We got up bright and early today for our history day tour and everybody was excited for our first day, full of energy and ready to go. We left our hostel, Casa Mona Lisa, and headed to Casco Viejo, Panama City’s historic old headquarters. Our Program Coordinators, Erik and Lucas, guided us through the grand old colonial houses and crumbling pastel facades and told us stories behind these buildings. We learned a lot about Panama’s history through these historical sites.

Even though it was cloudy today, the heat and humidity are still strong and got us sweaty and tired. After walking for awhile, we got to enjoy some shaved ice treats and got some shopping done along the seafront. We were lucky enough to have a Kuna street vendor telling us his family business of making Molas, a traditional embroidered handcraft.

In the afternoon, we started our way to Las Tablas where we will be staying for the rest of our two weeks. The drive was long and we got to sleep and play some games on the bus. It was a very fun and eventful day today and we can’t wait for what is to come!