Update #9 - Panama Adventures

November 25, 2018

hey there folks....and happy start to the holiday season for many...i hope those who celebrate US thanksgiving had a lovely day...i actually had two thanks/friendsgivings...tasty food, a fun time with colleagues and friends & a way to remember all i am thankful for....i cannot believe it is coming to the end of november....this semester has been fast and furious and really exhausting....we started a new schedule this year, which i was hoping i would adapt to...but it is proving to be difficult and draining...i can only hope it changes next year and that seems to be written in the cards....

since my last update installment, i have made the decision to stay in panama for another year....this year has been challenging on many levels, and because of this and some other positive things, i cannot imagine leading a job search...one of the biggest factors for staying is the ease to get back to pennsylvania and my parents....it is sooooo nice being in the same time zone...plus, i have put in a lot of time and effort for the current curriculum with my teaching partner, so i am hopeful next year will not be as much initial work and more fine tuning....this being said....the third year will be my last here, so if you are planning a trip....get in touch....there is a spare bedroom and bathroom with your name on it....

panama city is in full "pope" fever....he is coming to this city in the last full week in january....and things are crazy....everything is getting an overhaul...which means the city is in a state of chaos....we are actually required by law to close while he is here...so i am taking the time to go to an island in the carribean and dive for a week...i am really excited.....also...at the beginning of this month, i spent a glorious week in chile...more on that in my next update.....but i do feel like i have not really been sharing my panamanian adventures....so this update will focus on those....on with the experiences here in panama....

so panama, like every where in the world, has been putting up signs letting you know where you are in the country....this was taken at 6am on the dock before heading out on a whale watching trip....the pacific, off the coast of panama, is a terrific place to see migrating humpbacks...and we were super lucky on this trip as you will see from some pictures friends of mine took....their camera was better than mine...but i was with them for this amazing adventure.....

on our way back to the city, after a lovely time on the pearl island of contadora, we came across two young males trying to win over a pod of females and their babies....they kept spinning and slapping their pectoral fins on the water....it was super loud and i had never seen this before....so the whale would slap the dark fin, keep spinning in that direction and slap his whiter fin....it was wild....

as you can see, they also breached quite high out of the water....they did this for about 20 minutes non-stop....so it was incredible to watch...this was the second set of whales we had seen and at one point we had about 30 of them on all sides of the boat...we also ran into a pod  of dolphins - about 150 strong....the nature guide was freaking out, saying this was one of the best days he had ever seen....lucky us!!!!

this may seem like a random picture, but this is einstein...whose head has been covered and in the middle of a huge construction site for almost a year...this was the first day i actually saw him...it is literally two blocks away from me...how perfect is that! even if it is weird that his head is coming directly out of the ground...it would probably be better with a neck...but hey, its panama.....why einstein, you may ask???? at this point, i still have no idea....

i finally made it to an open air fruit and veggie market here in panama....it is really hidden and you have to go with a Panamanian, or speak solid spanish, if you want to be successful....i went with one of my colleagues and was soooooo happy to see chinese eggplant and fruits and veggies for good prices....the vendors got  kick out of my goofy spanish and i made most of them laugh...one was even wearing a montreal canadians shirt....i asked him if he knew who they were...nope, no idea...love that!

this is a different beach i made it to when the fishermen were bringing in their daily catch....the amount of pelicans alone was incredible....they bring in sea bass and red snapper and a couple of other fish....it was fun to watch them bring it all in...as you can see...during the rainy season...not much sun to be had....

i finally made it to taboga...an island a half an hour away from the city...easy to get to by catamaran ferry and very cute...loved this sculpture they had along the walk to the beach....very small, but great for an overnight away from the city...and we had good weather on top of it!!!

this is taboga's port...and what you see is majority of the town...very few cars here...mostly golf carts....there really isn't room for most sized cars....it was a great night away....

i also headed back up to el valle for a women's weekend, which included my first ever birding adventure...el valle is known for its many species and in five hours we saw 50 different species...granted our birding guide was amazing and is known world wide for his panama knowledge....how lucky he is right in my backyard so to speak....i hope to do this again....as it was a lot of fun looking for and spotting all the different bird types....

this is a shot from the top of the hill we climbed...it looks over a cloud forest, so it was a perfect spot to see eagles....just amazing and what a lovely day it turned into...rain happened later, but not while we were out birding....

one of my favorites was this blue-headed parrot....he and his friend, were just hanging out in this tree eating berries...i did not take this picture through the scope, my friend tracy did...he was spotted by megan...and all of us were happy she saw him....i love that he is just looking at us....just like we were looking at him!

we spent a lovely night at the casa di pietra....yes, you read that right...i was there last year as well...love the name ;P...in the picture above you can see the wonderful group of people i was with, including luis, the owner of this fantastic place...can't wait to go back and hang out in his bar again....

in october i was given a very special opportunity.....i was given permission to go through the panama canal on a ship...i was given this rare opportunity because i know someone on board, and i am from the states & an educator....so of course i jumped at it!!!! this is view of the city through the windows of the bridge....

this is me as we are just starting or trip through the three locks, going from the pacific to the atlantic...as you can see, it is a night crossing...it is cheaper to do this and less crowded....none-the-less, still amazing!!!!

one of my favorite things about the locks are the mules.....they help pull the ships through and maintain balance and help them stay in the middle of the lock so they do not hit the side....they are these cute little metal train-like cars...one person drives them and we had four helping the ship....two attached to the front and two attached to the back....they hook on at the beginning and once you are through each lock system, they unhook and let you pass through the open water until the next lock system...i just loved watching and listening to them with their lights and bells.....

this was taken as we were locked into the first system...so you are looking backwards....the black horizontal part, with the yellow handrails is the lock itself...behind it you can see the water of the previous lock...we are going down....plus, you can see the mule in the back....

as we were going through the second lock system...this ship was on the other side of the lock, going the other way....it was fun to watch the words "wisdom line" go down as the ship descended in its system...you can also tell from this shot just how much bigger that ship was from the one i was on....and the ship i was on was in no way small.....it is amazing how they can accommodate these ships...and this is small lock system...not the super huge ones for the super tankers....it is just mind-blowing to watch the whole thing in action while on a ship.....

i love this shot, as you can see just how far down the ship has gone....do you see the guy standing on the top of the lock...he is at ground level....we have moved down....simply crazy!!!!

and this is what i had to jump onto to get back to colon and port...its a pilot ship...it pulls alongside the vessel you are on...you climb down this ladder and jump onto its deck and then speed off...i had to do this or i would have been on the ship until charleston, south carolina...as that was the next stop....it made me feel like jane bond....to jump off a ship, while it was moving....talk about an adrenaline rush!!!

this is a view of the ship as i am pulling away and heading back to shore...on they went to their home port of charleston....it was an amazing adventure and i feel soooooooo lucky to have been able to do it....i do hope to go through the canal at some point in the daytime...but a night crossing was incredible and i loved every minute of it!!!!!

sting and shaggy came to panama for their world tour....i went with a friend to see them...i am shocked that at 67 sting can still hit and maintain the high notes...his voice is strong as ever...but i do have to say he is not the best singer for reggae music, which is shaggy's style....i have no idea how they decided to make an album....but i can say their concert was a lot of fun...and sting did many of his old hits from the police.....roxxxxxxxxxanne.....loved it!!!!

some weekends i have been visiting my favorite beaches....and on this particular day at santa clara we were treated to a rainbow....it has been the rainy season since i have arrived (nine months of the year)...but if you leave early enough...you usually have good weather at the beaches until the early afternoon....this as just before the rain started moving in....we are heading into the summer months (dec, jan, feb)...so more and more folks head to the beaches on the weekends...i have to say, i like it better when there are fewer people....but you may not have a sunny sky all day long....

i have been exploring aspects of the city more and more....and every day on my way to work i pass a ba'hai temple up on a hill...one sunday we decided to go find it, take a hike in the jungle and visit the miraflores visitor center for the panama canal....above you can see the temple...open air and really interesting....plus, they have a lovely garden....they always do...this one was not as spectacular as the one i visited in israel...but it was a peaceful oasis on a hill overlooking the city....

at the top of our hike there was an abandoned bird sanctuary....it is slowly being taken over by the jungle....pretty creepy, but a great place to shoot a horror movie....

this is when i love looking at the locks...on one side the water is high and on the other the water is low....soooooo cool....the left is low because the ships were heading to the pacific side from where i was at the miraflores locks....i actually finally visited the visitor center....cool history and incredible engineering to get this thing built!!!! simply amazing!!!!

i had to include a picture of one of my favorite signs here in panama...pedestrian walking...in one part of the city - ciudad del saber - the city of knowledge...where the military base of the USA used to be, they have these pedestrian signs....i have never seen them anywhere else....love the butt of the walker...but i wonder if this was because people from the states lived here????? no idea...but they make me chuckle every time i am over there.....

and of course what would an update be without a shot of dani and a beer....this was taken at a funky bar after the sting & shaggy concert....everyone headed here because there was no way we were leaving straight from the venue due to the crazy traffic here....traffic is insane in this country....so we hunkered down and had some craft brew...yummy!!!!

and there you have it....my panama adventure so far....i have had a few more things happened this semester, but these are definitely the highlights.....i also had a quick long weekend in costa rica and a week long adventure to chile...they will be my next focus....not sure they will get written about before winter break....but if not, expect the next update around the xmas holiday....

i hope all of you are well and happy and have a happy start to the holiday season whatever you celebrate....drop a line if you have any questions or want to head this way...talk with ya soon....
peace out....
dani

Update #8 - European Summer Vacation

October 1, 2018

hey there folks.....i am sorry it has taken me so long to get out an update....but school this year is a bit more work...some good reasons behind that, some not...but i felt i really needed to now get the summer update out, as i have been in panama for two months and have already had a long weekend in costa rica....more on that in the next update.....but on with my amazing, friend-oriented summer vacation....i was in the states for a short time before heading to europe, but then was there for about a month....stops included my first time in belgium, and repeats in france, portugal and spain....mostly to see people, but of course it was lovely to be in europe where things work more smoothly than central america...and during WORLD CUP!!!! so on with the update.....1st stop brussels, belgium.....

the main square of downtown brussels is where all of the government buildings and guilds are located....amazing gilded buildings....at the time i arrived, belgium was still in the world cup....so the town was covered in flags and excitement filled the air....

one peaceful spot i found was in the town hall, as the square was busy getting ready for a historical pageant...i just loved the wheel barrow and the flowers....

did you know belgium was where the smurfs originated???? i had no idea...and was really confused when i started seeing them everywhere....statues, murals, fountains.....wild to see 

while in belgium i of course did a beer and chocolate tour....quite possibly one of the best things i have done in a long time....the building you see above is a very famous chocolatier's place...pierre marcolini...the chocolate was to die for and extremely creative....the beer houses were interesting too and we tasted quite a few different types of beers and chocolate....but i loved the way he decorated the whole building, for the summer season, in windmills....

so brussels has a mascot of the city....the manneken pis....and yes, it is a little boy peeing....but this statue is impressive in that they dress him up in a different outfit for important days...he actually has 999 different outfits and special dressers....the people of brussels are quite excited for his 1,000th outfit and it has been a secret of what it will be....can you even see him at the top of the hillside of sheep????? he was dressed like this for a historical festival concerning the farmers of belgium....earlier in the week he was wearing the belgian national soccer team's jersey.....too funny....

one of my favorite parts of visiting belgium was stopping by the huge sculpture from the 1958 world's fair....yep....its an atom...called the atomium......perfect for a science geek....

and even better...i got to share this with a friend of mine from HIGH SCHOOL...we have both gone into the world of international teaching and have tried connecting before...but this time finally, heather and i got to hang and catch-up...she and her family are currently living in brussels...and i caught them in between summer travel....lucky, lucky me...so cool to catch up and hang out.....

from brussels i jumped a train to die, france (that's the name of the town, honest), where my friends rick and thalia live in the summer....a quaint little town that i have visited before (remember the running of the sheep a few years back?)....but i love their bi-weekly market....i have not found something like this in panama as of yet....love this aspect about france....the cheese!!!!!

berries were also in season and i loved how this was almost the french flag...if only the red and the while were switched....but i had not seen the white berries before.....

this time around we made it to 2 different parts of rivers to go swimming....not a bad swimming beach on a river in france...stunning backdrop....and as we were leaving a mountain goat decided to stop by and say hi.....

while i was visiting i read a book about the french resistance during world war 2....and the museum was a few towns over from where they lived....so we went to check it out....the french feel one of the reasons normandy went better than expected, was because 10,000 SS nazi troops did not make it to the beaches, as they were engaged by the maquis, french resistance fighters, in this valley....this is the view from the museum honoring the men and women of the maquis....

once again it was lovely to visit with rick, thalia and sadie in france...where the air is clean, the wine is flowing and the living is easy.....

i, of course had to take a picture of the bloomin' lavender for my mom....love the blue sky, stone farming building and the rows and rows of lavender....i do not like the smell....but it sure is pretty...

from france i headed to lisbon, portugal to have a reunion with friends from romania and china....the graffiti in parts of the little town on the edge of lisbon, carcavelos, was amazing....

while in lisbon, we went to an exhibit of m. c. escher...this is one of his most famous self portraits of himself....but if you look closely you can see madelena, greg, dianne and myself...i have no idea how they did this, but it was sooooooo cool.....

we also went to the museum of art, architecture and technology.... it seems these types of signs are everywhere these days...so of course we had to have a shot with it....interesting place...might have been a bit to modern art focused for me...i missed much of the meaning... 

of course we had to try and find an indian meal while hanging in lisbon, as that is our go to meal when traveling together....and how funny that dianne and i each wore a nasa shirt....no, we did not plan it...we just both have really good scientific taste in clothing!!!!!

from lisbon i was off to see kelly and ed in cebreros, spain...i arrived the day of the final game of the world cup....of course wearing my croatian ice hockey shirt...in the bar they had a world cup statue replica....so i had to do this....the men of the bar did not really like all of our cheering, but we did it anyway....

the area they have a place is stunning....beautiful hills, olive groves, blue skies and it was perfect weather....

we took a day trip to avila....the town of saint teresa...and walked the fortified walls of the city...it was a spectacular day and the walk was amazing....

we also stopped in the main cathedral of avila....simply beautiful...i was lucky to catch this shot of the sun coming through the stained glass windows...

on our way out of town i caught a good shot of a stork chillin' in it's nest....they were everywhere...and are considered good luck....so of course i had to take the shot :)

from spain i headed to paris for one day before jumping a flight back to the states....i stopped by a church i had not visited, but had read about in one of dan brown's novels...saint-sulpice....loved the fountain outside of it....

and the area i stayed in was an amazing location with some incredible street art....loved this one of the two kids at a corner....

this final picture is not from my trip....it is from panama....so panama is now going trough "pope-frenzy"....he is coming for a week in january...and let's just say people are very excited....this is the logo for his visit....i figured some of you might enjoying seeing it....do you see the country of panama, the canal, a pilgrim cross, the virgin mary and her crown containing the five continents???? i have to be honest, when i first saw it, i saw none of those things....i saw an elephant....sorry to be a bit sacrilegious....just being honest....so this place is getting all prepped and ready for his visit and celebration of world youth day...i am planning to be out of the country, as we have a week off during the visit.....more on that in the next update.... 

of course there is one more shot of me and beer....a beligian, trappist beer...from a traditional dinner spot....the person i was with had mussels, from brussels...i did not....but the beer was sure tasty....

so there you have it....my european tour this summer....again, i am so sorry it took me so long to write this, but school is uber busy this year....new classes, new teaching partner, new curriculum, new schedule....and i am having to decide if i am staying by oct 12th....so some thought is taking place right now....we have lots of other stuff happening....so i am not sure what i will decide....there are definitely positives and negatives about being in panama....but one of the positives is how many people have already come to visit....so consider this your invitation once again....this may your last year to do it...i promise to let folks know what i decide....and folks should let me know when/if they want to come on down....

as always....if you have any questions, please ask....and i hope you have all had a good start to your fall or spring, depending on which hemisphere you are in.....until next time....

peace out....dani