorado Island after the usual early morning wake-up on Saturday. BCI is part of STRI, a mecca for researchers, as it's an island that hasn't been touched in hundreds of years. Prior to being an island, however, BCI was a mountain top, but as a result of the canal, it now sits in the middle of Gatun Lake (one of the largest man-made lakes in the world).

Once on the island we received preliminary forest etiquette and head out to cover some trails. Vicente our guide and biology student took the time to stop and show us the different forms of life on the island as well as key elements to the tropics, such as leaf forms, decomposing time for trees, and the research done on the island. While hiking three trails, we were able to see a group of capuchin monkeys, the popular leaf-cutter ants, and possibly the biggest tree I have ever seen. Rust-colored mud piled on our rainboots the longer we climbed, but the diversity of the forest entertained us enough to keep going, eventually leading us back to the main building on the island, and one of the few ones too.

Unfortunately, after a quick visit to the gift shop and viewing a video on modern research technology used by researchers on BCI, we 'sailed' off just as rain began to pour down upon the island. Somehow, we have managed to miss all the rainstorms. This is in spite of the fact that it's the middle of the rainy season.

Rather than take the bus back to the school house, some friends and I decided to walk back and were pleasently met face-to-face with an ant eater! Yes, my life-long dream (as of last week) to have a close encounter with a tropical species --- not on a guide-led hike --- became a reality. The following picture is further proof of this.

Days 4-6

What does one do when living in the middle of the rain forest? ------ Hike
Day six and we've done plenty of hiking. On the streets, on trails, in the woods, soon on an island.
For familiarization purposes, I'll explain my exact loation -- Gamboa, Panama.
Placed in the Historic Panama Canal Zone, the front of our school/gueshouse faces the canal, with the Chagres River toward the back. Walking through the streets, however, isn't exactly what one comes to do in Gamboa. American control of the canal had serious effects in the town, and I speculate that it afffected the population after the 1999 turn over. For a better historical reference, the canal was finished in 1914 and in 1977 the treaty to have control of the canal until 1999 was signed.
So with a humble 300 citizens, Gamboa, to my knowledge holds a post office, a tienda/convenience store, several fondas (foodcart restaurants), a resort, and plenty of forest. Enough forest to see frogs, armadillos, tucans, sloths, and a variety of trees and plants to captivate even the most agoraphobic individual. The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute is responsible for a majority of the action in the town, bringing scientists and students from all of the world to research and study nature's secrets. Aside from STRI, a large resort lies atop a hill, where tourists can spend their time bobbing in the pool, at the spa, or being carted from attraction to attraction.
One of the insteresting aspects of this week was learning about the amount of research done at STRI and the passion that these scientists pour into their work to build resources of knowledge. Like other research, that here can be on broad or specific topics. Although my academic concentration doesn't lie within the natural sciences, learning to see the world through a new perspective has been a part of this program for which I'm grateful.
That and the following list of interesting facts:
* "Biology says life is sex and death"
* Koalas spend most of their lives eating eucalyptus, a plant that breaks down and ferments in the animals' stomachs. As many know, fermentation produces alcohol, thus it is suspected that koalas spend a great deal of their lives in a drunken stupor... silly koalas
* Queen bees, when mating with drones pull out their genitals
* Ant eaters have ridiculously long tongues that go all the way down to their sternum
* Pseudocopulation (a.k.a. - fake sex) Plants make themselves look like females so animals will pollinate them.
Like Dr. Salsbury says...now go off and wow your friends at parties :)
Until next time!!

What's the first thing...(Days 1,2,and 3)

The first thing you think of when you hear 'Panama'?
Possibly the popular spring break location in the South Atlantic (Florida), the brand Panama Jack, or, YES...the country!! 
I've been in the southernmost Central American country for about three days and have already decided that it is arguably better than either Panama, Florida or the brand.
Where am I? At the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (http://www.stri.org/index.php) We made it after nearly missing the second leg of our flight, and eventually arrived in Gamboa, a small town in the historical Canal Zone of Panama. It lies on the Pacific Coast of Panama and the population is just 300 of what used to be 6,000.

My first impression? My words cannot paint the greens of the lush forest bright enough nor emphasize the friendliness with which we were greeted in this beautiful country.
Three weeks is not enough time to understand the complexities of this region, much less the entire nation, but it's the time we have allotted to hiking in the forests, learning more of the natural world through the lens of biology, and for getting to know the others on this adventure. So far, we've heard the cries of howler monkeys, seen parrots from afar, been close to the fascinating leaf-cutter ant, and seen magnificent views above the rainforest canopy.
What am I looking forward to? The unexpected :)...but other than this, hikes in the forest, learning about the research done on ecological degradation, and perhaps exploring Panama City.
Fears? Doing work for next semester and life after college while here.

If you read this, and have questions, feel free to ask away about things you want to know...

Follow the road...

I don't know if mine is yellow or brick, long or short, pleasant or cloudy, but it's a road and this semester it will take me to Latin America. Latin America is a term used loosely, which leaves a lot to the imagination since there are a million differences country to country in this region. More precisely, I will be using the countries of Panama, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Mexico respectively as my classrooms. This is all thanks to Butler University's GALA (Global Adventures in the Liberal Arts) Program, where university professors will travel with about 16 students using the environments we visit as places of learning.

For me and 15 others, the experience starts no earlier than August 22nd at 4:30 am in the Indianapolis International Aiport. The semester is split in the following: 3 weeks in the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, 4 weeks in Nicaragua, 1 week in Guatemala, and 5 weeks in Mexico. Exploring ecosystems, learning through internships and homestays, as well as the the politics of revolution in Latin American cities, we will embrace the different lifestyles, beliefs, cultures, and the experiences that may come our way.

Throughout the semester, I will try my hardest to post the highlights of my adventures to update any interested readers, worried family members, or the anonymous individuals that accidentally happent to click on this very random blog. Until then...ciao!

Santa Fe (Holy Faith?)...for sure in New Mexico

(Pictures not posted yet...)

Santa Fe welcomed us with every dimension of enchantment that the state claims to have. No sooner had we picked up our car at the airport, that I felt the urge to take pictures along the highway…to paint in my mind the beautiful contrasts of the landscape and capture them for others to see. Clouds played on mountains, making shadows dance on the mix of green and beige surface. Hills grew and shrunk in the distance, the views – vast and breathtaking. The endless horizon showed clouds that jealously sent twisting fingers of vapor toward the Earth to feel its glory.


I’m a sucker for nature, and New Mexico won my heart over. Our welcome to the state was not done, however, until the sky split down the road, giving us a show where the left side of the road smiled in the crisp blueness while gray monstrous clouds appeared on the right, showering us down with rain, and later treating us to a double rainbow.

Our trip out west didn’t begin with the orchestrated welcome of nature, but rather making our way through the notoriously hectic security lines of the U.S. of A. (no need to elaborate for anyone who has had the pleasure, or lack thereof, to use gringo airways). The air-travel routine felt long, but I luckily had the clever words of Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude and slumber to keep me entertained and make time go fast. The perk of our ‘voyage’ from Indianapolis to Dallas and then to Albuquerque? — A free upgrade to first class on the second leg.

So as we rolled at a very illegal speed to Santa Fe and ‘jammed’ to some Spanish music, I realized my camera charger was still in Indiana, thus creating the challenge of how I will take pictures on this trip. My relationship with cameras the past eight months have been less than satisfactory. Enough of that though, because we soon reached Santa Fe, and I immediately felt like we’d stepped into an old western movie set. New Mexico, where have you been all my life? Adobe facades decorate the city. Literally—every building is adobe: the churches, dentist offices, Whole Foods, parking garages, our casita. You get the point. By the time we settled in, we set off to the plaza where we had reservations at La Santa Cena (Holy Dinner). By the time we had finished our meal and had taken the walk back to the apartment, we were more than happy to climb into bed and rest for the next day.

Like most vacations, my week in New Mexico came and went in the blink of an eye. The following is a list of things I enjoyed most about New Mexico. Before, however, I'll point out that the entire vacation was a surprise from my Aunt Kimberly -- so it was a tad more luxurious than that of a college student and it ruled out some outdoor activity (hiking, rafting, etc). The following is a list of things I enjoyed in New Mexico...

1. The Landscape: I can't get over it. Driving from lush mountains to sparse desert astounds me. The horizon spread all around us, giving us a view of rainstorms in the distance, rock formation, and the changing rocks. Along with the landscape came the complementing weather -- a dry heat that is heaven to me. It isn't bothersome...just comfortable at any point during the day -- especially for morning runs to explore the city.
2. Taos Pueblo: On a reservation, stands Taos Pueblo -- home to about 150 people, but the root to more than 1900 Taos Indians. This site has conserved the lifestyle and practices of the Taos Indians, sharing with travelers and other outsiders some of their culture and traditions. The town, not more than a mile in diameter, has catholic churches, cementaries, a river, and many adobe houses. High in the mountains, it's the perfect place to visit in the summer or during one of their annual festivals.
3. Locavores: A trip with my aunt includes delectable dining experiences in some of the most innovative restaurants in the area. There were hits and misses, but part of the charm that I found in Santa Fe, were the locavores, chefs who proudly support local farmers by purchasing their products. It means that they work with ingredients that are in-season, rather than buying food from afar. It stood out because it was the majority of restaurants that we visited, that partook in this movement.

One more time...

After a very weak attempt at blogging my way though the semester in France, I am taking a hiatus from my nomad ways in the ever so breathtaking Indiana. Yes, there is a tinge of sarcasm in that opening line although I am learning to find some charm to the place. When June 21st rolled around, six months after arriving in Europe, I found myself heading back to the U.S. of A. with a load of mixed feeling and memories. So what awaited me? (See pictures later)...

Better yet, what did I spend the last six months doing? The purpose of studying abroad, as the name suggest à is to study. However, when you’ve spent the greater part of your life living in a country that reaches from coast to coast (the song: This Land is Your Land comes to mind), and you suddenly find yourself in a country where: 1. A few hours in a car seems like a lot to the locals and might take you to another country, 2. Charter airlines have cheap tickets, 3. there are abundant vacation days, and 4. the motto is “travaille pour vivre et ne vit pas pour travailler” “work to live, not live to work” … I had to travel. What better way to learn.

Don’t take me wrong, I went to class, but the travel bug got the best of me as well. Since re-telling in detail what I saw and lived might be overdoing it at this point, I’ll go ahead and highlight some of the experience.
1. Barcelona, Spain: I start with Barcelona for the wonderful people I met there. The Italian Prince that saved me from the streets and introduced me to his friends, the random man on the streets that turned out to be the best trip advisor, the energy of the city (every city has vibes) – the mix of ages and art, mountains and ocean, Catalan and Spanish. It was a trip done on a whim and worth the unknowns, worth traveling through Ryanair, worth arriving to snow.
2. Marseille, France: The package deal. What better way to spend the last weeks in France than by being with great friends by the coast. Highlights of the week included a brass band, hitch-hiking, Festival du Soleil (street music festival), climbing rocks, ‘private’ beaches, and laughing from dawn ‘til dusk.

3.Budapest, Hungary: My Uncle comes from Hungary, which is what truly sparked my interest in visiting this capital. Memories of him reading “Josefina la Gallina” in Spanish when I first moved to the U.S. stayed with me as I met his life-long friends and walked through a city with fascinating history and gorgeous landmarks. I had the greatest hosts anyone could possibly ask for.

4. London, England: I only spent about 4 days in London, which was not enough to see everything the city has to offer, but the city definitely surpassed my expectations. Truth be told, I did not even want to visit London. It might’ve due to the weather (silly perhaps, but I tend to go by “sunny is better”) or the fact that English is spoken there, but thanks to some great persuasive skills, I spent a fabulous time visiting friends and seeing what someone described as “New York in the 70’s”. Favorite spot in London à Camden Town Market, sure it’s for tourists, but I have a thing for markets, especially big markets with music, vegan food, and antiques. Did I mention museums are free in England? God save the Queen.
5. Nantes, France: Falling in love with a small town, one hour away from where I lived (Rennes) was not at all on my to-do list, but I did it anyway. The city captured my heart away each of the three times that I returned…even if it’s the place where my camera broke. First, with our great couchsurfer, Alex, who showed my friends and I an exciting weekend complete with my first oyster experience, great views of the city, and an interesting dress-up party. I returned to Nantes on my way back from Bordeaux to visit Alex’s new bar and an exposition at Lieu Unique. The third and final, quick visit to Nantes was on the way to Marseille, and included a visit to a fishermen’s island, a bohemian community that reminded my friends of Valparaiso, Chile.

I round my city highlights off at five, because it’s my favorite numbers, not because that’s where it ends. Amsterdam, Brussels, St. Malo, all of Brittany really, Bordeaux, Paris, Germany…they were all great. Traveling is always an opportunity to meet new people, test my senses, encounter adventure, try the unknown. The sentences I weave in this blog can only touch the surface of what my semester encompassed. Furthermore, they leave out the most important part – Rennes, the city I lived in, and the feelings I had during the last six months. The challenge of capturing that and putting it into words is one I don’t want to take. I’ve left out the details on nights that started with the chanting of “IEP Libre” and ended with cold walks home, Saturday mornings in the market, weekends with the ‘family’, taking tea with friends, and becoming obsessed with ‘Weeds’ (the series). I went to France to learn more about the French. I returned knowing more, but I learned more about my own culture too, and gained a madrina, two papis, hermanos, and incredible friends. Though it may sound cheesy, despite volcanic ash that ruined vacations, French bureaucracy, rain in Rennes, and seminars of read lectures, it was a combination of the people, the classes, the weather, food, incidents, and fiestas calientes that made the semester worthwhile. These reasons, and more, kept me from updating the blog, and thus I’d like to think I’m different and quite okay with two months of partial unemployment and tranquility in Indiana.

So with that, and a small comparison of my summer and life in France…I say ciao.

Motivation...

I've decided to pick up the blog again. Re-phrase: I've decided to re-attempt keeping up the blog although the semester is almost over. Since a lot has happened, or I'd like to think a lot has happened, I might re-cap some of the highlights.
Currently, my mind is sort of a jumble of thoughts, plans, and expectations tossing around as the clock ticks. I've come to the conclusion that I have to step back and just let things fall into place. Since I'll be posting what I've already done, here are some of the things I'm looking forward to:
1. BUDAPEST -- (eeek, more on this later)
2. Aunt Kim is coming to Paris ... 1 week in Paris
3. My mom comes to France
4. Finishing work for the semester
5. Good summer plans (U.S. or Europe???)
6. GALA
Enough though. More later.