Wrapping Up a Year in Panama

Ecotourism Adventure

I have believed for some time now that one day my career will lead me to work in the field of ecotourism, whether it be at the policy level or further down the line in its business application.  While the ever-common practice of green-washing has unfortunately obscured the meaning of the term, true ecotourism ideally implies the protection of natural resources by local people who in turn benefit from income brought by visitors.  Ecotourism infrastructure (hotels, transportation, restaurants, tours, etc.) should be as environmentally friendly as possible.  Overall, locals are incentivized to manage their resources in a sustainable manner, and visitors get to appreciate foreign culture and pristine nature.  Everybody wins!

I accepted my Peace Corps assignment in Sustainable Agriculture, Panama after my first in Sustainable Community Tourism, Guatemala fell through.  Although my 200-person farming town has me working on other priorities, I have continued to pursue my interest in ecotourism, albeit on the consumer side, and have seen some interesting things.

Much to her credit, Sadie indulged my want for ecotourism and booked one night of our recent travels at an ecohotel on an island with a small Afro-Colombian population.  Highlights included beaches with gorgeous turquoise water, a sparkly night swim in a lagoon filled with bioluminescence, a walking tour of the Afro-Colombian village, and a canoe trip through mangroves with a very knowledgeable, local guide.

Beaching

Home sweet hut, equipped with solar panel on the thatched roof

Pretty mangroves

 This initiative seemed a pretty good example of successful ecotourism with notable imperfections, namely related to poor organizational skills.

Some examples:

- “I would show you where the nice beach is, but the owner of the hotel near it is in a bad mood so I don’t feel like going over there.”

- “I’ll show you how to get to that beach, and I’ll probably stick around and show you how to get back.  Otherwise just ask someone else.” (the small island had many confusing jungles paths and there are no maps anywhere)

- The bioluminescent lagoon (the island’s main attraction) has a dock to jump off of, but no good way to get back up.  I emerged quite bloody after barnacles cut up my foot and knee.  Put in a ladder!

- The hotel first-aid kit had iodine, but no band-aids.  Luckily I brought by own.

- Any meeting time we were given actually meant an hour later.  Sadie observed, “I can’t understand how any society can function without punctuality.”  I’ve found that this is how most of Latin America carries on.

Gross, mangy dogs followed us everywhere

Pretty jungle maze

One guide explained that the island has strict rules requiring local businesses to hire local employees – the idea being to ensure that they benefit from growing industries like tourism.  While I can see that this system has some value, I believe it also has clear disadvantages.  I’m pretty sure this organization would benefit from some outside perspective on how to meet tourists’ expectations.  In the future I hope to help serve as this link between local, sustainable business and foreign clientele.

Aside from our ecotourism adventure, Sadie and I had spent a couple days in my site and stayed the rest of the week in the charming old town of Cartagena, Colombia.  It was a truly great trip and although it went by too fast, I’m so glad I got to spend time with my sister, as she now restarts her work at a demanding law firm and her life as a newlywed.

Sadie showing the magic of video recording to kids who love to sing on camera

Cute Cartagena

Cartagena fort with the new city in the background

Mud volcano adventure just outside the city

Play Hard, Work Harder

Vacations are done for the time being, and I feel as busy as ever.  In site work continues on fish tanks, coffee, school activities, and home gardens (recently got some grant money to help get fencing to protect gardens from chickens!).  Within Peace Corps I have taken on some new responsibilities.  After losing VP in our elections for Panama’s Volunteer Advisory Committee VAC (much like a student government that communicates between volunteers and administration), I ran unopposed and got elected the VAC Regional Representative for the provinces of Panama Oeste and Colon.  Basically this means I get to voice my opinion at meetings but am not a voting member of the board.  Of more importance to my life, I applied and was named our new Agribusiness Coordinator.  This means that over the next year I will be in charge of organizing agribusiness seminars throughout the country (first one coming soon May 15-17!!), help volunteers who ask for support facilitating work on this subject, edit and develop the Peace Corps Panama Agribusiness Manual, and train incoming volunteers on how to use the manual.  Whew.  As I approach my second year in country, I am sometimes overwhelmed by all that I wish to accomplish in such a short time.  But I’m also excited to keep at it and see how things go.  Year two in Panama begins soon on May 2^nd (although one year in site is not until July).  I plan to celebrate by giving my community the agribusiness talk on marketing, but more on that next time.  Here we go!

Visiting NGO brought backpacks and other goodies.

Moving over the cafeteria hut to make room for a new 7th grade classroom



I got invited to help machete the weeds in this stunning pineapple farm.  Was rewarded with delicious pineapple

Viviana showing off her home garden beds



Constructing the new 7^th grade classroom.  Amazing what you can do with just a hammer and nail.  Yes, I sort of miss electric screwdrivers.



Moving boulders.  Not totally sure why.  I didn’t really think it was in the way.



Kids helping out in the school garden

#Third World Problems (of a first world girl)

- I like checking my cell phone messages, but climbing up that hill to get reception is so terribly tiring.

- I get told that I’m looking fat and that’s supposed to be a compliment.

- Listening to the news on the radio is a sad substitute to watching The Daily Show, especially because the radio signal only sometimes reaches out here.

- I’ve seen cockroaches crawl out of my backpack on the bus on the way into the city.  I hope no one notices they come from me.

- Why does that 5-year-old have a machete?  And why is he better at using it than me?

- I squish little bugs on my kindle when I read by flashlight at night.

- How did ants get into that?  Added protein …

- The Panamanian government recently gave laptop computers to all 9^th graders in this small region (four of which are from my community).  None have electricity.

- One of the grossest things I’ve done recently is clean the greenish guts off my machete of a spider the size of my hand.  However I did feel pretty badass for having machete chopped that massive spider.

Videos!

Sadie recently inspired me to take short videos.   Here are a few:

A typical walk to work

Rain falling on my house from my neighbors' porch where I get cell signal

Watching the rain through my window

Slash and burn agriculture :-/