So, tomorrow turned into a week later...Sorry for the delay of my Panama story, friends. A lot has been going on. I moved in with my host family!
A river divides Panama and Costa Rica at the border. Everyone has to cross a rickety bridge with occasional gaps between the boards, or when a truck crosses - a rusty path on the side. Once across, loud merengue music played on the radio in the "Francophone" store. We stood around yawning, waiting for our coordinator Cathy, and then went back to sleep on the bus. We did not stay long on the mainland. After driving by chiquita banana plantations and the beach with white sand, we loaded the boats with our stuff and took a wet ride. We even had to cover ourselves with a plastic blanket. Our jaws dropped when we arrived at the island. It was picturesque. The crystal clear water had that perfect blue-green tint, coconut palms lined the coast and leaned over the white beach.The island we lived on for 5 days is called Colon, it is surrounded by Boca del Dragon (the water) and is part of the Bocas del Toro. Yes it gets a little complicated. Here we stayed in little cute 2-story houses painted in bright colors: blue, yellow, and orange.
There is not much to say about our first day here. We baked under the sun while writing down information about species, most of which we found right outside of people's backyards. But afterwards, I went for a swim in the Caribbean (so tempted to spell with two r's instead of 2 b's). Swimming in the Caribbean can be so effortless. The water here is saltier than on the Pacific side, so if you relax, you can stay afloat on your back. Long soft turtle grass grows on the bottom (my species Thallasia testidunum), and sways with the waves. It prefers to grow here because it is sheltered by the coral reefs. Also, green sea turtles eat it. The most exicitng part of our Panamanian trip was snorkeling of course. We swam in four different places. The underwater world is so different. It is like seeing another universe from above, even though it is small and right under you, not even meters away.
To be continued...A river divides Panama and Costa Rica at the border. Everyone has to cross a rickety bridge with occasional gaps between the boards, or when a truck crosses - a rusty path on the side. Once across, loud merengue music played on the radio in the "Francophone" store. We stood around yawning, waiting for our coordinator Cathy, and then went back to sleep on the bus. We did not stay long on the mainland. After driving by chiquita banana plantations and the beach with white sand, we loaded the boats with our stuff and took a wet ride. We even had to cover ourselves with a plastic blanket. Our jaws dropped when we arrived at the island. It was picturesque. The crystal clear water had that perfect blue-green tint, coconut palms lined the coast and leaned over the white beach.The island we lived on for 5 days is called Colon, it is surrounded by Boca del Dragon (the water) and is part of the Bocas del Toro. Yes it gets a little complicated. Here we stayed in little cute 2-story houses painted in bright colors: blue, yellow, and orange.
There is not much to say about our first day here. We baked under the sun while writing down information about species, most of which we found right outside of people's backyards. But afterwards, I went for a swim in the Caribbean (so tempted to spell with two r's instead of 2 b's). Swimming in the Caribbean can be so effortless. The water here is saltier than on the Pacific side, so if you relax, you can stay afloat on your back. Long soft turtle grass grows on the bottom (my species Thallasia testidunum), and sways with the waves. It prefers to grow here because it is sheltered by the coral reefs. Also, green sea turtles eat it. The most exicitng part of our Panamanian trip was snorkeling of course. We swam in four different places. The underwater world is so different. It is like seeing another universe from above, even though it is small and right under you, not even meters away.
The interesting story? Do you have a time to write more? I am curious how you are doing with your costarican family? Hey, it is time to tell!
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