First week in Panama

Our first week here in Panama has been quite a unique experience. Day one was incredibly long and exhausting and eye opening. The four-hour layover in Miami was brutal. When we finally landed in Panama and got through customs, we boarded a bus to take us to Hostal Amador (our home base). On the way we got our first glimpses of Panama and it was amazing to see all the poverty right next to new, luxury, high-rise condominium constructions. On the second day we went to the Miraflores Locks, which was very interesting. It was so cool to see the process of huge ships passing through. Next we went on a tour of the old city. We got more up close and personal to the poverty and it really made me appreciate what I’ve got even more. About half way through the old city tour, my camera broke! :( On the third day we toured a couple of local Universities. At the University of Panama we learned that students start the four-year program right out of college, after taking an entrance exam of sorts. It only costs them an average of $50 a semester to go through the program. The Latina University, a private school, seemed to have many more resources. Their program is 3 ½ years long and cost about $1400 to go through it. On the fourth day we went to the City of Knowledge. We walked around for a bit, visited the USF health office and had a meeting in the UNICEF building. The UNICEF meeting was about AIDS in children and was very interesting and I thought it was so cool that USF has an office in Panama. On the fifth day we visited the US Embassy, and the security was unreal. We also had an interesting meeting about disaster relief. It had never crossed my mind that donating clothes, shoes, and other items could end up being a burden. The woman pointed out that people have to actually go through and sort all that stuff and that takes away manpower, which could be used for something else. She said it’s just best to send money to a trusted organization. The sixth day was our free day. We got to sleep in some and went to a couple of artisan markets (where I found some amazing things). Later that night we all met up with some girls form the Latina University and some of their friends for dinner and dancing.