Hola mi familia y amigos! Soy Kina Noelia de Panama!
Can you tell my spanish has really advanced in 2 weeks :).. Really though I am doing well with the spanish language, its a fairly simple format and people here in panama enjoy playing around with my brain.
I started my travels by heading straight to Bocas de Toro which is a huge tourist/sufring/scuba/ extreme sport zone along the border of Costa Rica. I stayed for a week atop a floating hostel hooked to the shores of the Island. Taxis here come and go via speed boat for 1 dollar in any direction. Look left and you will see a sun kissed dreadie on a longboards, look right and you will see a long haired little boy with scuba gear on jumping off their parents yaht into the sea. Every hostel has a themed night, our is ladies night wed and sat, and beer pong competition sundays. We have 3 dunking stations in the hostel. One is equipped with a built in trampoline over the water, the other provides 3 large swings which you can soar off of as you plummet to the salt water below. Can you imagine the playground all day everyday and during parties the waters are filled with laughter and giggles.
Unfortunately the popularity of the island forced my work trade position to be overcrowded so I had to leave and search for a new position. Besides the entertainment of parties every night, I have to admit I was utterly bored outta my mind not being able to serve a purpose, plus if you aren't a surfer or diver, what are you going to do every day. Plus the so called "chino shops" were the only tiendas providing any semblance of produce. So each day I had to to choose from the fly ridden cabbage carrots onions or green peppers, pineapple,limes, or plantains and create some balance of nutrition....when my thumb sank into a carrot one morning, I knew I needed to shift. Thus I finally found a new shore side work-trade position near the city. I hopped back on the next 10 hour freezing cold ac overcharged bus ride south toward panama city. .
Currently I am located in a small area called Nueva Gorgona, Malibu Beach, Malibu Beach Hostel, 1.25 hours from Panama city on the Pacific side. Of at least 20 people who are here right now at 733 am, I am the only sober person. The semi private potluck party began about 12 pm saturday and the music (currently I am dj blasting manu chao) has not lowered volume sine the start...sorry neighbors, the people have not slowed on consumption, life here is a comedy and celebration at every turn.
This area is full expats, retiree's and a few youngsters travelling. But mostly canadian and american 50-80 somethings who are building large real estate or purchasing private condo gated community homes on the shore. and let me tell you the shore is to be desired. Oceania is the only relief from overwhelming heat, and i love heat but man this is powerful, I rarely share the miles of beach with anyone else. Yesterday I swam for an hour only in the company of my Boyfriend Stitch, a uni-testicled doxan and 2 horses who were being rode in the sea bareback by some Indian looking male youth. Ever see pippi longstocking?, its really beautiful to see horses in the water.
I had to run an errand alone to Panama city, which is a landscape of huge buildings, crazy architecture, larger than typical american malls and more fancy too, oh and did I mention there is this big canal thing people like to go see. I wiggled through the city using my spanish skills hailing cabs, negotiating prices, and pretending I knew what I was doing.
I am currently trained as a bartender here and I feel like a nannie here as I am starting to organize and decorate the hostel for a young 30yr old male who has an awesome business but no Feng Shui skills. Luckily he is open to my ideas and I am ready to take over this department.
Something funny about Panama is the diversity of colors. Honestly I never know where someone is actually from. You see Africans, Indians, Caucasians, Latinos, all the skin colors of the rainbow even a ton of Chinese people who are all Panamanians. This is the so called melting pot of latin america because it was taken over by so many countries and with the construction of the canal came black slaves, the construction of the railroad brought Chinese people....ever here Chinese people speak fluent Spanish with a Chinese accent...funny but just sooo awesome. Seriously beautiful ethnicity spectrum here. Anyhow next weekend is the Spanish independence day of Panama, big celebrations here we come!
I was asked on day 3 what was the top thing I missed about america, well not much since I had been gone less than 72 hours but my first though was kale, second thought was my muscle man trainer....well here in Gorgona I have joined a gym which I go to after a run or yoga on the beach...our crew then goes to get fresh produce of all sorts in a large american like tienda, no kale yet but there's enough of everything else that I am a happy camper thus far, tonght was coconut curried eggplant!
I am off for now, Spanish ind. Day saturday, Incubus concert Sunday...good things to come...check out the map link below for an update on location. I love you all!
we do not inherit the land
we borrow it from the children 