A town called San Juanito!

Not to posttwo blogs on the same day... but we have SO MUCH NEWS!!!

Site placement was on Friday! Laurenand Alex are stationed in the town of San Juanito in the province ofCoclé! Wow, wow, wow! We are so incredibly excited about it. So far wehave only tidbits of information to share with you all, but by golly,we are going to share:

• It's a rural, Latino community in the mountains with about 45 houses and 240 people.
• We are the first Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Health volunteers in the town, but we are getting to follow up 3 other volunteers from the conservation sector (meaning PC has been there since about 2005)
• There is some electricity in the town (not in our permanent house, but yes in our host family for the first 3 months)
• There is an aqueduct that provides running water, but there are lots of problems with it (hence, Alex's presence as an EH volunteer)
• There is a road (meaning 4wd road) into the community that is currently being improved upon.
• The people are extremely nice, welcoming, and excited about having a volunteer couple.
• They make really sweet Panamanian sombrero hats!
• We are excited about the music and dancing scene there and being close to Penonome and the beach at Santa Clara (who knew we would be close to where Lauren's great aunt Irma lived?!?! Crazy!)
• Lauren has options to work with kids and school gardens and the community is thinking about a fish pond project!
• The climate is hot, but not too hot and we hear there is more rain there than other parts of Cocle so the area was described to us as “jungle”

Weare so excited to learn more during our site visit coming up onWednesday. We will move most of our stuff on that day, participatein a community entrance conference with our counterparts (these willbe people from San Juanito), and stay for a week in order to get toknow folks in our community and present ourselves. This will involvelots of broken Spanish and hand gestures!

Wecan't tell you how excited we are to get this site and we feel it isa great match for us! Thanks Aimee and Leo (our Peace Corps bosses)and to anyone reading this, get ready for the adventures to come inSan Juanito!!!

And...Happy Father's Day to our fathers and fathers around the world... theword father starts to sound weird if you say it a lot.

Love,

Alexand Lauren

Learning in the campo

Peace Corps Panama puts the traineesthrough a field-based training week called Semana Tecnica. Oursemana tecnica started on Lauren's 23rd birthday. The day before weleft we hustled to make a delicious banana bread birthday cake withchocolate frosting and hustled equally fast to eat through half of itthe same night. We hung out with our friendly 9 year-old neighborand her cousin, who quizzed us on English words and then conducted apretend, but astoundingly exhaustive, interview about our lives.

We broke down and got our cell phonesituation sorted out before we left because (a of all) it isbasically a must for logistics here and (b of all) Lauren and I'ssemana tecnicas were within our own programs so we were splitting offfrom each other... sigh. I will talk about my experience and thenhand you over to Lauren so she can describe her time, I will makesure to remind her to tell you about her rapper-remix talent showact...

La semana tecnica for Salud Ambiental(Environmental Health) was in a campo town called Chichica in theConmarca Ngobe-Bugle. I learned a lot about the transportation herein Panama on my way down. I hopped two buses to split up the tripand, all told, it took roughly 6 hours to get to the base of themountains and meet up with the rest of the group. From there we rodechivas, which are large size pick-up trucks with the flat-bedsconverted to passenger areas and covered in tarps, for roughly 1 hourup a road that reminded me a little of the 4-wheel drive roads up tosome of our more remote 14ers at home.

The highlight of the week was my hostfamily in Chichica. The powers that be placed myself and anotherclimber-enthusiast trainee with one of probably only a few dozenPanamanian climbers. His name was Ruben (or Tochi in Ngobe) and Idoubt if I will ever meet a tougher dude. As a sustenance farmer hiswork week is physically tough, he lives in one of the most ruggedregions in Panama and transports most everywhere on foot, AND findsthe drive/passion/energy to summit mountains and rope-climb! Hebegan his climbing career in Boquete where he completed every climbthey put in front of him. His guide, needless to say, was impressedand gifted him a rope, harness, and zapatillos (climbing shoes). That was eight years ago and he now climbs at a few local spots anddreams of more gear to match his passion for the sport.

Not only did I make a new friend inRuben, but I felt like I got to befriend his whole family. He liveswith his 5 year-old son Aton, 22 year-old sister Ibeth and her sonGabi, his 15 year-old brother Otto, and 6 year-old brother Demetrio. During our stay, Ruben's mother was also in the house to help mindthe children because it was a holiday week. Although this family waslikely far below the poverty line for the region, they were rich inlove and closeness. One thing that struck me was their attentivenessto one another. The tiny zinc and wood-plank house was situated on apretty large property and all Mom had to do to call anyone was speaktheir name a few times and they would show up. Never yelling, neverleaving texts and cell phone messages, no white-board in the kitchen. The day wound down when the sun went down and we lit a single candleand sat around the main room talking about the day, trading Englishand Ngobe lessons, and telling stories. They gave Jordan and I Ngobenames (I am Ticho and Jordan is Conchi) and I bought a traditionaldress called a nagwah for Lauren's b-day. If you thought thingscouldn't be more precious, at the end of our visit Ibeth gave Laurenher Ngobe name Eddy and Mom invited us both to return in December fora festival they have nearby. Pretty cool if you ask me!

Back in the Peace Corps world... ourgroup learned all kinds of cement-working techniques that we willhelp teach at our sites should folks express an interest in some ofthe Salud Ambiental construction projects. Ferrocement is anespecially astounding technique in which you can build any sort ofconcrete object that you can make a chicken-wire form for. We, forexample, made 80 gallon water storage tanks. It is cheap and funbecause it uses lots of local materials, which I dig (hahaha get it?because we used mud). We built some latrine planchas and tazas(platforms and bowls) from cement over incredibly deep pits; yougotta make em deep so that you don't fill up until after about tenyears of use! Technical training in this way was great for mebecause I feel a little more capable heading into a community thatmight ask me to help with a construction project.

The last day we got up at 3:30 am.,Jordan (my roommate at Ruben's place) helped Ibeth make hojaldres andfour of us aspirantes (trainees) joined Ruben on a hike of the localpeak Pena Blanca. Fifty-one hundred feet is a pretty big deal whenyou can see the ocean from the top. It was a breathtaking day! Wetook a shortcut and our intrepid guide Ruben bounded along ahead witha machete to cut the way as us aspirantes slip-slided up the peak. We got down around 2 pm. and lucked out with a chiva on the way back,the scariest chiva ride I have taken to date. After a hustledgoodbye with Ruben and the family we traveled to the Pacific Oceanbeach Las Lajas and I finished the day body surfing in the waves,eating a monster cheeseburger from the American place there, watchinggame 7 of the Heat-Celtics series with Peace Corps friends, andstarting to fret about the diarrhea that I had been having on and offfor 5 days at that point. I would later go to the doctor and getthat issue fixed!

Let me hand you over to Lauren now:

Well...my tech week wasn't as cool asAlex's, but it was still pretty neat! My Sustainable Agriculturalgroup went to two different places. The first was "Finca de LosPerezosos" which translates to "Lazy Farm" in English.The property is owned by a gringo that served in the Peace Corps inPanama about 8 years ago, and he now lives in Panama and dedicateshis time to helping other PC volunteers and Panamanians with organicfarming methods. We stayed in a little cement house on his propertyfor 2 nights. While we were there, we learned how to build a fishpond for families to grow their own tilapia, which is great becausethe typical Panamanian diet is pretty awful nutritionally (and in myopinion tastefully as well). Building the fish pond was some of thehardest work I have ever done and I got so dirty because you have totromp around barefoot in mud mixed with chicken shit to pack itdown... yuck! At the farm we also built a "Circulo Magico"(A Magic Circle) which is basically a hole in the ground with varioustypes of plants planted around it in a circle. (Banana trees, papayatrees and otoe) You fill the circle with organic waste and over timeit decomposes and gives nutrients to the plants around it. It's avery simple way to teach families to compost and gives them fruitfrom the trees to eat.

Side note, while we were hiking to finda place to build the fish pond, I almost stepped on a GIGANTIC snake. It was longer than I am tall and I cried a little because it washuge and brown with red triangles and nasty bahahahahaha! Mytraining manager Jorge told us that it was most likely poisonous...cool. Oh, and there was a scorpion in my room, pretty much on my bedso I killed it and about a million ants were carrying it awaylater... even cooler.

Back to the training, the second placewe visited was INA. INA is a government agency whose goal is toincrease the number of organic farmers in Panama. While we were therewe learned how to clean and smoke tilapia, build rice tanks, plantspecific crops and how to make organic pesticides and fertilizers.Needless to say I have never been more dirty and sweaty in my life. Ibasically spent the entire time in mud up to my knees, I am going toinvest in a pair of rubber boots before heading back to the campo forsure.

I was so happy to return to Mabel'scooking after eating chicken and rice for 8 days straight. Let meexplain chicken and rice a little better. It is more like a chickencarcass rib-cage thing with little feathers and hairs still on itwith more dried, overcooked rice than I could usually eat. It is notjust for dinner or lunch, it is for all three meals sometimes. Ohyeah, we did break that diet with fried hot dogs and barbeque sauceand American cheese on corn mush for breakfast one day. Mabel and Imade pancakes when I first got back and I was SO happy!

Alex is reminding me to talk about myrap too. We had a trainee talent show and a group of us did a rapmontage, so obviously I rapped Eminem (this was for you Dan Mager),it was really good and not embarrassing at all.......

Despite all the nasties and the superhard work, I am ready to get out there and help!

Everything's louder in Panama.

Loud dump trucks...blaring Spanish music "Chiva! Chiva!" Dog fight...HONK! Chickens...Way too loud Spanish soap operas...BASS! More honking. Birds singing. Weed eaters! ROOSTER. Buses. Men yelling...HONK! Firework! "Cock a doodle dooooooo!" "BUENAS!!" Dogs barking! Motorcycle roar! Pig snorts! Music. LOUD semi! HONK HONK!! Screaming children! Dirt bikes! More honking! Broken fans. BANG! Lizard squeaks. More stupid roosters! Rain on a tin roof. Honk! Loud horrible pop music. Sirens! Rihanna. POP! Did I mention honking?

Oraciones

We are cruising right along. I have decided to just write a handful of sentences and some run-on sentences to sum up some of the most recent adventures here in lovely, loud Panama!

When visiting the buggy beach at Las Lajas, don't sleep shirtless.

There are many, many amazing sites here in Panama; when you can see the Pacific Ocean from your mountain side home or when your arrival involves a moonless, night dug-out canoe ride through a photo luminescent bay you know you are in one of them.

When the dogs of the town roam free their lives become an intriguing melodrama of triumph and tragedy.

Lauren would rather not have a bat fly right at her face in a narrow hallway.

Lauren says, "No me gustan los bichos, pero los bichos les gusto a mi! Los murcielagos y lagartijas son mis amigos porque comen bichos!"

Lauren's Spanish is leaping and bounding forward because she is really speaking like the above.

One can prepare a chocolate chip banana bread here...if one were so inclined.

Rural aqueducts are predominantly gravity fed, which makes for some very interesting physics.

One time this week I got under the sheet at night!

One time this week we read a temperature of 92 degrees Fahrenheit...in the shade...where we have class four hours a day.

It is quite common for volunteers in the mountain regions where we could end up to go through 4 to 5 pairs of chacos because they hike so much.

Patty, Andrew, and Allie are already invited to come visit Mabel with us!

There is a place in the Darien where you take a prop plane into a lodging catered to bird watchers that is known as the best place to be a bird nerd in the entire world.

I bought a 75 dollar pair of Kenneth Cole dress pants for 16.99 at the mall.

Happily from Panama,

Alex :)

Volunteer Site Visit

Hello all,

Sorry I haven't posted on here in a while, so much has been happening, it's hard to know what to write about. Everyday brings a different story and a different emotion.  Today, I arrived back in my training community Santa Rita, from a 5 day visit with a current Peace Corps volunteer.  I tried to write in a notebook about what was happening so I could remember to keep you all updated.  Here are some things that I wrote.

May 17th

Right now I am sitting in a hammock in a little town called Pague. I arrived here yesterday after many hours of traveling. I took a bus from Santa Rita to Panama City then another bus from Panama City to Penenome then a "chiva"(for those of you that do not know what a chiva is, it is basically a pickup truck with a roof on the back of the truck with seats.) from another little town, then finally ANOTHER chiva up a very steep four wheel drive mountain road to the community, Pagua. Her house is made of mud with a zinc roof and concrete floors. It has 3 small rooms. There is no electricity, but she does have running water (sometimes) outside the house. Somehow she has made her house cozy, she has colorful fabrics and pictures covering the walls, and she has a big comfy bed.

I think that she has done a good job of integrating herself into her community, when I arrived to her site, everyone in her community came out of their houses to meet her friend (me) and help carry my bags.  When I arrived yesterday she took me around introducing me to some community members, I struggled through my broken Spanish as I try to communicate with them. Everyone was very nice, offering me fresh pineapples, mangoes, crackers and juice. Everyone makes comments about how my white skin is so beautiful. Hahaha! Anytime I was in the sun they told me to get in the shade because they don't want my skin to get darker. Haha! After meeting some people we hiked back to my volunteer's house where we made dinner and I passed out in my colorful hammock.

Today we woke up early and went to help a man in the community named Ricardo. We planted about 30 yuca plants. Ricardo is apparently 70 something years old,  I would have never guessed by the way he hiked up and down the mountains planting yuca. When we were finishing up planting the yuca we heard Ricardo's 2 dogs barking like crazy, they barked for about 30 minutes before Ricardo picked up his machete and told us to stay where we were while he went to check out what his dogs were barking at... he comes back with his 2 dogs, both of which have porcupine splinter things ALL over their face, nose and inside their mouths. The dogs had been attacking a porcupine! It was awful to look at, those poor dogs! We quickly hiked down to his house where he tied the dogs down and pulled out each splinter one by one as the dogs yelped and bleed all over the place. When he was finished the dogs looked like nothing had ever happened to them. Ricardo looked at me, laughed and said "look at all the things you are learning to do in Panama!"

First couple weeks, a whirlwind

Greetings all! Lots is happening in our lives. Training involves a mashing and thrashing of gears from Spanish to the theory behind sustainable development to how to ward of the dog down the road from Lauren and I's home stay house. Needless to say I am LOVING it! Panama has certainly piqued my interest and I really love the experiences I have had this far. Our host family consists of the ever-smiling Mabel Castro, our host mom, Yelin, our doctor-to-be host brother whom incidentally likes to run and is teaching me how not to get run over en las calles angostas between Santa Rita and El Espino. We have 33 chickens in the back, 15 or so pigs getting fat for market, and a cadre of ducks, roosters, and cute baby pollitos. Our scene changes a lot, but el dia tipico is: wake up at 5.45 and I run with Yelin. He is incredibly patient with my limping Spanish. The run is a great time for me to get my focus for the day. I decided, like a moron, to change over to FiveFingers in Panama so I have been a hurtin' unit. Next, breakfast from Mabel, who should be in charge of dinner at the Apocalypse because she can cook amazing meals. Often, all the teachers and Peace Corps staff eat at Mabel's... NOT a coincidence. After breakfast we head out to language class. I have developed the strategy of walking slow in order to minimize sweating. Let me tell you the minimum sweat amount here in Panama is basically my maximum sweat level in Colorado! Lauren's improvement in Spanish is testament to the teachers here. Yesterday she began speaking full sentences all the sudden, Mabel cheered. My Spanish is like a sinusoid graph , at times I am amazed at what I pull off and other times my tongue feels like a Hummer in my mouth, the kind with the one ton plate on the bottom. Ha. My teacher is named Yisel and she is going to have baby soon, which she plans to name Rafael for her brother. Then lunch. Our community is pretty large, the houses are colorful and open, dogs and chickens and cows hang out around town playing out various melodramas. In the 1970s Santa Rita had no water in the houses, but a road was built in town and water followed thereafter. Everything is green and beautiful so stay tuned for Lauren's pictures. After lunch we have a technical training until 5. For some the content is old hat, but I am enormously interested in most everything said. Lauren travels to another community called Los Mortales for this training because she is an agricultural trainee. I am salud ambiental which equates to clean water and sanitation, more or less. After training we mosey back home and hang with the fam. A veces Mabel's daughter visits with her daughter Alejandra Sofia. I am going to petition Webster to go ahead and change the definition of cute to Alejandra Sofia. Tiene 2 anos y ojos grandes de color tostado oscurro. She runs around the house chasing chicks and playing and making us all go awwwwww nonstop. Lauren and I go to separate technical classes, she travels to Los Mortales with her lovely new friend Kelly and I stay in Santa Rita. We talk development theory, soft skills like how to facilitate change in a community, and practice presenting in Spanish. Lauren digs holes and plants stuff and hangs out with giant tarantulas. Both of us are getting our first taste of using a machete and I, for one, will never turn back. After that, it is dinner and studying Spanish or hanging out with Mabel and company. We have a very luxurious home-stay house and Mabel keeps us well-fed and smiling. The room is awfully hot, but with the fan she lent us, no hay problemas. Happy Mother's Day to our mothers and thanks for reading. See you next time. Love you all!


P.S. I wrote part of this while crossing the Panama Canal and another part in Santa Rita pirating the internet in front of the school!

Gracias a todos

So I know I said that it would be Panama the next time you heard from me, but I just wanted to give an enormous shout-out to everyone who has supported us through this process.  In the waning days of our time in the U.S. people have come out the woodwork to be nice to us, give us their well wishes, and feed us copious amounts of food.  You are our uncles, teachers, aunts, dads, moms, cousins, friends, acquaintances, sisters, dogs, grandparents, and you are everything we are and everything we will be excited to come back to when that day comes.  But for now, the task before us to is to take all your love and all you have taught us on this cultural exchange and share ourselves with Panama.  But, what we are really doing is sharing all of you!  So rest easy because you are all really with us out there in pieces, lessons, songs, memories, stories, and genetics.  So see you later, but see you there... if you know what I mean.

AND THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!