Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Panama day 19

Panama day 19 Jan 23 2011

We left Bocas and got in the car to go back across the country, back to the Atlantic to Las Lahas and stop for the night on the way. Oh how about another couple of hours in the car, kids?! At least this time we would have good beds because we would be staying at Las Olas and Las Lahas Beach Resorts. Las Olas was on a black sand beach and had the most amazing sunset that I have ever seen! In the evening we walked down the beach to find a restaurant. The sunset almost made up for the 2 hour wait for our food.

Panama day 18


Panama day 18 Jan 2011

We went back to Bocas town, but not to stay, just to get on an other boat to go to Red Frog beach on Isla Bastimentos.

At the dock we saw the sailing ship that the German students who went to our Spanish school were travelling on.

When we got to Red Frog beach we saw some little kids who had found some red frogs and kept them in leaves, squeezing them. So yeah, I guess we saw some red frogs. We wanted to set up a place to sun tan and put our stuff but the beach chairs were $5 to rent, so we just but our stuff on the sand under some trees. We swam and the waves came in strange short bursts of power.

At lunch time we walked through the jungle to a restaurant. On the way Dad thought he saw a sloth. I told him that it was just a giant leaf but he and mom would not rest until they knew for certain, so we took a picture with mom´s camera and zoomed in. I was right! hahahaha!

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Panama day 17


Panama day 17 Jan 21 2011



Went snorkelling with my Dad, A truly amazing experience. Fish of all sizes swam just out of reach. Sea anemomies shrank away as I swam over them and coral threatend to scrape my belly.

Panama day 16


Panama day 16 Jan 2011
I am really starting to feel like something that lives in the sea. My hair has salt in it from swimming all the time and the salt will not come out in the shower. My scalp has sand that will not come out when I shampoo. I am covered in tropical bug bites and hours in the sun has given me even more of a tan.

Today I went sea kayaking. It was wonderful to see schools of tiny fish jump out of the water, look down and see coral. As I came back in I felt more wild then ever with the salty wind whipping through my hair.


Friday, January 21, 2011

Panama day 15


Panama day 15 Jan 19 2011

Left Bocas town and went to the island where we would be spending the next four days.
This could just be my dream home. The house has a wrap around screened in porch with 2 hammocks. The house is nestled in the tropical trees at the edge of a jungle and overlooks the ocean. Not to mention that the hot water is heated with solar.

Panama day 14

Panama day 14 Jan 18 2011

Before we started on our way to Bocas del Toro we went for a swim. Surprise, surprise! When we were almost at the boat landing we had to drive through a very poor and not so nice town, called Almirante. Everyone was waving at us. My Dad asked a guy for directions to the safe parking lot where needed to park.-The guy was riding a bike and wearing an orange vest. He followed our car to the parking lot at a very fast speed. When we reached the parking lot he waved down a taxi truck. I noticed that he put his bike in the back with our luggage before we piled in. About half way through our ride I heard a thump over my head on the roof. When we got out of the taxi I saw that the guy with the bike was there. I realized that he had been on the roof! After a speeding, over packed boat ride we reached Bocas town and checked in to our hotel.

Bocas is on the Atlantic Ocean or should I say the Carribbean . Earlier that day I was swimming in the Pacific Ocean.

I was not feeling so good so I stayed in the room as the rest of the family went for dinner. They brought me back an amazing seafood soup with clams, squid, conch, fish, scallops, shrimp and lots of other stuff that I couldnt tell what it was.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Panama day 13


Panama day 13 Jan 17 2011

Woke up feeling very sick. :( I guess maybe not that bad considering I spent all day in the sun and water. I even got a sun burn! For me that's a big accomplishment. In the afternoon we stopped back by our cottage for money before we went to dinner on the beach. I was distressed to see the parents of the family that owned the place yelling at each other. After we came back from dinner my Dad asked me to write in my blog about how now the family seemed at peace. Seeing that the family had people that they were visiting with I said "It is not peace it's performance."

Panama day 13

Panama day 13 Jan 17 2011

Woke up feeling very sick. :( I guess maybe not that bad considering I spent all day in the sun,water and beauty. I even got a sun burn! For me that's a big accomplishment. In the afternoon we stopped back by our cottage for money before we went to dinner on the beach. I was distressed to see the parents of the family that owned the place yelling at each other. After we came back from dinner my Dad asked me to write in my blog about how now the family seemed at peace. Seeing that they had company for dinner I said "Its not peace its performance."

Pamana day 12


Panama day 12 Jan 16, 2011

We sadly left the Garcia family then got in the car that Dad had rented and drove to Las Laja beach. On the way we stopped ate hot springs. They were very unlike the hot springs in El Vally they were more hot and more in nature we even saw a monkey! When we had sraem comming off our bodys we rinsed off at a near by river. Then we got back in the car and drove for the rest of the day. looked at different accomodations and decided on cute a little A frame cottage right on the beach. even though it was night time you could tell just how gorgeous the miles of white sand beach surrounded with tall coconut trees would be in the sun light. I had started to feel sick with a cold and was hoping that it would go away. That night was not a fun night! The mattresses were not very thick so as a result not much sleep was mine to claimed.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Panama day 10-11

Panama day 10 and 11 Jan 14-15 2011

As soon as I arrived at Trisker I saw about 15 little ones crying at the gate. One was screaming for his mommy. I found out that some of the kids had gone to the flower fair in Boquete. When I pulled open the gate and the kids saw the present that I had brought with me they were delighted. Several kids were pulling on each item. Some little boys thought that the bag of balls was a piñata and insisted on hanging it on a tree and hitting it with a large stick until the bag ripped and the balls came pouring out. The taxi that should have come to pick me up was late; so late that I just waved one down. The next day when I arrived at Habla Ya I did not need to stay long before my dad came looking much like a tourist. It was as if our family had some idea that as soon as dad came we would stop trying to fit in. But yes I was happy to see him.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Pamana day 8

Pamana day 9 Jan 12 2011

At breakfast Mom said that Ronnie had been talking in her sleep, in Spanish!


Later when I arrived at Trisker I was told that all the kids were getting medical care that day.
I found them in the play room, all 64 of them! 64 kids in 1 room= crazy! This time Mom and Ronnie came with me and Mom was in charge of guarding the door. (not an easy job) Some little ones knew that they needed shots and made an escape through the windows.

I was told to get a baby from her crib and take her to get a shot. When I brought her back with me the doctor told me to sit and I sat, not knowing the horror that awaited me. The doctor told me to hold her leg and chest "for security" then as I watched her prepare the sringe I felt dizy. The baby had an easier time trying not to cry than I did. As the needle pierced her chubby leg she cried out. I bit my lip so as not to do the same.


Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Panama day 7

Panama day 7 Jan 11 2011

Went to Trisker in the morning and was greated by the same little girl as the day before. I was told that she was almost 6 years old! I had guessed her age to be around 2. At a very young age she had been not been care for and just never learned how to talk, was not given the nutrition needed to grow strong. She became very sick and was dropped off at the hospital and her mother never came back for her. She is the sweetest little girl ever! Later I showed the older girls how to make a simple lip balm. Then I played with the little kids and it was off to school for me.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Jan 10 2011 Day 6 panama

Jan 10 2011 Day 6

Before I start my post i would just like to say that I am and have been using a Spanish keyboard and computer so my spelling will be a bit off.

In the morning took a taxi to Trisker, a local orphanage where I would be doing my volunteer project.
As soon as I arrived it was all I could do not to cry. The children played more with dirt than toys, they were kept in with barbed wire, more than 50 children on under 2 acres of land. Upon receiving milk the kids clutched it and drank with out stoping until it was empty.
A little girl ran up to me and hugged my knees. I guesed that she was no older than 2 years old. I was led to the classroom where I would be talking to the older girls about my business. I talked about how I got started with Simply Luscious, that I donate 5% of my profits and I talked about how I made the lip balm. When I was done I met the babies and played with the kids. I found that the litte toys that they did have were very boring and not challenging to one´s imagination.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Day 5 part 4

Day 5 Jan 9 2011

What can I say about this day of torture?
If you know me you know about my motion sickness problem. Long story short I made it but barely! A taxi took us to the family that we were staying with and they are the nicest people ever!

panama part 3

Day 4 Jan 2011

In the morning we took a bus to another bus stop. Every single bus that was headed to David where we need to go was full! We waited for 3 hours in the heat! Until we gave up and spent the night in the town that we were in. It seemed that our dark rain cloud didn´t have a silver lining. Things got worse when we were told that the only way to get a bus to the language school was to go back to Panama City then take another bus! That meant over 12 hours on a bus! I must say that the only up side to our day was that our hotel was close to a beach.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Panama part 2

Day 3 Jan 8 2011

I am so amazed by how much things cost or how little. Here is a list of things that you can buy for under $5.


  • Go to the hot springs and get a facial. $2
  • Go on a hike to a waterfall and swim in a natural pool. $2
  • Eat out for dinner $3 per person.
  • chips 40 cents
  • crackets 40 cents (crackets are like little Ritz crackers filled with cheese)
  • A bag of home made cookies $1
A three hour bus ride $3


So you get the idea...

Outside of our hotel are parrots and toucans. The parrots can say hola, whistle and scream. We went to a little zoo. This zoo is the only place in the world that
has the golden frogs. Then we went to a waterfall and hiked for some time then went for a swim in a natural pool in the jungle. After that we went to the hot springs and got covered in mud. It was fun until the locals started taking pictures of us.

Friday, January 7, 2011

In Panama

Day 1 Jan 5 2011


On the plane to Atlanta from Boston Ronnie dropped a pretzel on my foot. I tried to give it back but she let me have it. What a nice sister!
Add Image

Day 2 jan 6 2011


We stayed in a very nice hotel for just 60 $! They picked us at the airport and gave us a free ride to our hotel. on the way Momś seat collapsed and she spent the rest of the ride sitting with me.
In the morning we had a very lovely complmentery breakfast. (free) Then we went for a swim on the roof pool. As we swam we had an amazing view of the city as well as the ocean.

Then it was off to the mountains! Our bus station was next to a mall. I was so excited to look around but if you know my mother you know how my dream ended.
The bus ride was not a fun 3 hours! People kept coming in even though the bus was full. One guy almost sat on top of me! When we arrived we checked in to our hotel. The town is called El Valle, and it used to be a volcano that erupted and the top of the volcano came off that made a crater that became a lake that dried up and became a town. El Valle is filled with people and stray dogs and delicious restaurants that you eat at for under 4 dollars a person!

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Panama





The amazing country of Panama, located next to Costa Rica is a truly amazing place with white sand beaches, tall mountains, the canal that all of us have heard of, not to mention the amazing food! So guess where I’m going to be in just 24 hours! I am going to try to write on my blog when I am in Panama. For the first week of the one month trip I will be in a town close to the mountains going to a Spanish school in the morning and working with teen girls from a local orphanage in the afternoon. I am really looking forward to my trip and hope to make a difference in somebody’s life before I hit the beach.
Bye for now.

Panama





The amazing country of Panama, located next to Costa Rica is a truly amazing place with white sand beaches, tall Moutons, the canal that all of us have heard of, not to mention the amazing food! So guess where I’m going to be in just 24 hours! I am going to try to write on my blog when I am in panama. For the first Week of the one Month trip I will be in a town close to the Mounts going to a Spanish School in the morning and working with teen girls from a local orphanage in the after noon. I am really looking forward to my trip and hope to make a difference in somebody’s life before I hit the beach.
Bye for now.