Muchas cosas

Vasanthi and her sister Subha came to visit us in February!!

Is it the thought that counts when we're talking about blogs...? 😁  I haven't written in about 6 months and we are now thinking about our return trip.  I won't talk about that now though....

We've had an amazing year living down here in Bocas.  We had months where we got caught up in the school/work thing (Yes, even down here in Paradise...), but also have had many adventures, trips to Costa Rica and Colombia, and also good times with friends.  

My mini-adventures of the past few weeks were what really inspired me to document our trip again.  As I mentioned, I've had many thoughts and ideas for posting, but am just getting around to it. You know how hard it is to do something when you put it off for so long.... Then, I was like well gee, I can't start writing now after 6 months..... Oh well, I decided I'm going to give it a shot anyway.  

So, some of my ideas for posts were:  Living Car-Free...., Yoga on a Floating Bar (like Bar that you drink at, not hang-on...), Mountain Wildlife (that would be some quetzals and my daughter....),  and probably most recently - Sea Legs for Days! Hopefully you can use my titles to infer the imaginary posts. I'll also try to give more info about some of it here.  

Two of my amazing yoga teachers here in Bocas - Kelly and Melissa.  We're fortunate to have a lovely yoga community here!

Living Car Free

So, living here on this island is amazing for many reasons, some I've mentioned already.  One of my favorite things is that we can easily live car-free. Noah, Sy and I each have bicycles, Noah has a dirt-bike/moto (of course), and our friend Steve lent us a [really loud and bumpy - but great!] golf cart as long as Noah could get it running.   So yes, we do have two motors that we drive occasionally, however, I prefer to ride bikes whenever and wherever we can. Typically, Sy and I ride our bikes to school ( 2.2 miles each way) and Poppy rides on the back of my bike (very Bocas style to have someone on your bike with you....).  It is a bit dangerous, but mostly just lots of fun. Our ride is mostly along the beach and its great to get exercise, fresh air and endure the trip with my 8 y.o son. He complains about it beforehand every time, but sure enough, he'll be bopping and swerving to whatever song is going through his head while he rides.  I love it!! And I think it is a valuable experience for the kids - for Sy to know that he can do something like that, and it has forced him to stay sharp (relatively speaking) while riding a bike. And for Poppy, we've endured a few rainstorms, big hills, and close calls together. They're going to grow up knowing that they can take risks, but have to stay sharp and sometimes sweat their butts off (what we do EVERY afternoon as we ride up the ONLY hill on Colon Island.)

 

The view during our bike ride to town.

Of course, we can also walk to town if we want, or grab a taxi.  We never have to worry about being lost or stranded anywhere on this little island.  It really makes parenting a bit easier too because that worry is eliminated. I value the ease with which we can live car-free here in Bocas and will probably miss this the most.  You know me, I love to walk or ride anywhere I can.

Mountain Wildlife

Have you heard about "Island Fever?"  It is not caused by mosquitos or parasites, or even chitres, it caused by living on an island... :)  So, anyway, I'll spare you any details, but Poppy and I decided to head to the hills - literally over the Continental Divide, into the Cordillera de Talamanca.  Really, what we did was take a shuttle to Boquete. Boquete is a beautiful mountain town near Volcan Baru. It, like Bocas, is very popular with backpackers, gringos, and retirees.  The climate is lovely - springlike all year round, the scenery is stunning, and the coffee and restaurants are raved about (not by me....).

Poppy and I had a lovely, long weekend enjoying the cooler climate, visiting a wildlife refuge (kind-of), and seeing for REAL rare and amazing wildlife, not very far into the hiking trails around Boquete.  We saw the Resplendent Quetzal ( birders dream! Here is a better blog post about it), and Tarantula Hawk Wasp ( Extremely painful sting!), rare orchids, and the rarest butterfly in Panama (its wings were clear!!).  It was a lovely break from island life and we met some wonderful people from CA that I'm sure we will do our best to keep in touch with.  It’d be lovely to visit Boquete again before we head back home. Oh, and did I mention there’s a roller skating rink there?!?!

Sea Legs for Days

This is all good stuff!!  Sea-legs for days is proof that we are doing our best to take advantage of this beautiful archipelago.  Over the past few weeks, we have had many fun adventures on the water. We've gone snorkeling in Dolphin Bay followed by a tour of an awesome chocolate farm called Green Acres Chocolate Farm over on the mainland. And of course, lots of swimming in general!

I've done some paddleboarding - most recently around the island of Carenero!  The seas were calm that day, but there were still swells out on the East facing side of the island.  Two of the ladies with us got sea-sick and were vomiting over the edges of their board! We had to flag down a boat to come get one of the girls! It was quite an adventure for my first trip with them.

Sy and I also went scuba-diving this past weekend with Tony at the Panama Dive School.  Noah recently got certified and Sy became very interested.  He and Noah have been studying some of the fish and of course some of the rules of Scuba.  Sy was very eager to get into the water and do his "bubble-maker" course. He did really well!  We went down 6 feet and were in the water for about 30 minutes. He hopes to do it again this coming weekend.  When he turns 10, he can take the actual course to become certified.

As I said, there is really too much to say after all this time and all this adventure.  Life down here is slow, HOT, and good. We're trying to enjoy it as much as possible.

Next trip, Mexico!!  Then, a month more here and back to the states.  I'll try to get Sy to do another post or two before we leave.  Maybe between the two of us, we can get 4 done ..... No promises.  :)

How do we begin to tell you....?

Tonight at dinner Noah said, "its just too much... How would I even begin to tell anyone about all of this?"

It's true.  Just about everyday living here in paradise feels surreal.  The beauty and the experiences are unreal. What sparked that thought most recently is that Noah and Poppy went yesterday to see baby sea turtles hatch from their eggs, and got to watch as they skirted out to sea!  They even got to help to a certain degree.  Don't worry, they were with people from a turtle conservancy so it was all monitored and not exploited.  Even to the point that they don't want us to reveal exactly where they were when the turtles hatched.  Suffice it to say, it was a once in a lifetime experience that will likely be burned into their memories because it was so amazing.  Not to mention, it was another beautiful day here in paradise with blue and green water, perfectly blue, cloud-scattered skies, calm seas, and mountain peaks off in the distance.....

We learned that they were Hawksbill turtles, which are one of the most endangered sea turtle species in the world!  And Noah and Poppy got to help release them to the sea!!  I sure hope that their help made a positive difference - there aren't too many nesting sites left in the world, considering how big the world is....  See the attached sites and maps to find out more about the Hawksbill Sea Turtle.

Sy and I had a fun day too because we got to take a field trip to Almirante - the closest town on the mainland, for a science fair with the 2nd and 3rd graders from his school!  The boat ride was fun, the school's presentation went well, and we got to experience more of the local culture!  It was wild because the Science Fair was at a Catholic school, so it started with a prayer, followed by an opening ceremony that consisted of dancing "Disney Characters", and then led to the science demonstrations.... Very interesting.  The schools' displays were pretty awesome - hydroponics, recycled materials, and renewable energy, etc, but my favorite part was seeing all of the different colors of skin!  That is one of my favorite things about living here  - the diversity!!

The diversity is amazing here - so much mixed heritage and culture.  Bocas' history is part of what has led to its diversity.  There are the "Indians" (the local indigenous), the Antilleans, and a whole lot of in-betweens!! It's amazing and so friendly and welcoming!  I have never once gotten the feeling that the "locals" are upset about having "gringos" around.  This island seems to be very accepting of its diversity and foreign visitors/ inhabitants.  Just one more reason to love it here....

Again, this is just a tiny piece of some of the amazing experiences we have had.  Last week we were beach hopping with Aura (needs no explanation if you already know us...), enjoying the calm seas and beautiful sites of the archipelago.

We've recently started keeping gratitude journals that we write in each day.  Here is a snapshot.  LOTS to be grateful for!!

Life in Bocas

The sidewalk down to our house.

We've been here in Bocas del Toro for about 7 weeks now and definitely have a found a routine.  The
kids go to school each day from 8-3, I volunteer at their school 3-4 full days a week, and Noah

is occupying himself by playing Bass and working on fixing up a golf cart at a fantastic place
called Skully's.  If you come to visit us, you'll likely want to go to Skully's; they have a bar and pool
on the beach, a hostel, and most popular is their 4- wheeler rentals!  You can rent a 4 wheeler and
go into the jungle!!

Having a Balboa at Skully's

Seems funny to say, but its kind of like we're back to a busy life already.  Don't get me wrong,
everything is simpler here, so its not stressful, but the days are flying by and chores are being put
aside just like at home.  We spend a lot of our time after school and on weekends swimming and
"socializing" honestly. The afternoons (school pick-up time) are the hottest part of the day and the
thought of riding our bikes home is dreadful sometimes.  So, we often decide to go swim somewhere
first! Sometimes we swim at Skullys, sometimes at Carenero Beach, and lately, we've been heading
over to Aqua Lounge to jump off the platform and right into an "ocean pool"! (Aqua Lounge is more of a
party bar/hostel, but we go between like 3-6 and its empty, perfect for the kids, and the food from
JJ's Real Food is fantastic!!) I am also helping out at the local community center 3 afternoons a week
and that fills parts of my afternoons as well.

People here are super friendly and there is definitely more of a "village vibe" than back at home.  
Everyone is social and welcoming and the kids and Noah and I are invited to go do fun stuff regularly!
I had a perfect birthday weekend with the family and some friends on one of the most beautiful beaches
here - Red Frog Beach!

Since we've been busier, I haven't posted in a while... However, we have been to many beautiful
places ( everywhere here is beautiful!) and are always enjoying ourselves.  But I thought for this post,
I'd add some general info about Bocas - the town, some of the places that we go regularly, and some
of the business that we frequent often.

As Sy mentioned in his last post,
the kids go to school from 8-3 at the Tangerine School here in Bocas.  They have two teachers, and I
volunteer there 3-4 days a week. Its been awesome to join this community in Bocas as we have
met many great people starting our first week here!  The school is very different than Allen Brook
in Vermont, but I know it will be a memorable experience nonetheless!

One of the great couples that we met through the Tangerine School is Dave and Molly.  They have
been in Bocas for 9 years and own a few businesses here. Molly is one of the most amazing people
I have ever met and makes her living making soaps here.  Many may not know that she makes a
MILLION other awesome things too, she just doesn't mass produce them (Yet......). Please check out
her business, PuntaCoco .  I especially recommend the body sprays and the bug spray!!  You can
order her products online. That lady can do ANYTHING!

Another wonderful person we met is Amelie.  She is originally from Canada, has a daughter in 1st
grade with Poppy, and also plays the violin!  Consequently, she has introduced us to all of the
musicians on the island! She plays out with her violin or her bass regularly and also teaches music
classes in town.  She's invited Noah to play at open jam nights and even to be part of a "new project"
she's put together. Noah is psyched to have the opportunity and its been great to become part of the
musician group on the island! Most recently they've been playing at a place called the
Bocas Bookstore Bar here in Bocas.  

The community center that I've been helping out at was built by a non-profit organization called
Give and Surf.  I found the organization online and will be taking a TEFL course through them!  
They've been around for a few years and have helped build schools and community centers here
on Colon Island and other islands in the archipelago.  

A community center right on the beach!  Its beautiful and the ocean breeze keeps it cool!

Next week, I will stop my current activities at the school and community center and start my
TEFL course. Its just a month long but will include teaching English classes in town,
at the community center, and hopefully on a few of the other islands nearby.  I'm looking
forward to it!

Another thing we're looking forward to is Aura coming to visit!  She'll be here the 2nd week
of October when she has a break from her classes!!!  Her visit is something we're all looking

forward to!! Stay posted to hear about our adventures together with Aura!!

Look at that water!! Swimming at Carenaro Beach!!

School

Monday to Friday I go to school.  Monday, Wednesday and Friday I have English class.  Tuesday and Thursday Spanish and math.  Mrs. Del is the English teacher.  Mr. Hector  (with a silent H) is the Spanish teacher. Mom comes to school and helps on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.    
Me, Emi and Eon are the only third graders.

After School
After school, I have a snack and ride my bike home. I play after school.  Sometimes I go to Emi or Eon's house.  I  have to take a boat to Emi's house.  Eon's house is next to the school.  I like school!!

Ethnobotany!!

eth·no·bot·a·ny

ˌeTHnōˈbät(ə)nē/

noun

1. the scientific study of the traditional knowledge and customs of a people concerning plants and their medical, religious, and other uses.

How cool is that!  Today, I was lucky enough to visit one of the local Ngobe tribes and learn about some of the medicinal plants that they use!  This was an amazing trip for me because it combined my love for plants, the rainforest, and indigenous people. The tour was organized by a woman who started  The Darklands Foundation, which benefits the native people by working to empower them.  We took a boat over to San Cristobal Island, briefly stopped in their village, and then took a sidewalk into the rainforest!  One of the women of the community, Veronica, led the way, stopping to show and teach us about some of the plants that they use for medicinal purposes.

 We learned so many things about the Ngobe culture in this short trip, like how significant the Cacao plant is to their culture, that they plant a species of sugar cane to honor their dead, and that the phases of the moon are very important to their customs.  We also, of course, learned about plants that they use for infection, stomach pain, fever, insect repellent, bruises, and more.  

After our hike through the jungle, we went back to the village and ate a specially prepared lunch of fish, chicken, coconut rice, yucca, and plantain served on wooden dishes.  I had the chicken, rice, and plantain, and it was all very good.   Following the meal, the women took us back to their "community center" to show us the process of making chácaras.  These are handwoven bags that the women make out of a plant related to the agave plant.  The process is VERY labor intensive, beginning with harvesting the leaves from the forest.  The leaves must be cut, edges trimmed of thorns (before they transport them back to the village),  and scraped so that the fibers can be pulled out.  Once the fibers come out, they must be dried for 5 days, then woven into rope, possibly dyed, and THEN they can start weaving the bags!  The process is amazing!  I bought a beautiful bag for $40.  They also showed us how they used some of the plants we harvested during our hike to dye the rope for the bags.  

 I am grateful to have had the opportunity to go on this amazing trip and to have met both some of the Ngobe women, and Mathilde Grande who is working so hard to support the indigenous communities of Bocas Del Toro.  

Of course, there is really so much more to what I learned on this trip.  Please follow some of the links I've included to find out more.  

Next week, I start volunteering at the kids' school!  Stay tuned to get the inside scoop! :)

First Week

Well, its been just over a week and a half since we left Vermont and we've officially experienced a full week of living here.  The kids started school last week and seem to be adjusting quite well.  They're making friends already and are getting into the routine.  Noah and I are also happy to be meeting people and families from the Tangerine School, but are still working on our routine. :)  This week has been quite lovely I confess, as we drop the kids off at school, then go enjoy a cup of coffee at a different location each morning.  Its been great.  Our caffeinated journey then takes us on errands for items for the house and meals before we head home to relax and settle in.  

Each day that we're here, I experience mixed emotions.  Sometimes I am in disbelief and thrilled with the realization that we did it!  We're here for a year and I am living my dream of spending a year abroad with my family!!!  Other moments, I experience fear.  Fear that we won't make it a year, fear that we'll come to dislike this beautiful place, fear that we won't be able to stay busy enough and will need to go home to get back to the rat-race, fear that something bad will happen,... But today, as we rode a boat over to Bastimentos for our daily walk and coffee, I again was reminded of the beauty and friendliness of this place.  I've loved it here since I first came in here in 2000.  Bocas isn't for everyone, but to me, it is magical.  

As part of our settling in this week, Sy and I got bicycles so we can ride to school together (and not have to wake up poor Miguel our Taxi driver....).  It's been lovely riding along the beach into town each morning.  We've been spoiling the kids, bringing them a fun snack for afterschool and stopping to play somewhere, before heading up the hill to Vista Linda.  

It'll be so interesting to see how we all evolve over the next year.  So far, so good!!