Panama! Panmama-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah

Child of the eighties. Had to be done. ;)

The EF tour to Panama we took with six students from the high school where we teach just wrapped up! We should be home right now, but I will be sleeping in Houston tonight since there wasn’t enough time between our flights to catch the connection. I’m using the unexpected added travel time to post this reflection on the trip.

Day One was arrival and dinner, no more. Day Two was packed! We stopped first at a huge market, where vendors sold all kinds of meat, fruit, and vegetables. Our tour guide later told us the market was one of the smaller markets.

After that, we biked for miles through the city with a tour company that stopped to deliver mini-lectures on the past and present of Panama. There were many old churches and buildings.

One completely gutted old building I stopped to admire had many plants growing out of the center, showing nature taking back what was hers.

Another old white building adorned with street art—a man in aviator glasses soaring in the air like a fish through water. The city was hot and wet. The advance of mold and slime was evident everywhere. Families crowded behind windows without glass in what looked to be apartments for the poor. In some places, the evidence of the garbage problem the city has was more obvious than others. Military police were posted here and there. Apparently, we were close to the President’s house, a well-policed area. Toward the end of the ride, we stopped for a truly shaved ice. We had several flavor choices; I chose pineapple. The vendor shaved each cone off the block with a metal ice scraper, made to order.

Our last adventure before dinner and the close of the day was a trip to visit the Panama Canal. We watched a movie (hilariously narrated by Morgan Freeman) about the creation of the canal. What a fascinating history that it seems the U.S. came out on top of since we now have exclusive rights to pass boats with military weapons on board through it. From what I learned here and in a documentary we watched stateside before we left, there was a fair amount of strategizing by people in power behind that. We saw a huge Dutch boat move through the canal and saw many frigate birds, named because they are nest-stealing pirates. Though the creation of the canal meant cutting down a lot of rainforest, its existence seems to have protected what’s left since it’s needed to feed the lake that runs the canal water.

Water was a theme of this trip. It was ever-present in the warm rains, the ocean, the rivers. My noticing was magnified by the fact that I started and finished the epic novel The Covenant of Water, a multi-generational tale of a family in India that explores the destructive and healing powers of water.

On day Three, we woke at 5 AM to get to the airport for our flight to Boquete, where we stayed three nights. It took us until 11 AM to get there, though the flight time was only forty minutes. All that waiting proved worth it when we arrived at the Bee Farm, where we sampled twenty-two different types of honey and went on a tour of the farm and the butterfly sanctuary.

This afternoon was a highlight for me. To listen to the farmers explain how and why they nurture and cultivate these indigenous stingless bees. I brought some honey home (six different kinds), of course. If you live near me, you can come over for tea and a chat before we head off to summer of travel, part 2. Our tour guide explained to us that this area where Boquete is happens to be the heart of agriculture in Panama where most of the food is grown and animals raised. Toilet paper here goes in the trash, not in the toilet, which keeps the waterways clearer. Our tour guide seemed to insinuate that our own country’s E. coli problem might have its roots in our love of flushing our waste. I did have a delicious meal here for lunch: rice, beans, and salted vegetables. In general, the meals on this trip have been hit or miss. This has nothing to do with the place, but rather the fact that I’m with a big tour group of forty-seven people which seems to favor mainstream food culture. I look forward to food independence in Europe!

Day Four took us up to higher elevations to the cloud forest to enjoy Latin America’s longest zipline. To be honest, I wasn’t so sure at first about the enjoy part; I was out of my mind nervous for the first three lines (there are twelve). I warmed up after that, calmed, and tapped into the stunning views of massive ferns, the river below, and the forest. As if that wasn’t exhilarating enough, we went for a three-mile hike across six hanging bridges through the rainforest after that. We saw more amazing plants and flowers, some caterpillars, and a cherry tomato fungus. After a brief rest stop back at the hotel, we drove to this huge basalt rock formation. Our guide talked about how Panama was formed, and the spiritual significance of the rock for natives. We had a half hour to just look at it and wonder, see if it had any messages for us as we spent some time in its wonder. After that, we had a little time to explore downtown Boquete. There were many fun little shops. Unsurprisingly, Chris and I were most excited about this little used book/record shop with a bohemian vibe. I bought a copy of the Little Golden Book of Stars for Chris and I to read together. He loved them as a child. I’d never seen them before, but I love them now.

Day Five started with more nerves for me, as we were headed out for whitewater rafting. Ten minutes into the boat ride, I had gotten my bearings and had relaxed. I recalled the powerful personal symbolism of rivers in general and for me personally and felt that power moving through me. This brought a deep sense of peace and gratitude. Along the way, we saw so many lush plants and trees—huge ferns, mango trees, papayas, and so much more. We saw white herons, cormorants, cows, horses, and a few monkeys swinging from the trees. I took the image with me of the white heron standing still at the edge of the river. I’m going to carry it around for a while and meditate on it. Halfway through the ride, we stopped, and the guides fed us fresh pineapple and water. At the end, more fresh fruit, veggies, and empanadas. On the way home, we saw a rainbow spread across the forest valley in the distance behind us.

Day Six we left at eight AM to drive to Chitre, where we stayed two nights. It was a long drive, but on the way, our tour guide talked about humpback whales (he was a biologist who studies whales) and how they evolved from wolf-like animals and are related to hippos. At this hotel, we participated in a traditional mud hut building ceremony, then walked through the festival of San Pedro with all its color and music, embellished costumes, and partying.

Day Seven did not go as planned thanks to a tropical storm. We drove out to visit this island/national park by boat in hopes of seeing some whales on the way. We were driven back by the storm and wound up with more hours to spare at the hotel than we knew what to do with, considering the pace of our trip so far

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Day Eight, our final day before our travel day home was spent swimming and lounging on the beach of La Palma. The ocean was warm, extra salty, and just as soothing as the ocean always is

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While I was away, I wrote two poems and journaled each day. I practiced yoga each morning, took some time to reflect on a few cards drawn from the archetype deck. Even when this meant waking up at four, so I’d have time before the bus left. That’s what making time is looking like for me right now.

Panama, I wrote a poem for you on the flight home. Here are a few lines—

Pro Mundi Benefit

Water pools, dries, 
pools again. 
What is dryness here? 
The heart beats fast and true.
Here one can’t help but be aware and wary—
the yin and yang of gender expression, 
dangerous and beautiful. 


I also work as a writing coach and love helping writers gain confidence, set goals, and develop their work. For more information on coaching, email me at eatyourwords.lizshine@gmail.com.
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