Panama Week Two

Tuesday June 30, 2009
I´m writing from an internet cafe across the street from the satellite campus of the University of Panama in Chitre. We went there for use of the library, but there aren´t enough computers there, so a couple of us walked across the street and paid 50cents for an hour´s use of the computer! Crazy!
I´ve learned soo much this week already! It has been a wonderful experience working in the clinic. I love the kids!! They are so cute. I thought I would hate the snot nosed screaming ones but they are so fun! Especially in spanish. Chocalat! means high five, I´ve learned, and they love the American girls doing that. I´ve given injections to 15 month olds, and given the polio vaccine to babies. I did a reflex exam on a 4 month old today, as well as a pap smear. It has truly been a wonderful experience. They do so many vaccines on children here, while they can get them to the clinic, it is crazy. The health care system as a whole is soo different.

Friday July 3, 2009
Yesterday (Thursday) we were in the clinics again, doing vaccinations, paps and more. After that we went to a luncheon at the Universidad de Panama where we each got a certificate for completing our clinical stuff here in Chitre. It was nice, the pineapple juice was good. I´ve had a lot of foods this week that in the states I have never liked. Pineapple juice, shrimpa, and oatmeal are just a couple. The oatmeal that they make here is sooo good!. I am in food heaven here :) After our luncheon we used the internet for a bit and then headed out to a ranch owned by a nurse at one of the clinics we have been at. It was up in the hills, and absolutely beautiful. The food there was awesome too, we just hung out there for a few hours. It was an awesome evening of relaxation.
Today was back to the grind. We went to a Catholic school and gave them a bunch of books, the kids there were so cute! Then we went to a poorer school and had a health fair with them. We did vaccinations (HPV and Influenzaa), heights and weights, taught them some English, and had a good time. A couple of the girls and I were told to go to the Kindergarten classroom, and we thought we´d go and teach them English with the help of the teacher like everyone else was doing. HA! She walked out of the room with a couple of the kids to get them vaccinated. So we´re stuck in a classroom full of Kindergarteners taht don´t speak a lick of English. It was a mad house to say the least. But still fun. I put my stethoscope in their ears and let them "escuche a mi corazon" - listen to my heart.
All of the paper, pencils, crayons and colored pencils that we collected went to the poor school, the children there don´t know enough English to be able to use the books.
We went to the party for the satellite Campus at Universidad de Panama at Chitre. The music was great! They played a lot of Latin music that was so much fun to dance to. We all had a great time, but finally had to turn in for the night. When we got back to the hotel we were laying in bed and I felt my bed shake, it felt like someone was under the bed shaking it....Rachel, one of my roommates asked if she was the only one feeling that and we all said no...it was an earthquake! We were miles from the epicenter but still felt it.

Saturday July 4, 2009
Saturday we headed to El Valle, finally! It is so beautiful, very lush and surrounded by mountains on all sides! We put our things in the hotel and went to have lunch, which was wonderful (again!). From there a group of us set off on foot to expore the town. I finally had chocolate!! That is a rare thing in this country...my sweet tooth almost can't handle it. We walked around a neighborhood that looked like any mountain town in the states, it was beautiful! We came back to the hotel and later on watched fireworks from the top floor terrace of the hotel to celebrate 4th of July. It was great! After we all sang the National Anthem as a group. It was cold in El Valle- low 70s, and is breezy through the mountains. It is such a relief from the wet heat we've been experiencing! The clouds circle around the mountains and look like you could almost reach up and touch them. It was a beautiful night, the sky cleared, and for the first time in my two weeks in Panama I saw the stars...it was a great sight!

Sunday July 5, 2009
Sunday morning we got up early and went zipling in El Valle. We had to hike up the mountain to the first platform, which was exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. Our "guide" stopped along the way to point out different things to us: a rubber tree, an armadillo hole, a tree infested with honey bees ("they don't sting," he says), and more. Finally we arrived. One by one those ahead of me went across the first line, and finally it was my turn. I stepped onto the platform and allowed the guy who would send me off to clip me to the line- I had to stand on my tip toes and then was basically suspended in the air. So, he nodded at me, and hands in place, I sat and took off through the rainforest! Wow! On the first line I was a bit distracted trying to remember how to stop, but the last 3 lines were great! The third line is at a 45 degree angle, and the guides control your speed, and halfway through they stop you right in front of a 150 foot waterfall! Finally our zipping was finished and we hiked back to the bus. From there the group went all different ways. At last we left El Valle after a very short, but amazing, 24 hours there.
When I got back to the villa, I sat down at my computer when the floor started shaking-- that's right, another earthquake! This one was stronger but shorter. Apparently the quakes here are not very damaging because the friction occurs far below the surface. Nonetheless, we came up with an emergency action plan.
I mentioned about chocolate being rare... I have a list of foods from home I've been craving because we either don't have them here or can't make them (we only have a microwave to cook with). Among them are pancakes, eggs, bacon, Chex muddy buddies, peanut butter M&Ms, mom's roast, Mountain Dew....I could go on. So if you all see me binging when we get back just know that is why.