Thursday, March 22, 2007

Back from Panama!



Wow! It has been an amazing 2 weeks out of Costa Rica! First we ended core seminar portion of the semester. Now we are moving into our concentrations. I got to spend time in Panama and with the indigenous of Kuna Yala. The attached photo is of the group of us and our Kuna friends wearing traditional molas. See if you can find me! The second is of my Kuna mother and my house. We spent a day and a half in Panama City seeing the old part and ruins of a cathedral. We stayed in a Hotel during this time. Panama is known as the Miami of Latin America, so if you can imagine there is a lot of life and culture there. Although there a lot of North American influences, Panama City is fun. What I really noticed was the public buses. There were all the same bus but they had art wort all over with music and flashing lights on the inside. The best word I could use is "pimped" out! We never got to ride these buses because we had our own driver for our time there.

The night before we left for our homestays in the San Blas, we had a wonderful Chinese dinner. I had chicken curry chow mein. I loved it so much! To get to Panama from San Jose you have to take an 18 hour bus ride. We left San Jose at 1pm and arrived at our hotel at 5:30 am the next day. It was brutal to say the least. Ok so now lets move on the the stay with the Kunas. Nuedi! is what you will say to greet your new Kuna friends. Many of the people spoke Spanish as a second language. So we had something in common from the start...Spanish is our second language! In my family only the father and some of the sisters spoke Spanish. My mother only spoke Kuna. To get to this island we had to take a poodle jumper plane and fortunately they had recently built an airport so we got to land on the island. Then took a canoe ride to our part of the island where the water is turquoise and the palm tress are heavy with coconuts. Food on the island consisted of plantain soup, avocados, hot dogs, bread, fresh fish, a wonderful hot chocolate drink, lobster and more plantains! One day for lunch the whole group was invited over for food at one lady's house. She made us this five start lobster and crab soup. It was hearty enough to be a winter soup but we had in the middle of humid 90 degree weather! For flavor there was shredded coconut in it. I loved it so much! I did not get sick at all while I was there, I am so thankful.

During our stay we played with kids, took a canoe ride to a river and saw the cemetery for the Kuna people. We went to the local congress and saw two being reprimanded for steal someone's coconuts. Every where in Panama they use dollars but on the island the use coconuts also. One coconut equals 10 cents. It was neat to see people buy things with coconuts. You would think that being surrounded by water there would be beaches but here there is only one area of white sand, which is not even very big. I was so happy to go swimming that day. The water was turquoise and so refreshing. For church on Sunday they had a different style to their service. In the morning was Sunday school for all the kids. All of us students visiting where the leaders for the service. We organized games and songs and even a little skit. Then at night was the regular service. It was in both Kuna and Spanish. Sunday was our last night and when the pastor started to share his thanks for us being there he started to cry and he said that the community will never forget us. This brought all of us to tears too.

We left the island on Monday and it was very hard to leave my family there. We had created a great connection even though I could not speak their own language. My family gave me a beautiful mola in a frame. I will never forget my life with the Kunas.

Once back in Panama at the same hotel we did a lice treatment wash and sent out again to tour the city. What a quick transition from island to city. So crazy! We were all craving something cold after the hot island so we found this wonderful French ice cream shop. They had amazing flavors such as earl gray, pineapple, basil, honey and many more. I got the lavender flavor and it tasted just like a field of French lavender. I also had a taste of the basil ice cream and it was wonderful too. For dinner that night we went to a an Italian place. Me and my friends shared our meals. We had a pesto and spinach fest, yummmmy!!! The next day we visited the canal at the Miraflores locks. We saw 3 huge boats passing through the canal and walked through the museum. I liked being the canal. There is so much history there. My father in Kuna Yala even worked on the canal. After we went to this huge mall called Albrook and had a typical Panamanian lunch (not much to write home about). Then we went to a market full of indigenous stuff. I bought some molas and things. Then we went to dinner at an Indian place and I had coconut shrimp curry. I went through so many food cultural experiences. That night we got back on the bus to San Jose for another 18 hours of my life sitting on the bus. This time it was worse. I am so glad to be back with my Costa Rica family.

I only have 3 weeks left in San Jose then 2 weeks in Guatemala, then one week in Miami and home eon April 27th. Start the countdown! lol Alright folks thanks so much for reading this far down! I am really excited to share more with you all when I am home!!

Love always,

Clara Marina

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