The end of our Panama trip

Greetings from Costa Rica.

We arrived home late last night to the cold (early) December winds from the North. Our travel day to Heredia yesterday was long because an intense wind storm created huge waves, and we could not leave the island on a normal taxi boat, so we had to take a huge ferry. Leaving the Island of Bastimentos was a melancholic experience because we were sad to end our academic trip and leave a precious paradise, but at the same time we felt happy to return home.

A highlight of our time in Bocas del Toro, and the entire trip, was our snorkeling day on Monday. Can you imagine 29 people snorkeling in the open ocean for a couple of hours?!? Then we went to a tiny island in the National Park that does not have any human development and played on the beach for a couple more hours. No words are sufficient to explain our experience, but beautiful, spectacular, magical and colorful attempt to describe our day.

Overall, this trip was a total success because we had a safe time and we ALL learned so much about a wide variety of topics. It is amazing to see the personal growth of each individual and the group as a whole. For many people, Panama was an insignificant country that they only learned about due to the canal, and now Panama is a dynamic country full of history and cultural diversity. This trip succeeded in changing people’s perspective about the world.

For me, I am surprised about how often the topic of GLOBAL WARMING came up in different talks. From an economics lecture to an oceanography lecture, global warming is becoming an increasingly important concern and it overwhelms me because I am realizing how serious this problem is, and will be. The planet must unite to stop it, or else, and I wonder if we can change.

THANK YOU ALL FOR READING ALONG! As you all know, it is important for me to reflect and document, and I appreciate your support. I will send pictures out soon.

=)

PS, do you know that Panama has used the US dollar since 1903, when the US “helped” them become a country? They never had enough gold to create their own currency.