Summertime in Panama

Learning to Like Fish Tanks

In past blog postings, I have expressed some frustrations with the work involved in constructing fish tanks – namely that digging in mud is not much fun.  Additionally I had never been trained in fish tank construction or management, so I felt unqualified to be helping such projects move forward.  In February I attended a Peace Corps fish tank seminar to help remedy this second concern, although the first will remain forever.

Fish “tanks” are not really tanks.  They are more like man-made ponds.  The basic process is you find an area with firm, clay-like soil, dig out the pond while building up walls around it, strategically place PVC tubes to both bring in fresh water and take out dirty water, and raise fish for personal consumption and maybe even to sell.  If you happen to be growing other products nearby like rice, you can set up this heavily fertilized water (with fish poop) to go straight there.  Very efficient, relatively cheap, and provides an excellent source of protein.  Ideally you have at least a two-pond system to manage fish: one for reproduction and the other for fattening up the males.  This way the males grow fat quickly since they have more space to move around and no competition for food.  Yes, we had to learn how to sex fish in order to separate the males out.

Visiting a nicely constructed fish tank

Is this tilapia male or female?  How many holes does it have?

I brought two community members Santiago and Ricardo to the seminar, and they both seemed to get a lot out of it.  Socially, it was the first time they had interacted with such a diverse group including several other Peace Corps Volunteers, Panamanians from all over the country, and members of different indigenous communities.  They both came back driven to get going on their new projects.  Santiago immediately began work with his dad (who already has a tank with fish) to start constructing several new ponds for both fish and rice.

Volunteers and Panamanians learning by doing

Santiago and his dad's tanks for both fish and rice

Santiago and his dad Ceferino starting rice seeds for their new tank

With the new information gained by the three of us, we set a date to give a talk on fish tank construction and management to spread the knowledge to those interested here in El Harino.  The day of the talk Santiago came over to say he couldn’t make it because he had to work.  I found this extremely disappointing.  In bringing community members to seminars like this, the point should be that these leaders will help bring ideas back home.  In not attending, I felt that while he himself is putting to use what he learned, he is not helping to pass along the message.  Sigh.  Ricardo, however, did come through.  The talk with us both there went well, and afterwards a group headed over to help Ricardo start his first pond.  As we worked we explained why we were doing things a certain way, and the participants seemed eager to learn and willing to help.

Presentation material on how to construct a solid fish tank

Participants digging in (literally) 

This work day was made extra pleasant by the rather typical addition of chicha fuerte, a fermented corn drink.  I truly felt I was one of the guys as we all drank, worked, talked, and learned.  Good times.

Chicha fuerte is poured into a common cup that gets passed around

Found this while out there. AHHHHH

About 12 guys want to start fish tank projects.  Whew.  Unfortunately, the weather does not seem to want to cooperate with us.  It is much easier to construct the ponds in dry soil, rather than mud that sticks heavily to shovels and causes wheelbarrows to get stuck.  While the summer dry season here in theory should last from December all the way through March, we have already had weeks of rain, leaving me to believe that each fish tank project I work on will be a muddy mess.  Así es la vida.

Getting to know the Caribbean & Keeping Busy

I’ve been doing some travelling!  In February I took a trip with some other volunteers to Bocas Del Toro, the province closest to Costa Rica.  We visited a volunteer’s site in a Ngobe indigenous community and then continued on to one of the most touristy islands I’ve ever seen.  While I don’t speak a work of the Ngobe language, they apparently love giving Ngobe names to visitors, so my new Ngobe name is Chami.

Hiking in Bocas

Ngobe kids who call me Chami

Boating around Bocas islands 

In March my college roommate Marisa Gonzalez made time in her busy schedule of impacting the lives of underprivileged middle-schoolers as an English teacher in Houston to take her precious spring break with me in Panama.  After spending a couple days in my site we adventured to the Kuna Yala indigenous reservation, which contains the most breathtakingly beautiful islands I’ve ever seen.  We now know what it is like to quite literally be stranded on a deserted island, but luckily it was gorgeous one, and I cannot thank Marisa enough for her flexibility and calmness as we got to know a completely foreign side of Panama known as San Blas.

Kuna women in traditional dress picking up their kids from school

Gorgeous

Starfish!

I’ll see the Caribbean again soon when my sister Sadie makes her way down here at the end of the month (post-honeymoon in India).  We’ll spend a couple days in my community and then fly to Cartagena, Colombia.  SO EXCITED.  As usual with all my traveling, I feel a slight pang of guilt whenever I am out of site, but some of my time out is always work related (I am currently at a Peace Corps capacity-building event because they want me to help train the next group of volunteers arriving in June), and of course I am entitled to take vacation days as with any job.  Overall, whether I am travelling around or I am home in El Harino, I am trying to make the most of my time and am happy to be keeping busy!

Participants in a talk on money management

Activity to practice analyzing what costs are necessary versus unecessary

Reading group

Hanging on a friend's rooftop garden in Panama City

Guava season!