A Brief Stay

By 7 a.m., the roosters have been cock-a-doodling for three hours, the neighbors next door are blasting Mexican pop music, and our two sisters are practicing ballet, as we sip our coffee on the front porch and watch the baby chickens scamper to keep up with momma hen. You breathe in the fresh air, shoo an ant off your foot, and life is tranquil.

In the mornings it seems crazy to think that we are planning on packing up our bags and heading out of El Valle tomorrow morning. Yet, as Amanda and I have recently discovered, life should be written in pencil. For ideas change, and what was first envisioned does not always pan out as hoped.

While we would both love to stay in this quaint town – despite sleeping like Houdini to avoid the puddle on my bed, and despite Amanda's ant nest that expands daily outside her door – work at our non-profit is not what we had hoped. The small organization currently has five volunteers, four too many. In a desperate attempt to find us a project, Amanda and I have been assigned, due to our communications background, to expand and improve the website. While we initially thought we could manage this project well, each hour it seems more and more sinister to spend our time in such a gorgeous country on a computer. Instead of plunging head first into Panamanian culture, we are instead remaining connected to the technology, the stress, and the emotional ties we were trying to get away from in the States.

Thus, we head out tomorrow. To where? Not really sure. Yet one thing is certain: when you have six months to live your life to the fullest, a month online is not the way to begin.

El Valle de Anton: In Pictures

The orchid center in the morning:

(a.k.a. sun)

Leaving the orchid center and walking home:

Life in the Slow Lane

We stared out of our hostel window, watching the rain gush over the roofs' edge and the brilliantly colored birds dart in and out of tree branches searching for a drier perch. Below us lay the cracked streets of Casco Viejo, the older – and perhaps forgotten – area of Panama City. Perhaps it was the gloomy weather that seemed to enunciate the sad drooping windows and doors of collapsing buildings. Plants crawl their way through cracks in the cinder-blocks of what was once a gorgeous house or storefront. To our left lay a stretch of water, the crystal surface broken by the skyscrapers of the newer city. Why is Casco Viejo falling apart? Why has Panama City seemingly forgotten about what it once was, and left it's past in a pile of rubble, broken buildings, and crime?

The land where Panama City now lies, at one time fell along the trail of El Camino Real in route to the Caribbean. With the passing of gold through the region, Panama City was pillaged often by pirates drawn by the rumor of treasures lying among the coastal town. In 1674, the people of Panama decided to build Casco Viejo on the small peninsula that juts into the Gulf of Panama, this way being able to better protect their new village by ship. Once the Panama Canal was built, the city's growth shifted towards the new commerce and away from the old history. While several artists and also wealthier residents are moving into Casco Viejo in an attempt to pull it out of ruins, the city remains unsafe at night and largely still decrepit. (Yes Mom, this is the part of town we stayed in. Yet we were tucked away into our hostel by 3 p.m.,mainly being too tired to do much of anything.)

Friday we found our way into the skyscraper region of the city; but only after annoying a taxi driver to the point that he denoted us helpless and left us, and our money, on the street to wait for another cab. (Sadly, we failed to know what a Balboa is. It is the currency of Panama. Yet to our defense, everyone but this driver speaks in dollars). Dropped off at the Albrook Bus Station we wielded our bags through the terminal and to the small shuttle leaving for El Valle.

After an hour and a half of both frequent curves and stops, we arrived in El Valle de Antón, where life seemingly slowed to a crawl. Instead of cars, there were bikes. Lots of bikes, and lots of rain.

Things are silly: Failing to realize that we are traveling through Panama during rainy season, and arriving in Central America in October sans raincoat (cough: Amanda). Yet I really can't talk, for had it not been for my dad convincing me through a half-hour conversation in Eddie Bauer about being better safe than sorry, I wouldn't have one either.

El Valle is situated in the second largest inhabited volcanic crater in the world. Eons ago (scientific dates were never my specialty) the top of the volcano blew off and a lake was formed within the remaining crater. Now, the lake is dried and replaced with a green, lush valley that is constantly covered by clouds creating the perfect habitat for many plant species. Yay for orchids!

We began working Monday morning with APROVACA, a not-for-profit organization that is designed to conserve endemic orchid species, while also educating the public about the environmental threats many Panamanian species face. We plan to give it a couple days for further commentary on the project . . .

If anything, the next three weeks will be a complete unwinding and a learning experience in the act of just . . . being. It is nice weather from sun-up, which the three roosters roaming our yard like to inform of us, until noon. Then the clouds roll in thick, and the rain begins. When it rains hard, the internet cuts out. And when your main job is helping design a website for a grassroots organization on orchids – a topic I know nothing about and continuously need to research, productivity slows. Thus, the main activity during the afternoon is watching the rain. And commenting on the rain. And wondering when the rain will stop.

Or not really wondering at all.

To leave the hustle of two jobs, of city life, of late nights followed by early mornings, and to arrive at El Valle de Anton, is actually more difficult than it seems. Seemingly a blissful vacation, (what more could anyone want but to do nothing?), in reality, it is a stark contrast that will take some getting used to. Yet, with the pace here, it should at least be no problem to practice.

Day 1: A Breath of Fresh Air and an Environmental Controversy

Albuquerque to Panama City: 12 hours, 2 layovers, 3 planes, 4 airports. Leaving me quite a lot of time to ask myself if this whole idea was crazy, enough time to see a gate for a flight to New Orleans and to think how much easier it would be to jump on that plane. My stomach was completely tied in knots. Until I landed in Panama. Stepping off the plane to signs all in Spanish somehow made it all seem real. And somehow being real, made me completely calm. I passed through immigration and retrieved my bag and calmly waited outside of customs for Amanda's flight to arrive.

After not seeing each other since May 2009, we hugged, loaded up our packs, and headed out into the humid night in search of a taxi. $22 and 30 minutes later, we arrived at Luna's Castle Hostel in Casco Viejo. After a confusing check-in, we dropped our bags in our room we share with 6 others and headed back downstairs to unwind in the computer lounge. Two Balboas (Panama's Budweiser) later - the gift of another hostel resident, we were sufficiently happy and totally exhausted.

I awoke to the noise of car horns floating in through the open window, rapid French and German spoken loudly outside our door, and the smell of rain. Life is good.

After a 60 second cold shower and a free breakfast of banana pancakes, we spontaneously decided to join our new friend from London to the Panama Canal.

The Panama Canal stretches for 80km, from Panama City on the Pacific coast to the city of Colon on the Atlantic. There are 3 sets of double locks spanning the canal that the ships must pass through. We took a taxi to the Miraflores Lock, located about 20 minutes via taxi to the NW of Panama City. The lock was certainly impressive to see. Ships are left with 2 feet of clearance on each side between it and the concrete lock. They are pulled through the lock by train cars and stopped twice to lower and raise the water level to prevent flooding - as the Atlantic side is significantly higher than the Pacific.

This engineering feat runs like clockwork. From 9:30 am to 12:00pm ships pass from West to East, from 3-5pm they pass East to West, and during the night, smaller boats are allowed to pass. Yet not without a fee. To pass through the Panama Canal, one needs a reservation at least 48 hours in advance, and needs to pay according to the weight of the ship. The ship in this photo likely cost $100,000 to enter the canal, a man from Holland explained to us. Yet even this huge fee is somehow more cost-effective than sailing for 2-3 extra weeks around South America.

Panama intends to widen the Canal by the year 2014. Yet it is not so much a widening endeavor, as it is a complete new canal. Back in the early 20th century, France began dredging trenches that have since been abandoned. Until now. The half-dredged trenches that are located North of the current canal are now going to be finished to provide an additional lock to help keep up with the heavy traffic flow. And here's the controversy: the planned canal will be dredging through some of Panama's most protected land. According to our acquaintance from Holland who has connections in the shipping industry, if the construction crew kills a single alligator, construction stops for a while, and there are heavy fines.

So then how can the dredging happen at all? "Economics," our Holland friend said.

Amanda asked if one of his friends in the shipping industry here in Panama wouldn't mind being interviewed. No, he replied, they all work for very big companies. Hmmm . . .Big companies with a lot of money at stake?

And who cares about the environment, when your country is known principally for one of the greatest engineering wonder's of the world?

An aeri(a)l disaster

If you know me well, you know that my general take on life is that if you procrastinate long enough, it will eventually get done. This includes such things as writing papers, sending long over-due emails, and packing to leave the country. As such, you can imagine my intense satisfaction, when I was fully packed and ready to leave the country by 6 p.m. Tuesday night. I had a leisurely dinner with the family and was about to go out for dessert as a last delicious hoorah.

8:45 p.m. Amanda calls. I answer excited to squeal about how we're going to be in Panama in 24 hours. Long pause. . . Then she whispers, "Ummmm...is there a reason your flight itinerary says October 19th?"

The short answer: because back in July I managed to book my ticket for the wrong day and not notice for the next four months until all three of my flights had passed and were no longer refundable. The long answer involves a lot of tears.

Yet, good-willing I was able to book another flight for Wednesday, the correct day, for $598. Sigh. There was nothing American Airlines could do, and they were very sorry.

Convinced that I just had to own (literally) up to my mistake, I emailed American Airlines' customer service and wrote them a completely honest letter.I told them of my embarrassing error and said I was very distraught as I am traveling and volunteering on a shoe-string budget. I mentioned that I know how the system works and that they succeeded in making a profit off of my loss. Customer service responded to my email with a full reimbursement voucher attached to use on my return flight!

Thank you English major skills, for successfully teaching me to write a persuasive letter, so that I can at least remedy the aeriAl disaster I brought upon myself.

Worthwhile Wandering

As Amanda and I begin the final preparations for our voyage, I realized that perhaps it would behoove everyone else to know what we have researched and planned during the last couple months. Not only was the timing serendipitous in talking with Amanda back in June about traveling, but it was wonderful to find someone who also wants to travel with a purpose. While one of our driving motivators for this trip is to satisfy our itch to explore outside the U.S., another is to gather an understanding of the environmental and economical concerns that face developing countries, and to attempt to further solidify what we would like to pursue in graduate school. It is as though I have a few stepping stones pacing out the route I would like to study, and hopefully this trip will bridge those gaps into a (more) concrete path.

As we soak up Latin American culture to the fullest, we also plan to reside and work at these nonprofit organizations.

Asociación de Productores de Orquideas de El Valle y Cabuya, El Valle de Antón, Panama

Spanning across the world, there are thought to be over 20,000 species of Orchidaceae, or orchids. This family of flowers is the second largest family of flowering plants, just following the sunflower and daisy family. In 1862, Charles Darwin wrote the Fertilisation of Orchids, bringing the ideas of specialization and insect pollination to light. Although this biologically important flower can be found on nearly every terrain (yes, even in Southern Patagonia), most are found in tropical Central America. The Republic of Panama is home to over 1,500 species of Orchid, placing it among the top orchid-rich countries in the world.

Now, take a deep sigh. The destruction of the rainforest has affected the global orchid population. And, surprise surprise, many rare orchid species are on the fast-train to extinction. Additionally, in El Valle, Panama, high poverty rates have driven some to illegally remove endangered orchids from the forest to sell for steep profits.

APROVACA (Asociación de Productores de Orquideas de El Valle y Cabuya) began in 2001 to conserve Panamanian orchid species. The nonprofit organization has two missions: to breed the endangered orchids in an effort to pull them back into abundance; and to grow and sell non-native species to promote sustainable ecotourism.

Amanda and I will volunteer with APROVACA to better understand the economical, environmental, and social implications of ecotourism, as well as learning conservation techniques hands-on.

AguaClara, Honduras

Funny how once you've left somewhere, you realize how amazing the opportunities are. Over a year after graduating, did I (embarrassing to admit - a Natural Resources minor) hear about AguaClara from Amanda. Cornell University professor, Monroe Weber-Shirk, began the organization in 2005. AguaClara, led by Weber-Shirk and fueled by Cornell students, designs drinking water treatment equipment that is sustainable—both in cost and knowledge for people in resource-deficient, financially-struggling communities.

AguaClara has launched several water treatment plants across Honduras. Here, I hope to get an inside view of this organization to better understand the logistical and political elements of running an environmental sustainability organization. I also would like to use this opportunity to gather information about various water sanitation procedures and to truly understand first-hand the health necessity of pure water. Amanda, writing for the United Nations, will be working on and article highlighting AguaClara, which will allow us the opportunity to see and learn details not advertised to the public.

Mercado Global, Panajachel, Guatemala

Mercado Global began in 2004 and is a fair trade, nonprofit organization that supports indigenous women in the rural town of Panajachel, near Lake Atitlan. We hope to work with this organization for a couple weeks writing stories and blog entries about poverty and education, the effects of fair trade, and indigenous women's rights for the organization's website .

I hope to also use this opportunity to interview women in Panajachel, and the directors of this successful nonprofit, about microfinance. I am interested in learning more about the feasibility of microloans for women in developing nations, the pros and cons to the economic concept, and how I might go about becoming more involved with this type of business further down the line.

WOOFing, Ecuador

In Ecuador, and possibly in Peru and Chile, we are hoping to work on an organic farm. WOOFing, short for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, is quickly becoming a backpacking hot trend. People from all over the world are opening farms that promote sustainable farming techniques. The farms often offer homestays for travelers—food and living in exchange for daily work. This will not only be a great way to meet locals but also to learn about sustainable farming practices (to either employ or pass along to others), and to understand the economics of the farming world.

The rest is to be determined, based on time, health, funding, and where our spirits take us. And ideally, somewhere along the way I will hopefully be steered in a direction to pursue when I return to the States. (Or not, and I will return still confused about the future, but at least with my eyes open a little wider.)