las mariposas

After finishing our coursework and taking our last final on April 17^th, we have spent the last two weeks immersed in our directed research projects. My group is exploring how environmental factors influence butterfly biodiversity. This entailed ten eight-hour days of running around catching butterflies, identifying them, and releasing them. It was a blast – although very tiring. As with any group it took us a couple of days to learn how to work well together but by the end we were working as a cohesive team. We are now in the process of analyzing our data and writing our final papers.

Our research group!

Despite all this work we are still finding time to enjoy life here in Panama and do new things. Here are a few of my favorites from the past couple weeks:

We made tamales in one of the villages on Solarte.

 We made over 70 that they will sell in town.

Group beach day after our last final

 Tara and I made bagels for everyone!

With only 8 days left before the semester end, it is starting to hit us all how fast this semester has gone by and how much we will miss this little community we have created. While I am excited to go home and see my family, it is sad knowing that several of the students here I may never see again even though we will always share experiences that no one else can really ever understand.

manatis

I am featured on the School for Field Studies blog! Feel free to check it out:

http://www.fieldstudies.org/blog/?p=2474

This past weekend in the Changuinola area really was great. Here are some more photos from the weekend:

Group picture :)

 Demonstrating the chocolate making process.

Watch out for the manatees!

Did I mention we saw manatees?!

The beach we did sea turtle patrols on during the night.

Boquete

I am now over halfway through my time here in Panama. It feels like it has gone by so quickly yet it also feels like I have been here forever. For our 5 day mid-semester break, I, and most of the other students, headed up to Boquete, Panama. We spent our time hiking to waterfalls, visiting natural hot springs, touring a coffee plantation, and all-in-all enjoying the change in scenery and the cooler weather.

A highlight of the trip was climbing to the summit of Volcan Baru, the highest point in Panama. Maria, Tara and I started at 11:30 at night so that we could reach the top by sunrise. It was hard to keep my eyes on the trail because the multitude of stars in the moonless night kept begging me to look at them. The view from the peak was definitely worth the 13.5km trek and 1800m elevation gain. From the top we could see across the entire country. On one side we could see the Pacific Ocean and on the other we could see the Caribbean Sea. We got to the peak in time to sit and relax as we watched the sun slowly inch up out of the horizon. It was spectacular to see the world slowly light up around the summit, especially with the satisfaction of knowing that I had just climbed to the highest point in the country. While the sunrise was gorgeous, I think the moonrise, which came prior, was even more striking. On our last incline before the summit, we reached a clearing in the forest and we saw a sliver moon hovering above a glowing orange-red horizon with the stars still shining above.  It was beautiful.

The hike down the mountain was, in my opinion, harder than the hike up due to the strain it put on our knees. I was amazed by how far we had hiked up in the dark (at times it seemed endless on the way down). However, our descent was enlivened by the fact that it was race day. We, by chance, were hiking down the day of an annual race up/down the volcano. There events for runners, hikers, and mountain bikers. While it was impressive to see the courageous souls running up the mountain, the bikers gave us quite the adrenaline rush as every time one whizzed down the mountainside we had to jump out of the way and hope our legs, in their weakened state, would move quickly enough to avoid collision.

Moonrise

Our hiking group at the summit right before the sun rose

Sunrise

A view from the top

Carnival y mas

Two weeks ago (wow it is amazing how fast time flies) was Carnival. The festival began on February 27^th and culminated on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. It was fun to go into town and enjoy the festivities. There were water cannons, parades, and diablos (devils) roaming the streets. The diablos are people who dress up in ornate red, black, and white costumes with large masks and dance in the street. I found them slightly frightening because they have whips with which they make loud cracking sounds.

Diablos in the street in town.

This past weekend was our weekend off after having midterms last Thursday and Friday. This basically meant that we didn’t have scheduled activities on Saturday so we could spend a night away from the center. A group of us decided to stay on the neighboring island of Bastimentos for the weekend. On Saturday, two of my friends and I hiked through the forest to the other side of the island to go to Wizard Beach and Red Frog Beach. On our way we summited the highest point on the island (a whopping 330 feet above sea level). The hike, while longer than expected, was very enjoyable. One of the highlights was our encounter with a most pleasantly smelling tree. We saw fruits on it, picked one, opened it, decided it looked like a guava, and ate it. It was delicious and fortunately we all survived our impulsive consumption of wild fruit. At our final destination, Red Frog Beach, there was a fundraiser for the local indigenous community of Bahia Honda so that they can send their children to school. They were selling fresh coconuts, empanadas, and johnny cakes (all of which were scrumptious). I was glad that we were able to go to the event because we had visited the community earlier in the semester and so it was nice to be able to support them in this way.

Maria and Tara trying the “guava” fruit.

Struggling with mud on the hike.

We made it to the beach!

Bonus Photo: My friend Herman who enjoyed being photographed after he joined me in the kitchen.

los loros

It is strange being in a place where my professor has to talk over the red-lored parrots that try to interrupt our class with their loud cackling as they fly by, but it sure makes class more exciting. In addition to classes, these past couple weeks have been filled with field excursions.

For our Tropical Coastal Ecology class we have been going snorkeling about 3 times a week as we learn to identify fish, invertebrates, coral, and algae. Each day and each snorkel site is a little different. Sometimes there is so much color and so many animals in the reef it is hard to keep track of all the species we see. The water can be so clear and when the sun is out the sea bottom glistens with the patterns of surface waves. Some of my favorite things I have seen are moon jellyfish and caribbean reef squids. But sadly the effects of human activity in the area are visible.  Amidst this beauty, there are coral reefs that have been damaged and are dying.

A view of one of the reefs

A cool looking seastar

Our terrestrial field work, led by our Resource Management professor, has been just as enjoyable (if not more in my opinion). These include early morning bird watching hikes, butterfly catching (and release), night hikes, and trips to other islands to observe differences in biodiversity. The night hike was especially exciting for me because there was a chance we would see an armadillo. We didn't, but that was okay because we did see a three-toed sloth climbing up a tree. I am still on the hunt for an armadillo sighting.

My group as we are about to leave for our night hike.

Collecting insects for classification.

Eating yummy cacao fruit while hiking on Isla San Cristobal.

A group picture after one of our hikes.

programa

Written on Friday, February 21^th.

As I write this, I am covered with salt. Why? Because I went snorkeling this morning! And since we are only allotted one shower a day, I am not going to waste it in case I plan to jump in the ocean a little later. What a life. I am so thankful that I can be here having this experience.

They keep us quite busy and this is my first afternoon off all week. Our schedule changes from day to day (although it always begins at 7am) and involves lectures, field excursions, and other activities in local communities. The agenda is constantly in flux and often the plans keep changing up to an hour before the activity. They say we are learning how to “live in the field” and I believe them but sometimes it is hard especially when we don’t know when our assignments are due.

Every Tuesday and Thursday we have Spanish class for 4 hours. Our last session is this coming Tuesday. The best part about it is that we take a boat to class since it is on a neighboring island. I love the boat rides. Not only are the views always gorgeous but it is so pleasant to sit there and enjoy the fresh ocean air blowing in my face.

My friend Tara enjoying a boat ride.

Sundays are our only day off from scheduled program time and also the only day we have to cook food for ourselves (aka scavenging for leftovers). Some people go into Bocas town on Isla Colon but so far my Sundays have consisted mostly of relaxing, baking, running/swimming, and attempting to get a head start on homework.

A strawberry poison dart frog I saw on a run.

Token Rhinoceros beetle.

introducción

Each of us is hurled

Into a great big world

What you do

Is up to you

Your path to be unfurled

Today marks the first full week I have been here on Isla Solarte! I am finding it harder than expected to write about my time here. First, it is difficult to express experiences to those who are unfamiliar with the location and the people I am surrounded by. Second, so much has happened since we arrived that I don’t know where to begin. Third, we have been kept so busy lately it is challenging to find time to put my thoughts into words. So, I will start with some introductions.

This is the building that we eat, sleep, and hangout in.

This is the beautiful (and sometimes distracting) view from our outdoor classroom.

This is our dock which has a swimming area next to us that we can use whenever we want.

We also have a resident pig that eats the scraps from all our meals.

Within walking distance from our comfy abode, there are two small villages (cleverly named Solate1 and Solarte2). Through the forested hills of the island wind hiking trails, remnants of the thankfully no longer existent plan to develop the island with luxury homes. The wildlife we see consists mainly of birds but there are also small frogs that hop ahead of us on paths, geckos that live in the walls, and a multitude of insects. Fortunately, there are very few mosquitos which eases my fear of getting dengue or malaria. However the chitras (sandflies) that have taken a liking to my arms and legs have the potential of transmitting leishmaniasis.

Bonus Photos of the Panama Canal!

Canal de Panamá

Our first two days in Panama we stayed in Gamboa, a town close to the canal and about 40 min away from Panama City. We spent time hiking, playing games, listening to a few introductory lectures, and going through orientation. The group of students is great. We are all different (as was expected) but it is neat to be surrounded by people who I know are also passionate about the environment and the nature that surrounds us.

On Wednesday, we learned about the history of Panama before heading into Panama City for lunch and a walking tour. Then we went to the Panama Canal! We stopped at one of the sets of locks and timed it perfectly to watch a cruise ship slowly squeeze through. There was also a museum there where we were able to learn about the process of building the canal and the plans they have for its future.

On Thursday we finally headed to our permanent temporary home in Bocas del Toro. After a 4am start to the day, we boarded a small plane that amazingly carried us and all our luggage to our destination. The views from the plane were gorgeous as we flew over the archipelago. A boat took us from Isla Colon to Isla Solarte where we are living.

We are now in the process of settling in and figuring out the rhythm of life here on the island. I am enjoying the sounds that surround us and how they change throughout the day. One of my favorite parts is that all our water is collected from the rain. It is filtered and held in a tank under the building we live in. I think it is neat to have such an obvious example of how we are directly relying on the environment to provide for us.

comienza

My adventure has begun! It was hard to say goodbye to family and friends but by the time I left Monday morning I was excited and more than ready to go. I thought I would be posting this earlier but I have not had internet access. And thus here is my first blog post.

At first I was uncertain about starting a blog. As I thought about it, I decided I would for several reasons:

1) I hope it serves as an exercise in articulation for me. In my opinion, I am not very good at expressing my experiences and thoughts in a clear, meaningful way.

2) No one is forced to read it so it is not a waste of anyone’s time.

3) It will provide me an opportunity to reflect on my experiences and thus hopefully gain/learn more from them.

4) Maybe, if people read it, I won’t have to tell the same stories 30 times when I get home (although I doubt it and I will be more than happy to talk to people when I return).

5) There may be a few people out there (in addition to my parents) who want to hear about my adventures and this is the best way for me to keep them up to date with all that happens. A pamphlet I received from my school’s study abroad office states that a blog will “increase their [aka your] understanding of the world as it really is – making you [meaning me] an agent of change.” I don’t expect to live up to that but one can hope.

The next step, coming up with a title, proved to be difficult. Due to my lack of creativity and the massive number of blog domains already used, I finally settled on un malabarismo (a balancing act). This does have some sort of significance (which I may discuss in some later post) but mostly I just liked how the word sounded.

In case you don’t know much about what I am doing (I don’t really either), I am studying abroad in Panama for three months with the School for Field Studies. For most of the time we will be living on Isla Solarte in the Bocas del Toro province. Our group of 18 college students from around the U.S. (none of whom I know) will be doing field research and taking courses with 3 professors. The focus of the program is to learn about topical ecosystems and how they can be sustainably managed while considering all the socioeconomic pressures in the region.

Now I will go write my next post (which will actually tell you something about my time here).