Pollera Conga Festival

Today I attended the Pollera Conga Festival in Portobelo, the festival celebrates the culture of Afro Panamanians. It was amazing with all the colors, drums, music and people of course..........I will not even try to describe it; instead, I will let some of the pictures I took do the work. Enjoy!

Waiting for the water parade to start.

The little girl below was too cute in her beautiful clothes and was dancing the traditional Conga dance as spectators cheered her on.

The women wore bright clothes as you see below and the men wore clown like costumes and had their faces painted black.

Dancers at the festival assembling for a group shot.

The boat procession was about to start with dancers about to get on the boats.

The street parade followed the boat parade.

This is the stage where the dancers ended up after the street procession for the grand finale.

Salsa And Stuff

Last evening I decided to attend one of the cultural activities being offered by the school so I headed to a salsa class.

I was all excited about dancing and I was enjoying the music as I checked out the steps that the students were learning. The steps were pretty basic so I was waiting for when the class would be broken up into different levels of advancement and I would head to the advanced section. As the class got broken up, the instructor shifted his attention to me and started heading toward me looking all serious and a bit intimidating.

He pulled me aside to test my dancing skills and to cut a long story short, he only teaches LA style of dancing and dismissed my style of dancing entirely. C'mon, as a salsa teacher aren't you supposed to know the different styles of salsa and not dismiss one style just because you don't dance or teach it? what makes LA style of salsa the ultimate judge of whether you know how to dance salsa or not? I don't get it.

Last picture before sneaking out of the class.

I just ended up leaving the place after like ten minutes. On my way to the guest house I passed by this bar & restaurant that I hardly ever notice and this guy who works there started chatting me up. Before I knew it I was being invited to go salsa dancing with his friends after work. 

We ended up at this "hole in the wall" type of club that had the best salsa music ever. It was so much fun and to make matters better they all thought i was a pretty good dancer. Ego restored! hehehehe actually at first I was hesitant to go on the dance floor but once we started dancing I realized that they danced the same style I did. They are Dominicans and they were telling me that their style is different from what they have seen in Panama. 

Very cool and friendly people not to mention good dance partners.

We danced and listened to music until 3 am then everyone headed to their respective homes. The club is within walking distance to my place so It was very convenient. We are going out again tonight so I am excited, I love it when I end up making friends with people that live locally because then I get to discover places that tourists would normally not know about. 

Here is to new Dominican-Panamanian friends:)

Random Thoughts of The Day:

I got to practice my Spanish with the Dominicans I met last night and I am proud to say that i could understand quite a bit of what they were saying if they spoke slowly in Spanish. The conversation part on my end is a big challenge but the best way to improve is to practice without feeling self conscious.

I find that I am less intimidated to go to a store to buy something if there are less customers around because then i don't feel this intense pressure to express my self fast and not hold any line up.

Sometimes you have to stop listening to outside voices trying to dismiss your travel style or choices. I don't know why some people think that just because you chose not to rough it on your travels then that means you haven't earned some badge of honor or something. It is not a competition so no thank you, I will not rough it if I don't want to. Thank you very much.

I really don't understand why some people insist on talking to me about: genocide, poverty, dictatorship and war when I tell them that my nationality is Kenyan. Yes I grew up in Kenya, East Africa and no I did not experience all those negatives things you have watched on TV about Africa. I had a normal childhood, sorry to disappoint you. 

My face appears to be breaking out because of the heat and I think i am getting heat rash or something, my poor skin. Speaking of skin and heat, while i am sweating like a pig outside and constantly trying to control my shiny face, Panamanians are walking around looking so fresh and don't seem to even break a sweat. 

I love talking to taxi drivers. I always sit in the front with them and strike a conversation showing my interest in knowing about their work and what they think of the city they work in. I usually end up getting very good tips and some will even extend their generosity by showing me around the city and pointing out what I should watch out for and which places to check out. I have learnt a lot from those taxi drivers. 

Forming A Routine

I have noticed that I have been slowly forming a routine that gives my day some sort of structure and  gives me something to look forward to.

In the morning I wake up an hour and a half before class and after breakfast I rush through my homework before heading out to school. The walk to school is less than 10 minutes so that's convenient for me.

School ends at 12:30 pm and I usually get lunch soon after before heading to my room to drop off my school stuff. I don't like staying in my room after school because the heat can tempt you into taking a siesta and I feel like since I have limited time in Panama, I have to be on the go to maximize my time here so no siesta for me. Sleeping during the day messes up my sleep at night anyway.

Everyday since getting here I have had activities that have kept me busy and I like it that way.

Yesterday I went to check out Amber's apartment as she invited me to go hang out. Her apartment is really pretty and not too far from where she lives, there is a nice path for: walking, jogging and biking. Every evening the parks and walking paths are usually full of adults working out and kids playing. The heat is usually bearable in the evening so it does feel good to be outside.

Today after school I went to Albrook mall which is the biggest mall in central America and walked around window shopping, I love shopping so I was curious to see what Albrook mall had to offer. Thank God I was able to control my shopping impulse even though I saw so many things that i liked.

Later on I went to check out the highly recommended Parque Omar (Park Omar) for some recreational activities. The park is pretty and ideal for walking, running and working out with machines. There is actually a small gym within the park where you can work out with weights and they have these fun and cool aerobic type equipments out in the open for the public to freely use.  Came across some cool art work too.

I headed home after walking around the Park and by the time I got to my room i was all sweaty, sticky, hungry and ready for a good long shower. Speaking of rooms, the director of the school I attend managed to get me a bigger room which is way better than the original room I had been given. Ladies and gentlemen, I present............my room. Simple, clean, full of natural light and comfortable.

That's it folks, I better do some homework before I head to bed because i have a lot and I haven't even looked at it since I got out of class.

Random Thoughts of The Day:

I get the impression that Panama City is full of young new money and this young new money is more than ready and willing to spend big.

I really need to be practicing my Spanish but it's a bit hard because after school I hang out with English speaking folks so that doesn't help me much. Usually it's other students from the school. I try to practice more with taxi drivers and some are actually very friendly and patient enough to humor me.

In Colombia I will get better opportunity to practice since I will not be surrounded by English speaking folks.

Many taxi drivers here will give you their name and phone number after they drop you off so that you can use their services again. I think that's nice because if you get a good driver you can always reach out to them for rides and avoid some of the hustle of dealing with some sketchy drivers who try to over charge you once they realize you are not Panamanian.

I had an unexpected personal conversation with one of my teachers in class and I have to say, never judge a book by it's cover. She told me some things about her life and I shared mine and at the end of the conversation I saw her with a different set of eyes........I am glad we had that conversation.

Panama is slowly growing on me.

A Glimpse Into My New Life So Far

I don't know what possessed me to take intensive Spanish classes because 4 hours of Spanish every morning is a killer. After the first hour I kept looking at my teacher's watch wishing the next 3 hours would go by fast. Aii! Dios, Spanish is not easy! the verbs, dealing with past, present and future tenses.......I had a headache at the end of class. I find that I read and write better in Spanish than I speak.

The good thing about class is that I met new people and even made another new friend; Amber, who is super cool and is actually planning on traveling through South America for almost 2 years and may take the same path I am taking. Talking to such people motivates me more and makes me realize that I made the right decision to do this.

Day 3 in Panama and I am beginning to warm up to this place, I knew it would happen and it was just a matter of time. I have been getting familiar with my neighborhood and took a few pictures to give you an idea of my new life. Enjoy!

This is right outside the guest house that I am staying in

This is the street I use to go to school, if you look close enough you can see Einstein's head (the white object between the two trees). It's a very useful landmark for some of us who have a horrible sense of direction plus it comes in handy when directing taxi drivers because once you tell them the neighborhood and mention "La Cabeza de Einstein" then they know where to drop you off.

If I ever have a craving for a Subway sandwich, I am covered. This is across the road from my school and just right round the block from where I live.

The area I live at has many high-rise apartments, some look very trendy and pricey.

Check me out with my groceries for the week woop! woop! I am slowly building a routine so even the most basic task gives me a sense of accomplishment in that I feel like my life is slowly adapting to my new environment. 

The place I stay at is in a nice neighborhood but don't get it twisted, security is emphasized. Every apartment has these metal doors for added security. 

 Then you get inside the hallway and it doesn't look as intimidating. That's my room on the left.

This is the shared kitchen for the students staying at the guest house. Great place to meet fellow students and make new friends or just chill on the balcony.

View from the balcony. Nice, right?

That's it folks I hope you get an idea of my soon to be everyday life in Panama. I have homework which sucks but I gotta do it if I am serious about my Spanish.

Random Thoughts of The Day:

I love the age group at my school and the guest house where I am staying at. Most people are more mature and there isn't a party crowd. I am not against partying but I am past that stage and I appreciate peace and quiet so I like the crowd that I have encountered so far.

I am so glad that my mood has changed for the better because now I can appreciate my experience here and not let this trip go to waste. Meeting the new people that I have come across has also played a part in improving my mood because so far everyone is nice and very open. 

I have just started noticing how cute the men here are hahahaha okay I am not blind so how can I not appreciate beauty when I see it right? I gotta say the various mixtures of races here has produced some fine specimen!

The mannequins here are hilarious. The female mannequins have big boobs and almost look like they had boob jobs and the male mannequins have some serious muscles going on. I should take some pictures.

Body image here is impressive because no one seems conscious of their physique. I am basing this on the outfits I have seen. Let's just say certain outfits are not suitable for everyone but who cares, they are still worn with pride. Gotta love the confidence.

Did I mention in Panama they use US dollars? yes they do and it's so convenient because you don't have to deal with exchange rates. Also you don't need an adapter to charge your electronics because they use the same voltage as the US. 

Day Well Spent

My feet are swollen and sore and lord knows how many calories were burned today but I have to say it was a day well spent.

I woke up early ready to hike some trails that Jeanie had mentioned yesterday. We were joined by Cathy from San Francisco, another residence in the guest house where we are all staying. I was really looking forward to the hike but I had under estimated how difficult it would be, 10 Kilometers later I could barely put one foot in front of the other due to exhaustion.

What made the trail we took difficult was the rocky terrain and steep hills not to mention trying to navigate through thick undergrowth. What kept me motivated was the thought of the number of calories we must have all have been burning, better than any gym machine for sure! (trying to lose the winter weight i packed on).

This was us at the beginning of our trail looking all happy and excited.

Still energetic

Getting tired

The end - tired as hell, sore feet, hungry, hot and sticky but happy that we made it to the end.

Pretty much that was the summary of my day, the hike took up a chunk of the day and by the time we made it to our rooms everyone was ready to shower, eat and sleep. If only I could get a foot massage right about now.........

Random Thoughts Of The Day:

I am so glad that I met Jeanie and Cathy because they have been good company and a good distraction from my sadness........I miss my boyfriend so much. The three of us seem to get along pretty well so hanging out together has been very pleasant so far.

The men here are quite bold in the way they show attraction to the opposite sex. There is no subtlety at all, from honking their horns at women to openly oogling. Take for instance the taxi driver we used today, this guy had three women in the cab with him yet had no shame honking at a woman jogging by the side of the road, we all just started laughing at the absurdity of it all but dude looked at us like we were weird. At one point when Cathy was alone with him, he asked her if she was married with kids and she said no, he started complimenting her and she could tell where the conversation was headed so she put a stop to it. The guy is married by the way.

I fit in here very well as most people assume I am Panamanian. Today we went to the grocery store before our hike and when Jeanie had a question for the cashier, she answered back looking at me and addressing me as she could tell Jeanie was struggling with her Spanish so she assumed I was Panamanian and I would be able to assist. I love that i fit in with the locals and can move about without attracting any attention as a tourist.

I am amazed at how much Spanish vocabulary I know. I understand a lot of words and I can vaguely make out what someone is telling me if they speak slower. This is a major improvement from the very first time I visited a Spanish speaking country, I could not even order food in a restaurant let alone carry out very basic conversation. I am so proud of myself. I hope these two weeks of intensive Spanish classes will give me a chance to practice the conversation part more.

That's it folks, tomorrow morning I have class between 8:30 to 12:30 so it's gonna be a long day!

Panama City

I am in Panama city currently after getting here last night and I have to admit my first night here was not the best for me. I was in a bad mood, I hated the hot humid weather, I hated my small stuffy room and I just wanted to go home frankly speaking.

After a good night's sleep I woke up in a better mood and a better attitude. I went to register for my Spanish classes which start on Monday then bought some groceries and came to my room to relax and escape the heat while waiting to meet up with this friendly lady from Arizona that I met last night, for some sight seeing.

We went to Casco Antiguo which is the historic district of Panama city, it was really pretty with narrow roads, pretty plazas and old buildings with cute balconies that reminded me so much of Cartagena, Colombia.

We came across this small market that had really cool traditional Panamanian crafts, this was the entrance.

It was actually pretty cool being in the historic district then looking over at the horizon and seeing all these new high-rise buildings.

We did a lot of sight seeing despite the hot weather and I enjoyed myself a lot. Hanging out with my new friend Jeanie was pretty cool too because she was very easy going and we got along pretty well.

Tomorrow we are going to hike some trails and i am looking forward to it, should be a good work out for sure. I am slowly warming up to Panama city and I hope the days to come will make me fall in love with this place.

I forgot to mention, Panama City is very diverse and I have seen all shades of skin color here. I was even mistaken for Panamanian until I opened my mouth.........I am not yet fluent in Spanish but i hope that will change with time.

Saying Goodbye

I am all packed up and ready to go after a lot of back and forth on what to pack and what to leave behind. I hate packing! that's the only part of travel that I never look forward to. It wasn't easy fitting all my stuff in that backpack but I did my best and whatever could not fit in, I am leaving behind.

I can't believe that today will be the last day before my trip, tomorrow at a time like this I will be out of here and air bound to Panama. These last few days have been hectic, stressful and more emotional than I had imagined.

The last time I said this kind of goodbye was 14 years ago when I was moving to the US, now I am moving yet again and even though I will be coming back to the US I will not be moving back to Minnesota, the place I have called home since 2000. I would like to move to a different state and start afresh, I feel like I have outgrown Minnesota and I just want new beginnings.

In this age of social media I know keeping in touch will be easy but I will miss the face to face interactions with those who are dear to me, I will miss going to my favorite book store or hang outs, I will miss having my own comfortable space and being in my comfort zone. I don't know what this new adventure will bring but I hope at the end of it all I will be able to say it was worth it.

Saying goodbye has been tough but my friends have been awesome and encouraging, making things so much easier instead of sad. There is one goodbye though that no one can make easier and that is the goodbye I will have to say to my boyfriend tomorrow when I head to the airport. I am definitely not looking forward to that...............