Day 2- Panama City and Travel to Las Tablas

Hi Parents!

First and foremost, please accept my sincerest apologies for the late blogs! With losing a travel day due to the hurricane and Wi-Fi connectivity issues, Tim (the other GGL) and I got a bit behind! But no worries, all students are safe and enjoying their travels. Here’s a recap of Day 2 (July 9th)- Our First Full Day in Panama!

Today’s theme of “History” focused on connecting the present to the past with the daily quote coming from C. Wright Mills: “Neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both.” “Welcome” was an additional theme for the day, with myself and Tim as LDDs (Lideres Del Dia- more about this later!) helping students set expectations for this trip and identify how they envision themselves being changed by this experience. The quote for the “Welcome” theme comes from scholar and explorer Ibn Battuta Berber Magherbi: “Traveling- it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.”

First, we woke up in Hostal Gemar in Panama City and had our first truly Panamanian meal at a local restaurant called Niko’s Cafe. After that, we headed to Casco Viejo, for a walking city tour (led by Marco and Luz) of this historic neighborhood of Panama City. Casco Viejo was built by Spanish colonists in 1673, after the original Panama City was burned to the ground in an attack, and features parts of the original settlement were reused to make new buildings. An example of this was our first stop at the La Pieded Church, whose facade combines the old with the new (see pictures). As a whole, Casco Viejo preserved some of the first buildings and institutions in Panama City. This walking tour also included two museums: Museo de Mola and Museo de Canal. The Museo de Mola introduced us to the world of the Guna, a Panamanian indigenous tribe, and how their beliefs helped them create beautiful Molas or artwork. The Museo del Canal focused on the political, economic, and social history surrounding the construction of the Panama Canal. (See pictures). Our last stops in Casco Viejo were Subway for lunch and a souvenir shop.

After Casco Viejo, we boarded the bus to take the longgggg drive from Panama City to Las Tablas, the city where the rest of this trip will take place. I loved the part of the ride where we let students pick songs to pass the time. It was so cool hearing all of the eclectic tastes in music! Upon arrival, students got checked into rooms and enjoyed dinner while Harold, the Health Coordinator, and I followed up with any updates or new health concerns. Everyone got a clean bill of health! The rest of the night was spent in a Welcome Orientation from Marco and Luz (PCs) to acclimate ourselves to our new accommodations. Lastly, we held our first Nightly Meeting where Tim and I passed the Torch as LDDs to Gael and Miguel. Just a reminder- LDDs are different student(s) who sign up each day for the responsibility of organizing and leading the day with support from GGLs and PCs. They are responsible for acting as a positive peer role model, helping with meal coordination, ensuring the safety and health of the group, keeping the energy and morale of the group, prepping peers with information about the next days activities, and last but not least- writing the next day’s blog post!

Thank you for reading! We’ve had a great time so far being flexible in our schedule and yet still on time/early for everything! We have a really responsible and considerate group of students and I’m honored to be a GGL for this group. I know I will learn as much from them as they will from me.

Be on the lookout for the next Blog Post to come from our first LDDs! Big love to Gael and Miguel for stepping up to be the first LDDs and setting a great example for their peers to follow!

Students viewing an exhibit in the Museo del Canal

Museo de La Mola

Students at the La Piedad Church, which includes facades from the old and new building.

First of many group pics! Students are at the entrance to Casco Viejo. Fun Fact: Casco Viejo was built in a location completely isolated by the sea and surrounded by a defensive system of walls intended to protect it from future attacks.