My friend Deb has a Girl Scouts troupe with an indigenous tribe in Chagras National Park, near Panama City, about five hours from where I live. We decided to have an AIDS awareness training as an excuse to bring our two troupes together, which turned into an excellent cross cultural experience. Deb's girls are the ones standing, in traditional Embera skirts and my girls are the ones sitting down, in traditional Panamanian skirts.
A group of us had to go to Panama City for random reasons (including seeing the new Batman movie in English, only offered in the capital) and went out to dinner at an all you can eat Italian place. From back left to front right: Jake (chewing on Jen's ear), Jen, Danny, Me, Dennis (on the left), Deb, Lydia, and the Captain.
And then the long awaited arrival of Aunt Jenny and Cousin Maddie. We had daily morning photos, as well as a word and a phrase of the day. The first few days they got their words down great but towards the end of the week enthusiasm waned...
Jenny rented a car, which was the most wonderful thing ever. I didn't realize how much I loved Panama until I didn't have to ride crowded, smelly, hot buses everywhere I went. 
You can't come to Panama without going to the canal so we swung by the Miraflores Locks and watched a ship go through. It would probably have been more exciting if we didn't have locks where we come from, too.
We stayed at an awesome hotel that was slightly less awesome because the water park was closed down during the week. There were monkeys in cages and this crazy bird. The monkeys weren't so big on having their photos taken but this guy was all about posing. He followed us everywhere.
While staying in the city we went to my friend Deb's site, my favorite place to take visitors because it's so cool to see an indigenous site. Maddie, Jenny, and I rode in a motorized dug out canoe.
I feel terrible but I don't remember this guy's name. He was our guide, and Jenny's Panamanian boyfriend. It's a shame you can't see how short his beaded skirt was- he has great legs. 
There's a plant in the jungle that has a fruit filled with a clear liquid that becomes dark navy blue after it touches your skin. The dye lasts between one and two weeks so we got a couple of tattoos while we were there. As you can tell from Maddie's face, she felt it made her a badass. 
After Deb's site we went on a really long but joyous-singing-filled car ride to the Caribbean coast, getting there just in time to see the sun set. 
Maddie, squeezing the sun. 
Maddie's boyfriend, Fran (pronounced Frahn). They left a few weeks ago but he still asks about her. Poor kid is heartbroken. The cutest thing is that neither one ever had any idea what the other one was saying. 
We spent a couple of days at my house in Atalaya, enjoying the hammocks on my front porch and a couple of aguaceros (crazy beautiful rain storms).
Jenny decided to take advantage of the rain one day and clean our filthy car. The rain just happened to coincide with a terrific thunder and lightening storm and Jenny nearly gave my neighbor a heart attack, she was so scared for Jenny's safety. She later lectured Jenny in Spanish, which I dutifully translated while simultaneously promising my neighbor that Jenny would never do anything like that ever again. 
One day I dragged Maddie and Jenny with me to La Mesa, the community of my friend, the Captain. A group of volunteers and I were doing an AIDS/HIV awareness day for 120 locals. In the photo are Shawn, Dennis, Me, and Deb. I'm glad Maddie and Jenny got a chance to meet all of my friends and they were really good sports to sit there during our all-Spanish presentations and amuse themselves. The next day we went to the beach but I don't have those pictures- they are on Jenny's camera. 
After Maddie and Jenny left Panama I had two more visitors. Every year there are 2 new groups of volunteers that arrive in Panama. The first group arrives in April, the second in August. During the second week of their training, each volunteer goes and stays for 4 days with a current volunteer. My aspirantes (trainees) were Piper and Monica. It was a blast having them stay with me. We ate cheesecake, saw a movie, played cards, and did a little work on the side.
Last week there was a Volunteer Advisory Committee (VAC) meeting in the city of David. I am the treasure of VAC. There are 4 of us on the VAC board (including the Captain and my best friend CoCo) and we are the voice of the 160 volunteers currently serving in Panama. A lot of volunteers came out for the meeting and we had a really great time with Gringo Dance Parties, great food, a basketball game, and bowling. Above: Whitney, Jen, Joanna, and me. 
This is my living room wall. It is where I put all of the cards that have been sent to me. (My birthday is October 12, hint, hint). Every time I get a new card or photo I put it on the wall and the people in my community come look and ask me questions. My uncle Jeff sent me a photo of his house covered in snow last year. They love that photo. 
This guy is awesome. You can't tell but he is actually really big, at least 4 inches long. This might be one of my favorite photos I've taken here.
Jenny decided to take advantage of the rain one day and clean our filthy car. The rain just happened to coincide with a terrific thunder and lightening storm and Jenny nearly gave my neighbor a heart attack, she was so scared for Jenny's safety. She later lectured Jenny in Spanish, which I dutifully translated while simultaneously promising my neighbor that Jenny would never do anything like that ever again. 
One day I dragged Maddie and Jenny with me to La Mesa, the community of my friend, the Captain. A group of volunteers and I were doing an AIDS/HIV awareness day for 120 locals. In the photo are Shawn, Dennis, Me, and Deb. I'm glad Maddie and Jenny got a chance to meet all of my friends and they were really good sports to sit there during our all-Spanish presentations and amuse themselves. The next day we went to the beach but I don't have those pictures- they are on Jenny's camera. 
After Maddie and Jenny left Panama I had two more visitors. Every year there are 2 new groups of volunteers that arrive in Panama. The first group arrives in April, the second in August. During the second week of their training, each volunteer goes and stays for 4 days with a current volunteer. My aspirantes (trainees) were Piper and Monica. It was a blast having them stay with me. We ate cheesecake, saw a movie, played cards, and did a little work on the side.
Last week there was a Volunteer Advisory Committee (VAC) meeting in the city of David. I am the treasure of VAC. There are 4 of us on the VAC board (including the Captain and my best friend CoCo) and we are the voice of the 160 volunteers currently serving in Panama. A lot of volunteers came out for the meeting and we had a really great time with Gringo Dance Parties, great food, a basketball game, and bowling. Above: Whitney, Jen, Joanna, and me. 
This is my living room wall. It is where I put all of the cards that have been sent to me. (My birthday is October 12, hint, hint). Every time I get a new card or photo I put it on the wall and the people in my community come look and ask me questions. My uncle Jeff sent me a photo of his house covered in snow last year. They love that photo. 
This guy is awesome. You can't tell but he is actually really big, at least 4 inches long. This might be one of my favorite photos I've taken here.So that's it for the photos. Hopefully I'll get more up soon and get a chance to talk more about the stuff that's going on down here. I have really been loving this crazy Peace Corps life lately! :)
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