Saturday, April 30, 2011
Flowers!
Here are some of the flowers we have seen since we have been here. They are so beautiful and everywhere.
Limes
Jacob picked limes today. And amazingly the smallest lime smells like it. Its pretty cool that no matter how small they are they still smell like it.
Animals!
Today we helped the Lees move into their new home they will be renting. Very nice simple home. But it's all pink on the outside! Snicker, snicker:). After, we stopped by a gringo lady's house, as she has lots of animals. Here are some pictures of what we did.
Tookey the Toucan
Me holding a sloth.
Both Riva and I holding sloths
Ok, we DID have a baby! "mamma loves you, little sloth!"
I think this is a baby Coutimongie....
A baby owl
Polly the parrot
A baby capuchin monkey
Tookey the Toucan
Me holding a sloth.
Both Riva and I holding sloths
Ok, we DID have a baby! "mamma loves you, little sloth!"
I think this is a baby Coutimongie....
A baby owl
Polly the parrot
A baby capuchin monkey
Friday, April 29, 2011
No, we are not having a baby!
The "news" we want to share is not that we are having a baby. Oh, please, we know thats what you were thinking:) In fact, living down here has made us realize that we probably won't have any more children.
We have decided that Panama is going to be our second home. Our plan is to stay in Vermont for the summer, and return here to Volcán for the winter. A tourist visa is good for 6 months, so we will try to stay that long. We did not come here expecting that we would feel this way. Panama has a strong pull on us, and many who have traveled here on vacation have ended up staying here semi-permanently for years.
We haven't figured everything out, but we know that this is what we need to do. We have become so much closer as a family, and are so much happier after having been refreshed the past few weeks, physically and spiritually. We really feel that it would be a bad decision not to come back. We are trying to figure out housing down here, as some places rent for as low as $100 a month, unfurnished, and $200 fully furnished. We won't need a car, but we may end up buying a horse, as that is more practical than a bike out in the jungle:). We can work in VT for 6 months, and have enough to survive down here for close to a year!
As far as our housing in Vermont.... Not to sound derogatory of this country, but Panama has really lowered our standards of what you really "need" to live. There is something to be said for living a simple life. Less to worry about, less to fix, less to buy, less money needed. It's really wonderful. We would like to buy a travel trailer when back in the states, and will probably end up keeping it on my in-laws property in NY, which is where we were living before we came down here. That might sound crazy to many, but it is really the most practical. We can go anywhere, visit family, or help with relief work if there is a natural disaster somewhere.
One month in Panama was only enough to whet our appetite. There is so much potential down here to do good. Continuing to learn Spanish, preaching on horseback, or just enjoying life.... These are the things we want to do. And that is what we are going to make happen. I know that everyone back home will appreciate our decisions, even if they don't completely agree or understand. No, we haven't been drinking the Kool-Aid! I challenge any of you to live down here and not fall in love with it as we have!
We have decided that Panama is going to be our second home. Our plan is to stay in Vermont for the summer, and return here to Volcán for the winter. A tourist visa is good for 6 months, so we will try to stay that long. We did not come here expecting that we would feel this way. Panama has a strong pull on us, and many who have traveled here on vacation have ended up staying here semi-permanently for years.
We haven't figured everything out, but we know that this is what we need to do. We have become so much closer as a family, and are so much happier after having been refreshed the past few weeks, physically and spiritually. We really feel that it would be a bad decision not to come back. We are trying to figure out housing down here, as some places rent for as low as $100 a month, unfurnished, and $200 fully furnished. We won't need a car, but we may end up buying a horse, as that is more practical than a bike out in the jungle:). We can work in VT for 6 months, and have enough to survive down here for close to a year!
As far as our housing in Vermont.... Not to sound derogatory of this country, but Panama has really lowered our standards of what you really "need" to live. There is something to be said for living a simple life. Less to worry about, less to fix, less to buy, less money needed. It's really wonderful. We would like to buy a travel trailer when back in the states, and will probably end up keeping it on my in-laws property in NY, which is where we were living before we came down here. That might sound crazy to many, but it is really the most practical. We can go anywhere, visit family, or help with relief work if there is a natural disaster somewhere.
One month in Panama was only enough to whet our appetite. There is so much potential down here to do good. Continuing to learn Spanish, preaching on horseback, or just enjoying life.... These are the things we want to do. And that is what we are going to make happen. I know that everyone back home will appreciate our decisions, even if they don't completely agree or understand. No, we haven't been drinking the Kool-Aid! I challenge any of you to live down here and not fall in love with it as we have!
Recovery
Yesterday was painful, and today all my bruises are starting to show. I did end up flying over the handlebars once, sliding down the trail, and wiping out again close to the end of the trip. To be fair, i was riding on a womans bike that was 6" too small for me:) I jokingly asked Paul where the closest hospital was, and he replied: "Right next to that shovel over there!". In all seriousness, you can't get injured where we were, way out in the jungle, as the closest clinic would be at least 6-7 hours away. There is no LifeFlight here, only a horse. Horses by the way are $200 here in Panama!
I don't think we will be climbing Barú on this trip. Definitely the next time we come. We also found out that the minimum age for the zip line is 5. Jacob is sad, but it was $60 per person, so I am glad to save the dough. Living in Panama helps you get a better perspective on spending money. It will be difficult to pay more than a couple dollars for a armful of veggies back in Vermont.
Hard to believe our trip is almost over. 1 more week in Volcán, then to the coast for a couple days before we head to Panama city for our flights back home. We also have some news that we will share with everyone soon:)
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Jacob flying his kite. We have been waiting for some good wind.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Arte Cruz woodworking
Today after Riva got back from a Bible study, we went to the woodworking shop of Arte Cruz. He is a skilled craftsman, who has studied all over the world. His attention to detail is amazing. He stopped what he was working on, and made us a sign for Rivas parents.
He did everything by hand, with us watching in amazement. It took him about 30 minutes to carve everything, and another 45 to paint it. He says his skill comes from the love he has for his work, as evident in what he makes. Most everything in his shop is less than $15. Here are some other things we bought.
He even made some toy tools while we were waiting, and let Jacob play at his workbench. Jacob loved it!
Hopefully we will get a chance to go back again, it was a really neat place!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
I'm Alive!
Today was quite eventful. I had the opportunity to go with a Canadian brother, Paul who has been in Panama for 2 years, and a Panamanian brother Alex in the ministry. This was not your ordinary day preaching, however. We were planning on biking a total of 22 km, out to an area where Jehovahs Witnesses have never been. We talked to many people. Most asked for more literature when we gave them a couple magazines. If they were working, they would stop what they were doing, and all walk over and listen. The people here are so humble, and have such an appreciation for the Bible. A lot of the people we saw were Gnobe, the native indigenous people. Many of them cannot read, so there are sometimes difficulties. But they are simple people, so they progress rapidly.
After about 1:30, we figured we would start heading back. We had gone quite a ways into the jungle, so Paul and Alex decided to continue forward to catch another trail that would be less strenuous, as this little white boy from Vermont was already exhausted. Little did I know what lay ahead of us. The trail that we thought we were meeting up with, well we didn't. The good trails here are very difficult, with lots of steep hills and coarse, loose gravel and rocks. As we kept getting deeper and deeper into the jungle, the terrain kept getting worse and worse. When I asked Paul when we were expecting to get back, he just said: "it's probably better if you didn't know".
We were now traveling, not on a bike trail, but a cow trail. The trail at times became a ravine, with the top well over our heads, and only a couple feet wide. We had to cross a river, and soon realized there was no dry way across. So we picked up our bikes once again and walked through the water. We finally came to some more houses, and after speaking about the Bible, we asked how much longer until we found a main trail. The man laughed, and said: "cuatro horas con un caballo! 4 more hours by horseback, which is really the only way someone should travel in the area where we were.
So, we kept trudging along. We had run out of water, except for 1 bottle, so we began rationing that. The water in the streams and rivers has lots of parasites, and is unsafe to drink. Since we were at the bottom of the jungle, around 1500 meters lower than when we started, you can guess what we had to do. Climb, climb, climb. And then we climbed. We walked mostly, but many trails were so rugged, we had to pick up our bikes and carry them. Then, is started raining. Of course we are so high in the mountains here, that we were actually in the cloud itself. Big fat raindrops, for about an hour. Paul had prepared me for rain, so all my literature was in plastic bags, nice and dry. I actually appreciated the rain, because with the sun and hills, I was getting overheated. So, now completely drenched and well beyond exhausted, we climbed some more. We finally made it to another bunch of houses, and the people asked us where we had come from. When they found out, they could not believe it.
We wanted to call Pauls wife to meet us on the main trail, but didn't have cell service. We climbed again, and were able to make the call. But we still had to get to the main trail, which ended up being another 2 hours. We again climbed. We would get a good stretch of downhill, only to be followed by another steep incline. At this point my legs were starting to cramp, and I was worried I wouldn't be able to keep walking. About half way up another long steep hill, I heard Pauls truck. It was such a relief! Christine, Pauls wife, brought water too, so we quickly drank that. After loading up, we still drove for over an hour on rugged terrain to make it back to town. We arrived soaking wet, covered in mud, and in pain, but with big smiles on our faces.
It was quite an adventure, to say the least. I can honestly say that I have never exerted myself as much as I did today. We ended up traveling 35km of steep hill followed by steep hill. But it was all for a good cause, which made everything worth it. The people we talked to respected us, and our message so much more because of the effort it took to reach them. I really enjoyed myself today, for at least the first 3/4 of the trip. It was exciting, adventurous, productive, and is something I will never forget!
One of the better trails we were riding
The middle of the jungle. Quite a humbling sight.
One of the Gnobe houses we stopped at.
I will post more pics of our trip later.
After about 1:30, we figured we would start heading back. We had gone quite a ways into the jungle, so Paul and Alex decided to continue forward to catch another trail that would be less strenuous, as this little white boy from Vermont was already exhausted. Little did I know what lay ahead of us. The trail that we thought we were meeting up with, well we didn't. The good trails here are very difficult, with lots of steep hills and coarse, loose gravel and rocks. As we kept getting deeper and deeper into the jungle, the terrain kept getting worse and worse. When I asked Paul when we were expecting to get back, he just said: "it's probably better if you didn't know".
We were now traveling, not on a bike trail, but a cow trail. The trail at times became a ravine, with the top well over our heads, and only a couple feet wide. We had to cross a river, and soon realized there was no dry way across. So we picked up our bikes once again and walked through the water. We finally came to some more houses, and after speaking about the Bible, we asked how much longer until we found a main trail. The man laughed, and said: "cuatro horas con un caballo! 4 more hours by horseback, which is really the only way someone should travel in the area where we were.
So, we kept trudging along. We had run out of water, except for 1 bottle, so we began rationing that. The water in the streams and rivers has lots of parasites, and is unsafe to drink. Since we were at the bottom of the jungle, around 1500 meters lower than when we started, you can guess what we had to do. Climb, climb, climb. And then we climbed. We walked mostly, but many trails were so rugged, we had to pick up our bikes and carry them. Then, is started raining. Of course we are so high in the mountains here, that we were actually in the cloud itself. Big fat raindrops, for about an hour. Paul had prepared me for rain, so all my literature was in plastic bags, nice and dry. I actually appreciated the rain, because with the sun and hills, I was getting overheated. So, now completely drenched and well beyond exhausted, we climbed some more. We finally made it to another bunch of houses, and the people asked us where we had come from. When they found out, they could not believe it.
We wanted to call Pauls wife to meet us on the main trail, but didn't have cell service. We climbed again, and were able to make the call. But we still had to get to the main trail, which ended up being another 2 hours. We again climbed. We would get a good stretch of downhill, only to be followed by another steep incline. At this point my legs were starting to cramp, and I was worried I wouldn't be able to keep walking. About half way up another long steep hill, I heard Pauls truck. It was such a relief! Christine, Pauls wife, brought water too, so we quickly drank that. After loading up, we still drove for over an hour on rugged terrain to make it back to town. We arrived soaking wet, covered in mud, and in pain, but with big smiles on our faces.
It was quite an adventure, to say the least. I can honestly say that I have never exerted myself as much as I did today. We ended up traveling 35km of steep hill followed by steep hill. But it was all for a good cause, which made everything worth it. The people we talked to respected us, and our message so much more because of the effort it took to reach them. I really enjoyed myself today, for at least the first 3/4 of the trip. It was exciting, adventurous, productive, and is something I will never forget!
One of the better trails we were riding
The middle of the jungle. Quite a humbling sight.
One of the Gnobe houses we stopped at.
I will post more pics of our trip later.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Pictures
My public discourse on Sunday. It was on the importance of displaying hospitality to others.
My Spanish talk tonight. If you zoom in, you can actually see the drops of sweat on my forehead!
My Spanish talk tonight. If you zoom in, you can actually see the drops of sweat on my forehead!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Jungle cats, plans for this week
We took a drive with the Lees today to see some jungle cats. Jesse had met a woman who rescues baby animals, and she had 3 Ocelots. They were beautiful!
I was asked to give a part on the meeting in the Spanish congregation tonight. Its pretty nerve-racking giving a part to native speakers, but I got through it ok.
One of the brothers asked me to accompany him and another Spanish brother in the ministry on Wednesday. They are mountain biking out to a small settlement. It is 22km away, and mostly on bike. This area of Panama has never seen Jehovahs Witnesses, so it should be an interesting day.
Thursday I will be hiking Volcán Baru, and down, all in one day! Alex, a Spanish brother, is a professional guide, and he will be with us, along with 3-4 other brothers. Should be a fun day!
I was asked to give a part on the meeting in the Spanish congregation tonight. Its pretty nerve-racking giving a part to native speakers, but I got through it ok.
One of the brothers asked me to accompany him and another Spanish brother in the ministry on Wednesday. They are mountain biking out to a small settlement. It is 22km away, and mostly on bike. This area of Panama has never seen Jehovahs Witnesses, so it should be an interesting day.
Thursday I will be hiking Volcán Baru, and down, all in one day! Alex, a Spanish brother, is a professional guide, and he will be with us, along with 3-4 other brothers. Should be a fun day!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Holy week
Last night was the end of Holy week here in Panama. I never heard of it before, but the whole town was partying til 2 am. Fireworks, loud music, and singing. We could hear them singing drunk all night. There are lots of dogs here in Volcàn, and they love to bark at night. The dogs finally quieted down around midnight, and then the fireworks would go off again, and the dogs would start up.
This morning I am lying in my hammock, preparing for our Sunday meeting. I was asked to give the public discourse today, so I am going over the one I will be giving to the English congregation here. I was asked to give one in Spanish as well, but I don't think I will get the opportunity.
Yesterday, I bought a leather sheath for the machete I bought a few days ago. The machete was $3, and the Panamanian handcrafted sheath was $6. Not a clue what I will use it for, but it's SO COOL! Jacob has been wanting a real Lasso ever since we went "backhorse riding" so we happened to see one at the hardware store. Only $12!
-The Jacksons
This morning I am lying in my hammock, preparing for our Sunday meeting. I was asked to give the public discourse today, so I am going over the one I will be giving to the English congregation here. I was asked to give one in Spanish as well, but I don't think I will get the opportunity.
Yesterday, I bought a leather sheath for the machete I bought a few days ago. The machete was $3, and the Panamanian handcrafted sheath was $6. Not a clue what I will use it for, but it's SO COOL! Jacob has been wanting a real Lasso ever since we went "backhorse riding" so we happened to see one at the hardware store. Only $12!
-The Jacksons
Friday, April 22, 2011
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