Jim's Work Trip To PANAMA 2005

Besides doing the normal rigmarole in the Panama Peace Corps Office, I took pictures of my adventures outside of the office. The country director Jean was leaving Peace Corps Panama and being replaced by Peter.

We rented a bus with a band. This converted American school bus/Panamanian party bus has been around since I was a volunteer and I always wanted to go on it and my return was the chance. We took the bus to the dinner. A band is on the bus and they served bottles of rum, whiskey and soda, traditional Panamanian. The music is loud and everyone dances along the way.

You will notice a crowd of protesters along the way and typically Panamanian the protesters stopped protesting and started dancing along with the bus!

My first visit to Escobal. I stayed with a family I became very good friends with during my volunteer service, Aida, Betsaida, Lourdes and Sharon. Betaida and Sharon have had kids since being back, the baby and david. We only had a short 2 days there before heading back to the office. I went birdwatching with Joel (a good friend and counterpart during my volunteer service in Escobal),

the current Escobal volunteer Manuela, and two British tourists whom worked for Reuters in Panama City.

The British tourists showed up in Escobal, because of the Lonely Planet article I wrote years back. I was surprised to see how developed the bird watching had become in Achiote (another town 30 minutes from Escobal). An organization called Ceaspa has been promoting bird watching as an activity in the surrounding protected area of San Lorenzo.

After bird watching we had lunch, in a cantina/pole barn in Achiote. It brought back good memories from when Joel and I had thrown a dance in that same pole barn, when I was a volunteer.

He had contracted a somewhat famous typical Panamanian band to play there and I was the beertender. I sold beers to the farmers coming down from their far away coffee farms in the jungle, on horseback and foot.

After lunch, we visited a town on the beach called Salud. A rich friend of Joel had an ecotourism project there. He was converting his house into a hotel and he had planned tourism activities including birdwatching and horseback riding. I ran that horse I was on down the beach. Also, bringing back good memories. I learned to ride a horse in Panama.

When I returned to Panama City for work. I took some pictures and movies of Mellisa's birthday (language teacher) and some coworkers from the Panama office, Erubey, Itza and Belinda.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures,
Jim

Click Here to hear them sing HAPPY BIRTHDAY in Espanol

Flag Description:
The blue star signifies the purity and honesty of the life of the country. The red star represents authority and law. Effective date 4 June 1904.

Himno Nacional de Panama

Click right and download the National Anthem here.

Alcanzamos por fin la victoria

En el campo feliz de la union

Con ardientes fulgores de gloria
Se ilumina la nueva nacion.

At last we reached victory
In the joyous field of the union;
With ardent fires of glory
A new nation is illuminated.

Es preciso cubrir con un velo
Del pasado el calvario y la cruz
Y que adorne el azul de tu cielo
De concordia la esplendida luz.

It is necessary to cover with a veil
The past times of Calvary and cross;
Let now the blue skies be adorned
with the splendid light of the concord.

El Progreso acaricia tus lares
Al compas de sublime cancion
Ves rugir a tus pies ambos mares
Que dan rumbo a tu noble mision.

Progress now caresses your path.
To the rhythm of a sublime song,
You see both your seas roar at your
feet Giving you a path to your noble mission.

En tu suelo cubierto de flores,
A los besos del tibio terral
Terminaron guerreros fragores
Solo reina el amor fraternal.

In your soil covered with flowers
To the kisses of the warm earth,
Warrior roars have ceased;
Only fraternal love reigns.

Adelante la pica y la pala
Al trabajo sin mas dilacion
Y seremos asi prez y gala
De este mundo feraz de Colon.

Ahead the shovel and pick,
At work without any more dilation,
and we will be as such at work and gala
of this fruitful world of Columbus.

FROM THE PEACE CORPS:

We want to thank the Overseas Technical Support Division staff for their dedication! Refreshing the computer environment at posts means long hours and endless travel both within and between counties.

Great Job!

Click to see Jim's Peace Corps Volunteer Days in Panama

Panama 2002 Trip

PeaceCorps Volunteer Page in Panama