Hi, this is Owen and Caelen writing today’s blog!

We woke up at 7 am and came down for a health check-in and breakfast at 7:30 (some people were harder to wake up than others). Our breakfast was some grilled cheese sandwiches, fried dough with chicken inside, and a fruit cup along with orange juice/coffee to drink. We piled into the bus at 8:45 to go to Finca Pamel for today’s activities. It was a family-owned Panamanian ranch (that also happens to be an Airbnb). The name comes from its owners – Pablo and Melani. After we arrived, Pablo introduced himself and gave us a brief description of the farm and its goals – they aim to utilize it as an ecotourism complex to teach visitors about the culture of Los Santos and the daily activities of the local agricultural industry.

We got started on our tour and they showed us some of the plants, including a grape-like fruit that is full of a sticky substance used for glue. Pablo spoke a little about the Indigenous history of the land then later passed it off to Martin and Jose – two younger guides almost the same age as us. Martin took us to see a donkey named Tuki Tuki (named after a popular Christmas song in the region). Many students pet the donkey, and some went on to milk a cow. They don’t name the cows because they eat them. Next, we split up into four groups led by professional Spanish speakers Jasmin, Arelly, Valeria, and Kevin. We cycled through different tasks including offloading animal feed, cleaning animal pens, planting seeds, and shoveling dirt into a hole (to make a smoother path for the bus). Even through the sweat and exhaustion from the Panama humidity and tasks, everyone maintained a positive attitude and got the jobs done.

For lunch, our food provider Angie met us at Finca Pamel and served us chicken rice, potato salad, and the 20th plantains of the week. We also got sour orange juice to drink. With our body batteries somewhat recharged, Martin led us on a hike up Arco Seco (an archeological site with evidence of a tribe that existed two thousand years before Christ). At the top we got a really nice view of the surrounding region – there should be at least one photo below. The site had a ton of seashells and ceramic on the ground, which provided evidence of an indigenous burial ground. We finished our hike and made our slippery descent to a room with traditional pollera dresses and carnival outfits. Some tried on the heavy carnival queen crown and took photos.

Then we went back to the hotel covered in dirt, sweat, and tears (but mostly sweat and dirt). Our shoes were so muddy that we had to take them off and walk barefoot up the stairs to our rooms. Many took showers, and we finally had our first laundry day of the trip. Everyone relaxed during our 2-hour free time where people continued to be addicted to making friendship bracelets. Some also called home and took naps. Then we completed a mid-trip evaluation form before a dinner of salami ham sandwiches and French fries with sticky oat milk to drink. Addicts continued to make friendship bracelets during dinner. We ended our day with a nightly meeting and a group cheer performance led by tomorrow’s leaders Toccara and Valeria.

Thank you for reading our blog and enjoy the photos!

(This is the first time we touched a computer in a week and will be the last time until we get back home ;( )