Eating Lobster

What better way to celebrate a good day than with some friends and a great meal?? Well, the other volunteers who helped out at the health fair seemed to think that a celebration dinner was warrented...so we asked a fisherman on the island to sell us some lobster for dinner...and he was happy to oblige.

Stephanie, Jim and Teri with thier lobsters. Watching them hold live lobsters was good for a few minutes of chuckling. Notice that these lobsters have no claws like the Maine lobsters that I was used to...otherwise they look very simular.

Chico, the fisherman brought over 4 good sized live lobsters. We had been advised by another islander to pay no more than $4 a pound...but when the lobsters arrived the volunteers quickly caved in to his requested $5 a pound. As I probably will not buy much more lobster in my time here I let them pay it.

They then went off and hauled all of the chairs used at the Health Fair back to the casa comunal (community house or meeting space) with the help of my neighbors and their boat. While they were hauling chairs I cooked up the lobsters...complete with the requisite guilt over the necessary murder (yes, lobsters can make a sound). By the time that they returned the lobsters were a rosy red.

Now many resturants serve lobster whole on the plate and the eater gets to wrestle the meat free. I have found that the gooey stuff inside a lobster or crab is off-putting and I like to rinse the meat and eat with clean fingers. Normal procedure in the Cropper house now is to clean the lobster and rinse away the goo and then flash heat the meat with a touch of oil and spice (usually fresh garlic) and then serve with something else...like pasta and veggies.

Stephanie, April, Lee, Jim, and Teri crowded around the sink cleaning lobsters.

So the others joined me at the sink eager for a new food experience. In my experience (I don't imagine that I will have that much experience to reference after I leave Panama) lobsters are not that hard to clean if you know what you are doing. I guided each of them through the process step by step. Each person cleaned a lobster and did a good job, but it was funny to watch. Jim's lobster had a little post-mortem revenge. I am proud to say that no one bled...Kevin has never managed (even with instructions) to clean a lobster without pricking his finger on lobster spines.

Jim with a splash of lobster guts on his shirt.

We served the lobster with pan fried fish (caught that day as well) and pan seared vegetables. Yummy. No one went hungry that night. The next day we road to port with Chico and he was taking in lobsters to sell...and had one that was 4 pounds...as many pounds as all 4 of our lobsters the night before combined! This made me wonder about how fast lobsters grow and how old the lobsters were that we ate. So I did some digging online and came up with the following cool facts:

Lobsters, when not caught, can live for a long time. Living to the age of 100 is not uncommon. Of course, because lobsters are prized for their meat, many don't make it past just a couple of years old. Lobsters must be a certain length -- not age -- to be deemed legal for catching.

It takes approximately seven years (depending on the water temperature) for a lobster to grow to legal harvesting size (1-1 1/4 lb.). After that, a lobster will grow about 1 pound for every 3 years. (April Note: This would mean that the lobsters that we ate were around the age of 7-9 years old. The big 4 pounder could have been around 16 years old. )

It is interesting to note that lobsters show no real signs of aging, other than growing. They actually can reproduce and stay fertile continuously! The secret lies in their telomeres.
Telomeres are found at the end of chromosomes for all living creatures. As we age and cells divide, the telomeres shorten and eventually disappear- leading to aging and death. Lobsters telomeres take a much longer time to shorten , if at all- allowing them to 'maintain their youth' (A lot of anti-aging experiments are done with lobsters)

How big can lobsters grow? The largest lobster ever recorded weighed in at 44 lb. 6 oz. and measured 3 ft. 6 in. from the end of the tail to the tip of the largest claw. It was caught off southern Nova Scotia in 1977 and sold to a restaurant in New York City. In the Pliocene period, over a million years ago, lobsters were five to six feet long! These days a 3 or 4 pound lobster is considered a good sized feast!

Thanks to the following websites for the fun facts:
www.parl.ns.ca/lobster/faq.htm

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_old_do_lobsters_get

Our new Solar Oven

Friends are a wonderful thing...even when they plot behind your back. Little did I know before Tabassum and Linda arrived for a Christmas time visit that they were plotting with our mutual friend Bill to haul a heavy gift to us.

Bill, who owns a business installing irrigation systems, did some work for one of the guys (I hope I got this story right) who works at Solar Household Energy (SHE), a 501(c)(3) not-for profit that makes solar ovens. Well, Bill was hooked with the idea of a solar oven that cooks using only the energy of the sun. He bought one and enjoyed using it.

Bill soon decided that we needed one and so sent us one via two petite couriers. (Linda and Tabassum were really looking forward to leaving that heavy stove at our house...little did they know that they would leave here with bags a little heavier than when they arrived. Thanks for hauling our beach glass collection home!) Due to good protective packaging and careful hauling, the stove arrived in excellent condition. We opened it Christmas day.

Well, I understand why Bill was hooked. It is a pretty cool stove, and works well with full sun. It is incredibly simple and easy to clean. I was also thrilled that I can use the pots as mixing bowls...something that I was lacking. They also serve well for overnight storage of food.



Why cook solar? The Solar Household Energy (SHE) webpage says:

Currently, more than half of the world’s population relies on biomass (wood, animal dung and crop residue) for cooking, according to the U.N.’s World Health Organization (WHO). This practice causes disease, economic hardship, and environmental degradation. Modern solar cooking ovens like SHE’s “HotPot” offer practical, affordable, long-term relief.



In our community here in Panamá there is evidence of families that suffer from smoke related illnesses. There is a high incidence of respritory illnesses and colds. A couple of the ladies that we work with have even been advised by their doctors that they should avoid cooking with leña (wood) because of the negative impacts of the smoke on their health.



Of course, we were excited to receive it...and so made bread with it the same day. The first 4 photos below are from our first attempt at bread. I made the dough for a white herbed onion and garlic bread. I covered the dough with oil and put it in the pot...

This is what the whole stove looks like, the mirrored surface makes understanding it's shape a bit more difficult.


Within half an hour of putting it in the sun the glass was steamed up and the pot was really warm to the touch.

The bread turned out really well. It had good flavor and a rich dense even texture. I think that it will work better to let the bread rise more by not pointing it directly into the sun at first. The only problem that I had is that the stove lid catches the evaporation and sends it back into the pot...which is a good thing if cooking soup, a stew, or roasting something, but when cooking bread resulted in a soggy bottom crust.

I also tried rolls...and put them in a bowl inside the pot as a measure of protection from the moisture. They were ok, I think that they overcooked as they were dry and heavy. I will have to try that again. But, they did raise well.

I also cooked a casserole (rice, mushroom soup, veggies, tuna, and a bit of leftover cheese on top) and that cooked wonderfully in about 3 hours. It was enough food for 2.5 meals for the two of us. Below are before and after cooking photos.

Baco's also gave this casserole a good flavor boost.

Other things that I have cooked?

• rice (too sticky from long slow cooking),


• eggs (hardboiled well without water),


• brownies (my first failure as the sun clouded over about 45 min after putting out the stove...but I cooked them on the stove top as normal and did not mind the excuse to eat a little brownie batter)


• Zucinni / pumpkin bread (done 3 times now and a big hit with everyone who trys it)


• Water (heated to do laundry with hot water...best for the dirtiest clothing)

With direct hot sunlight things cook well, taking about 2 or 3 times as long as normal. This can be an issue if you need to go somewhere or the weather changes. Reheating foods is also possible and doesn't take terribly long. Wind, clouds and curious kids standing between it and the sun can all increase cooking time.

This stove offers a good alternative to fuel based cooking for some types of cooking. It is not a perfect alternative. Solar cooking is more suited to slow cooking foods and can not make fast cooking foods (can't fry with it for example). In our community here in Panama, this might mean that it would receive limited use...maybe for beans and soups and roasts, but it is too cool for frying and cooks rice so slowly that it is more sticky than most would like. It is not reasonable to think that people will change their traditional diet to use a new type of stove, when they still have access to the means to cook traditionally. In areas where the situation is more dire this stove would be more fully utilized out of necessity. Please do not interpret this to mean that my neighbors would not use it, rather it would be one of many cooking methods.

All in all, I am a fan of the solar stove and plan on continuing to try new foods. I particularly want to try to roast a whole chicken without oil or water like the directions book says you can...I think that that might just confirm my "wizard cooking abilities" in the minds of my nieghbors if it goes well. We like it so well that we plan on hauling it (even though it is HEAVY) to the next volunteer conference here in Panamá so other volunteers can see it too.



A big THANKS to Bill and his helpful couriers Linda and Tabassum for this wonderful and very appropriate gift. Our plan is to pass it along to another PVC when we finish here in Panamá so another volunteer (and their curious community) can enjoy it too.

Paul and Sandy's Visitor View

Paul & Sandy’s Visit to Panama 1/28/09-2/9/09
“Short” Recap

Q1: How was Panama what you expected?

Panama was about what we expected. Panama is a large metropolitan city surrounded by neighborhoods of varying levels of socioeconomic conditions. We were slightly surprised (but probably should not have been) how poorly many Panamanians live.

Q2: How was it different than what you expected?

The most striking thing for me that was different than I expected was how many Panamanians have cell phones. Regardless of living conditions, they often having more than one phone, and they use them regularly.

About the weather - Absolutely terrific the entire time. Even though it was the dry season and has little rain, we had a 5 day stretch where it rained each day, but not enough to change or alter any of our plans. Temps hovered around 90 during the day with a breeze and maybe high 70s in the evening for lows.

About insects – maybe it was because it was the dry season, yet we had little contact with them on our skin. I saw only a few mosquitoes flitting about. I was gnawed on by some no-see-ums a few times but probably only because I washed the bug repellent off when I washed my hands. We were infested with tiny micro sized ticks after our trip to Barro Colorado, and spent a day or so picking them off of us as we discovered them. They were hardly a nuisance, and since they don’t carry Lyme disease, we were not worried.

The little dot to the left of the penny is a tick

Q3: What struck you about the USA when you returned home?

When we returned to the US, I was struck and moved by the US immigrations officer’s declaration as we were leaving his station, “Welcome back Home folks.”

Q4: What was your best moment in Panama?

See below about walking to the tienda on the island.

Q5: What did you find most interesting or most notice about Kevin and April's life in Panama?

Concerning April & Kevin’s life in Panama, I was struck on how connected they were to the Cuerpo de Paz (Peace Corps) organization in Panama. I certainly didn’t realize they had so much contact with the organization on a regular basis. I also get the sense that they don’t fully realize the impact they are having on the people they work with on the island and in the Peace Corps organization. April’s & Kevin’s Spanish is outstanding, and it was great fun watching them negotiate and arrange things in Spanish.

Q6: Free response - anything else you´d like to say about your trip and time here.

Sandy’s and my visit to Panama to visit Abril y Kevin consisted of three parts:
1. A few days in Santa Fe, Veraguas, an hour and a half north of Santiago
2. Several days on their island
3. Four days in Panama City

Our trip getting to Panama was eventful only in that winter descended on Cincinnati the day before our departure, which resulted in our flight from Cincinnati to Miami being cancelled at the last minute. This cascaded into us flying to Ft. Lauderdale and taking a taxi to Miami; then missing our scheduled flight to Panama. Yet, somehow we managed to get to Panama just a couple of hours later than our original scheduled arrival time.

After wading through Immigration and Customs in Panama, we found Abril y Kevin waiting for us. They were with Brian Naranjo, part of April & Kevin’s Embassy host family in Panama. When in Panama City, April & Kevin stay with them, thus saving some money. Brian is the senior political officer for the State Department at the US Embassy in Panama. Now, as most of you know, I am NOT a big fan of our federal government, particularly the State Department which I feel is a big unwieldy bureaucracy, yet after visiting with Brian and Devon, I am happy we have people like him representing the interests of the US abroad. If all State Department political officers were like him, we would be in good shape.

One of first things we learned about Panama is that Panama has a pretty decent transportation system. Not sophisticated but serviceable. The buses between most major cities are large and clean. There are plenty of mini-buses or “coaster buses” to go between smaller places. Now in Panama they play the game “How many people can you cram into a mini-bus?” There may be seats for 30 but you can actually cram 40-50 into one of these things, with people getting on and off the entire trip. Luggage that can’t fit in the small luggage compartment gets tied on top. In most of the cities there are plenty of taxis.

In Panama City, the bus system around town consists primarily of the famous Diablos Rojos (Red Devils) which are retired American school buses painted and decorated. The drivers of these buses compete for passengers and often race each other to bus stops, since the more passengers they carry, they more they make. Diablos Rojos are considered dangerous, and the government appears to be taking steps to bring these buses under government control, replacing the privately owned Diablo Rojos buses with a conventional public metropolitan bus system.

Santa Fe. The first few days were spent in the mountainous area of Santa Fe. The tallest mountains in Panama are only about 3,000 feet high [Editor's correction: The highest point in the country is the Volcán Barú (formerly known as the Volcán de Chiriquí), which rises to 3475 meters / 11401 ft. but we did not go out that far West. Where we were in Santa Fe is at 400m / 1312ft. above sea level.], so the weather change between Santa Fe and Panama City or even Abril y Kevin's island wasn’t all that dramatic. Maybe just a few degrees or so cooler in general.

We spent our days relaxing (a common theme for our trip), and wandering around seeing things. We learned that many if not most of the homes and places to stay in rural Panama are “open air,” no glass in windows, lots of open doors. The hostel we stayed at was essentially a bamboo log home without the chinking between the bamboo logs. Nevertheless, for our entire stay in Panama, we really didn’t need any more than a sheet for cover at night.

View from Hostel terrace

In Santa Fe and everywhere else we found the Panamanian people happy and engaging people, despite many of them living in what we would consider very poor conditions. There were two highlights to our trip to Santa Fe. The first was a tour of a coffee farm and coffee processing plant.

Sandy & me during walk to coffee farm

Our Guide Francisco for the coffee farm & plant trip

The second was our visit to the Santa Fe Feria, sort of like a county fair. We had a good time there sampling Panamanian food. Sandy even had a Panamanian specialty, spiral sliced hot dog on a stick cooked on a grill made from an old tire rim. At this feria is where April told us her philosophy about Panamanian food. Initially, upon arriving in Panama, she was determined to try everything offered her. Now she has two rules:
1. No endangered species, and
2. No food with hair still on it;

April either ordering or saying “There is still hair there.”

Nevertheless, the food we ate was very good. I particularly liked the potato salad made with beets (I don’t even like beets) which gave the potato salad kind of a purple hue.

April & Kevin talking worms and compost at the Feria

On our first morning in Santa Fe we were introduced to the Panamanian alarm clock system. About 5:30 am or so, some rooster in some distant place in Santa Fe or outside decided to do its version of pathetic cockle doodle doing. Before long, the entire community of roosters (and there are a lot of them) were doing their thing, followed by dogs barking and cows mooing. Eventually, as it began to get light, even workers started using tools and making noise. April & Kevin slept through it. Sandy & I sort of laughed at all the noise, wide awake. Since we were around roosters every day except when in Panama City, we often experienced it; although Sandy got to the point she actually slept through it a couple of times on the island.

The Island. After Santa Fe we made our way to Abril y Kevin's island via a night’s stay in Santiago to stock up for groceries. We left early the following morning to a cute little port town an hour south of Santiago where April and Kevin depart for their island. Upon arriving, April found we had a couple of choices for rides. April, Sandy & I hitched a ride with Búho (Booho) in a nice fast fiberglass boat. Kevin went with Carlos and family in their slower wooden, leaky boat, only because we had our “cargo” loaded into Carlos’ boat already. We waved at Kevin as we passed them on the way to the island.

Island dead ahead!

One of the things that was remarkable to me was that on maps it appears that there is more water between the islands. In a boat it seems that the mainland or other islands were close by all the time.

A low tide view from April & Kevin's island of the small island off theirs and the mainland beyond

Living on the island reminded me of camping. The typical routine while there was get up, eat breakfast, relax, do something, have lunch, relax or maybe do something, cook and eat dinner as it is getting dark, clean up, play cards by candlelight, take cool showers and hit the sack. I think Sandy managed a nap each day. The last three days, April put out her camp shower water bag, so that in the evening we had a few bowls full of warm water to rinse off with. What decadence! But it felt good.

The outside of April & Kevin’s house

A view of the inside of the house

The first day we were visited by 10-15 islanders welcoming April & Kevin back to the island, and also I am sure checking out her Gringo parents. The last day we were there, we had two families come over for lunch. Now April uses a lot of vegetables in her cooking, and the islanders do not, so they are usually wary of April’s cooking, yet despite the looks and smirks, for the most part they ate what they were given. After lunch, the men played dominoes and the women bingo. I think we all had a good time.

April, Kevin, and Sandy relaxing on the rocks after a walk to a beach

Besides the joy of seeing April & Kevin in general, I think my favorite part of the time in Panama was when Sandy & I took a walk after breakfast the second day there up the sidewalk past the school to Carlos’ tienda, where we managed to order cold sodas ($0.40 each,) and then sat around there for awhile trying to converse with people very different (but the same) from us and feeling comfortable doing so.

Paul & Sandy on a hike around part of the island

Sandy and a young woman spent some time trading words in Spanish and English looking through the Peace Corps calendar that the young woman had. Big smiles all around. I am sure they got a hoot from us Gringos. After that Sandy and I walked back past April & Kevin’s place and sat on the step by the Casa Comunal (community center) overlooking the bay for about a half hour, just enjoying the view and the time together.

The palm trees near the Casa Comunal

In general, what I took away from the island was that it is clear the islanders love Kevin & April a lot, and that April & Kevin have made a difference in their lives. In fact they mentioned that they really don’t want a new volunteer when April & Kevin’s term expires, they have the volunteers they want!

Panama City. We spent three full days in Panama City, not counting the travel day to get there and the day we left. It was action packed. Friday we spent at Barro Colorado Island, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in the middle of Lake Gatun, in the northern half of the Panama Canal. It was a nice visit, yet I came away a bit disappointed, and can’t quite put my finger on why. We saw plenty of animals and plants, and the hike was nice. April felt it too and we think maybe it was because we didn’t hear much about what projects are currently going on and what the various scientists are finding out. Nevertheless, it in general was a fun day.

Wilma (our guide) and me looking at something

Kevin checking out the Big Tree

April & Kevin at Barro Colorado

April & Kevin by Big Tree

Saturday we spent doing a partial transit of the southern half of the Panama Canal, starting at Gamboa and ending in the Pacific Ocean. It really was pretty neat.

The narrow Gaillard Cut

It was clear Sandy had a great time, and it was great fun watching her jumping around, standing on benches to get a better view. When asked if she wanted her picture taken for a little certificate that proved she transited the Canal, she stated “Yes!”

On the Pacific Queen by the Centenary Bridge

And talk about small world, after calling Kevin’s Dad and Hilary and Grandma Miller, they were able to see our boat going through the Miraflores locks on the Panama Canal webcam.

Leaving the Pedro Miguel Locks

In first lock of Miroflores locks

Leaving Miroflores locks

After we returned to Amador Marina, we wandered around the Amador Causeway, and had a pleasant meal at the restaurant Leños & Carbon.

The Bridge of the Americas marks the beginning (or end) of the canal

Sunday started out with a ride on a Diablo Rojo to where we started the day shopping for souvenirs, then wandering around Casca Veijo, and finally having April & Kevin buy us dinner for our 30th anniversary (just a few weeks ago).

A decked out Diablo Rojo “Red Devil”

A bright yellow building in Casco Antiguo

A Cathedral in Casco Antiguo

Monday we headed back to the USA. :(

Kori's Visitor View

April's friend from college, Kori, works at YMCA Camp Willson in Ohio. She came down to visit us over New Year's, right after Tabassum and Linda, and shared some time with them and with Kristin. A woman of few words (unless you catch one of her standup comedy routines or knitting seminars), here are her responses to the visit questions.

(Kori and April at the airport upon her arrival)

Q1: How was Panama what you expected?

I traveled with open expectations. I was humbled by being an "the foreigner" and have a better respect for the International students who travel here for the summer camp employment

(Employing those summer camp attitudes of try anything, Kori competes with our neighbor in a game of pop-the-head-off-the-clover)

Q2: How was it different than what you expected?

I did not expect to see so much influence from the States. I was suprised to see so many movie and tv references in all the communities I visited.

Q3: What struck you about the USA when you returned home?

time, schedules, and busy "Americans"

Q4: What was your best moment in Panama?

Either the "conversation" with the old man on the pony by the river in Sante Fe or the bus ride to the Ruins of Panama City.

(April and Kori in an archway in Panama Viejo)

Q5: What did you find most interesting or most notice about Kevin and April's life in Panama?

Candle-light dinners

Q6: Free response - anything else you´d like to say about your trip and time here.

On our island exit morning, we were waiting for the boat and playing the guessing game for when it would arrive. We had plenty of time to watch the falling stars and the sun rise. Yes, sleep is good, but so is seeing such peaceful beauty.

I look forward to another trip to the Island and have looked at flights for the spring.

Kristin's Visitor View

Our friend Kristin went to college with April and has lived near us in Baltimore for several years. She, along with Kori, came down over New Years, just after Linda and Tabassum visited. After Kori left, Kristin then took a short trip to Kuna Yala (accompanied by April "for her Spanish help" - I think it was a boondoggle for April to get some more snorkeling), and then spent two more weeks of traveling around Panama on her own. Her last day in Panama was the night April's folks arrived, and we caught up with her again that day. Here are her impressions of her trip, which, while more free-form, I've tried to group with our questions.


Q1: How was Panama what you expected?

In a way Panama was what I expected but at the same time I tried to keep an open mind. I did have an (apparently good) idea of what to expect, mostly from blog info and from talking with April throughout their time here. I also had been to Peru a few years ago and Panama City reminds me of Lima, Peru. Hot, sprawling and congested, but still with plenty of historical places to see as long as you are willing to sweat while you adventure out.

(The famous flat arch in Casco Antiguo; having stood for hundreds of years, it was deemed a sign that Panama was safe enough from earthquakes to build a canal there)

(Another perhaps not so historical place; worth sweating for?)

Q2: How was it different than what you expected?

I was surprised to learn that water is safe to drink in all of Panama. I really didn´t expect that.

(The water is safe, but sometimes you have to be careful of what your friends tell you to take a bite of. Butt-in comment from April- hey, that is a marañón, the fruit that grows just below a cashew nut. It was a perfectly edible fruit kindly donated for our tasting pleasure by ouir bus driver who had een planning on eating it, this was not a trick taste testing. April tried it as well, just after taking this photo despite seeing Kristin´s reaction.)

Q3: What struck you about the USA when you returned home?

What struck me about the US is that no one says hello to you. In Panama, you say Buenas dias, or some variation to many people all day long. Then you ask how they are, then you say what you need to say. They like the greetings. They look you in the eye. Most of that does not happen here. That will take some getting used to. That's a basic level of humanity I think is lacking here.

But, I do have to say, that when the customs people said "Welcome home", that was nice. Even if I would be shortly facing glassy Baltimore ice, while still itching bug bites and wearing sandals.


Q4: What was your best moment in Panama?

For question 4 I will divide up my answer, since I was in Panama for 4 weeks, 2 with April and Kevin and 2 without them.

Panama With April and Kevin
I really enjoyed the evenings of cooking, playing cards and talking as these are some of the things I've missed the most while they have been gone.

(Cooking shrimp) (Cleaning lobster)




(Salted fish) (Making maracuya, or passion fruit, juice)


I really enjoyed seeing how the people in their community respond to them when they would see them. It's obvious that they have developed real friendships with many people on the isla.

(Kevin and April and several kids in front of the tienda, after English class)

One of the funniest things was on one bus (I don't remember where we were going) it got so crowded, that Kori and I were on one side and April and Kevin on the other and there were so many people in the aisle that I could not even see them anymore. I did get a glimpse at one point and both of them had babies on their laps (whoever is sitting on these buses gets to hold a baby if one needs to be held). I would have liked a photo of that one, but there was no space to get it. (I was on only one other bus that was more crowded, that was on my last day on the way to the canal. I don't think I had space to turn around and even try to count heads. The lady sitting next to me said it was Mal servicio - bad service.)

(Not sure how this didn't rate as Kristin's funniest bus moment - check the rearview mirror)

Other highlights:

• seeing Kuna Yala with April for a few days. That was an adventure just getting there! It's exactly what you think of when you think of a Carribean Island.


• April's cooking on the island, I swear she could pull a rabbit out of a hat. She always has some plan going on in that cabeza of hers...


• Being able to have April and Kevin ask anyone pretty much any question we had. We were much more able to get to know random Panamainians with their conversations. Something someone couldn't do if you can't communicate in the language. People, once you started talking with them were very open and sharing. Witnessing this also made me try it a few times later on my own. I couldn't find out as much information, but I could get some. And usually, it would turn into a random English/Spanish lesson. They seemed as nervous about their English as I was about my Spanish. It was nice when we both made an effort.

Panama Alone
Spending more time in the country was nice. Traveling alone was fine, as I could meet up with other random travelers and find out information about the next place. Plus, I had gotten a crash course from A & K about culture tips.

On my last day in Boquete, I went on one of those tree-top zip line trips. It was about 15 lines, up around 6000 feet. It was a chilly morning and I had on all my layers (2) so I thought I would freeze the whole time. But, then I realized how much work it was, so I was fine. I had gone with another traveler I had met and then we met another family traveling from the US. We all had a good time. In the afternoon, I ended up going with this family to some nearby hot springs. They had a rental car, so it was easy to get there (something I wouldn't have seen otherwise). It was a little too hot out to be sitting in hot springs for long, so we ended up relaxing in the river for most of our time, with a few dips in the hot water.

I ended the day by eating at a place they recommended and a type of food I didn't think I would be eating in Panama: Mediterean. Homemade hummus, pita, and falafeal. And just when I was thinking about the cheesecake... they all walked in to have dessert. After, they dropped me off at my hotel. It was a great combination day of working hard, meeting new people and eating good food.

Here's a picture of a meal I had in Cerra Punta. It was freezing there!

* soup w/ zapallo (I recognized this from w/ you guys)
* strawberry shake (the book said you had to have strawberries here, so I did!)
* very good roasted chicken w/ rice and beans. I still love beans.
* a decent salad, and
* lunch time reading.

Q5: What did you find most interesting or most notice about Kevin and April's life in Panama?

As far as your day to day lives, I wasn´t too surprised since your blog is so accurate! Although, reading about a composting toilet and seeing one in action are two different things... :-)

I more understand the process to get things done there (although, I´m sure not even close to completely understanding it). Things seem to be done is small doses. A step here, a step there, maybe several days apart. A little information shared in this conversation or that. From April and Kevin´s point of view, with an end goal or plan in mind the whole time. The planning and patience involved is very high. The satisfaction of accomplishment maybe takes longer to realize.

But the thing I noticed about A & K's lives was the amount of planning everything takes. EVERYTHING. Everything is a lot more work. Many times it would seem a more basic life, without as many complications, but it isn't less work; it's more. April is very organized and has things down, but to get to this point I'm sure it took a lot of trial and error.