Quick update: I've been serving in the province of Bocas del Toro. If you type Bocas del Toro into Google though, you'll find photos of the islands (there's also town called Bocas del Toro), beaches, and other touristy stuff. That's not where Peace Corps volunteer sites are located, though once upon a time. Most of the province itself lies on the mainland and, in addition, most of it is a natural reserve. Small and medium sized communities dot the area, and a majority of those communities are populated by indigenous people. More details about my site will come in time, I assure you. In the meanwhile I've got all my stories loaded on the blog which will be released one-by-one each week which by then I'll hopefully have more stories to add. I hoped to upload some stories back in October when I had access to Wi-Fi, but never found the time to get around to it. Better late then never though, right? Apologies for the wait.
This first one is set in June during training and the rest will advance from there. But before that, I'll answer a couple of questions that I know may pop up. You may notice that I never list concrete locations and that is because as Peace Corps regulations prohibit us from publishing locations where Peace Corps volunteers and trainees are located for security reasons. You may also notice that there aren't many photos of Panamanians and that's because many people are shy about having their picture taken, and they by and large prefer staged photos to "candid" ones. Add to that the fact that my phone drowned while I was crossing the river out of my site (forgot to check my pockets) and I lost most of my photos. Anyways, onto the blog...
June 20, 2019
One week into training we were taken on a day trip to a volunteer's site in the province of Coclé. This was our first, and fortunately not last, experience with a chiva. No, I'm not talking about a goat. Here in Panamá, chivas refer to pickup trucks that drive the routes to, between, and from the rural communities located along dirt roads and/or the mountains. The backs have been converted to contain a tarp roof and benches along the sides. Anyways, after being tossed around the back for a good thirty minutes (while also taking in some nice views), we finally arrived to the site of a volunteer named Rachel.
In site, we met with a few G83 WASH volunteers who had been here for nearly a year (WASH and SAS arrive in the odd numbered cohorts yearly) and met with the president of the water committee who spoke with us about the ongoing projects, the role volunteer Rachel has been playing, and the work previous volunteers had done. Afterwards, we all hiked up to see the newly constructed water tank. We would have seen the toma (water source intake) as well were it not an hour away.
At this point, we were divided into our tech week groups (tech week wouldn't occur until late July, but these groups were created before we even arrived for staging) and, along with a G83 guide, visited a few houses in the community and practiced being a volunteer.
At the first house, we engaged in a discussion about a "calabaza" (Crescentia cujete) tree with the owner of the house. The fruit is not edible, but it's purpose is still involved in cuisine. After sawing the hard fruit in half, scooping the meat out, drying the bowl and boiling it, the calabaza becomes a tatuma. A bowl.
At house number 2, we learned about green (unripe) mangoes and some history. Long ago during a famine, many people took to eating the unripe mangoes out of desperation. As such, eating mangoes unripe carries a stigma as being something only the desperately poor do. However, it makes a great salad if you just add some salt and spice. The green mango has, in recent years, begun to increase in popularity (at least in cities) for its use as/in a salad.
Green Mango
The third and final house of the hour provided some plant identification, such as a guayabana (soursop), and some tips for gardening which I have since forgotten. Unlike the other two houses, more than one family member was present and so we had a more dynamic conversation about the topics at hand. Discussions largely involved the water situation in the community, and what priorities the community members have, but we also moved on to more personal subjects.
We hiked back up near the town center and all the groups met up with volunteer Rachel for a Q&A. I don't remember much about what was asked, but I do remember her saying she didn't really like mangoes, which I declared blasphemy. Her lot contains three mango trees which are likely went to waste as I was beginning my service (mango season in that region is September). A punch in the gut considering that in the region where I'm serving mango trees don't bear fruit.
Our last stop was the community's public school for a lunch of arroz con pollo (customary in Panamá for large group gatherings) which was also served with ensalada de papas (potatoes mixed with beets and mayo) and a chicha of a flavor I did not record in my notebook. The lunch was followed by a presentation of the sombrero pinta'o and how members of the community tejer such hats. An offer was made to sell some hats (price unrecorded, I seem to believe it was somewhere between $35 and $60). Finally, some of the students from the school performed a baile tipico, a clip of which I once had but which seems to have not made it to the archive.
On the way back down the hill, I found myself stuck in the front of the chiva since I was far too polite trying to get into the back. In some respects I was safer for it. The journey down while riding in the front was quite tranquil, and you don't feel the motions as much as in the back. I found myself sitting with fellow aspirante Sarah and the chiva driver with whom I conversed. Still though, we could hear all the yips and laughter coming from behind and I admit that I wished I was with them. As great as it was conversing with the driver and getting to better know one of my co-trainees, riding in the front of a chiva is like riding shotgun in a limo; you want to be in the back.
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