El Valle, San Blas, the City, and a tiny bit of work update!

Actually, I'm the 4th-time lucky winner of a Visitor from the States!!
This past week was pretty amazing.  A wonderful friend from Prin by the name of Andrew came to visit, and excitement and adventure ensued!  While Cecily's visit almost exactly 1 year ago had a Westward and slightly Southern adventure, Andrew's headed to the Northeast.
Of course, we started by heading into my familiar haunts.  There was hammocktime and dinner by my host mom, and a hike in El Valle along the India Dormida (the Sleeping Princess).

On the Sleeping Indian's Eyebrow!

He also got a taste of Peace Corps life- when walking around my town, some neighbors gave us bollos (polenta sticks? still working on how to accurately and succinctly describe them in English), and ample hours of nothing much, in which there was chatting and movie watching.

After seeing normalcy, we headed back into The City, because as you recall, there is only one city in this silly little country, and wandered along the Cinta Costera, which is the greenspace with park-y-ness that follows the Pacific Coast.  Wednesday saw a very early morning, as at about 5:45 we were collected from the hostel with my friend and fellow PCV Whitney (with whom I'm organizing a Youth Leadership and Sports Camp), to spend a couple of days in the islands of San Blas.

San Blas, and the Comarca Kuna Yala (I don't know what each name specifically refers to), is much of the Caribbean coastline east of the Panama Canal.  It is home to possibly the most insular, literally and figuratively, of the indigenous peoples.  The Kuna used to host Peace Corps Volunteers, but some time ago requested that no more be sent, and are controlling of who comes into their region, and are picky about what pictures can be taken.

Worth protecting, I think!

However, we went on a tour program suggested by another friend, and had a wonderful experience.  We lived for 2 days on Isla Diablo, about 30 minutes from the mainland.  We were essentially hosted by our guide's family, who provided us with a cabaña/rancho with mattresses, and all of our meals.  Breakfast was pretty American, pancakes one day, and scrambled eggs the next, but lunch and dinner were catch-of-the-day seafood and fish! There was a little restaurant on the island which had solar panels for a smidgen of electricity, but there was nearly none, so the bedtimes were early, the mornings were early, and the stars were fantastic.  Also, there were little glowing spots in the water that were really cool!!

After a couple days in the Caribbean Island Paradise with snorkeling and coral brilliantly colored fish, we came back to The City for another evening, which was spent in a hotel with a Pool and an (unheated, but colorfully lit) whirlpool.  

By the way, snorkeling is awesome.  This trip was my first time trying it, and it's rather disorienting, but it's incredible.  And disconcerting.  But fascinating.

Saturday morning were the last few hours of wandering in the City, and then we headed over to the airport where I got to be diplomatish, and wait on the gate-side of security until boarding.  And so ended a fantastic visit!

Saturday afternoon brought a return to life, as Whitney and I got into working mode for the Sports and Leadership Camp that I'm hosting this week, from September 4-6 for youth in my community.  Here's hoping it all works out!

And a brief summary of other bits of the job.  The Coclé TE volunteers are coordinating a series of seminars with MEDUCA (the Ministry of Education) for teachers around the province, and we have completed 2 of 4 proposed seminars.  Next week is the beginning of the 3rd Trimester, which, if I can pull it off, will include the inauguration of a recycling program, and a papier-mache art project to make models of endangered animals with selected students from the Primaria.