Panama 2019 - Arrival

Oh, what a couple of days! Today and yesterday were a whirlwind of events, but offered new opportunities. Once we landed in Panama City, our bonds with one another quickly grew with the walking tour of the city. We were fortunate to have the time to see parts of Panama City as well as the Panama Canal. Seeing the old and the new Panama City and the contrast between the two was fascinating and memorable.

Upon arriving in the province of Bocas del Toro, we landed on the Island of Bocas. From there, we took a water taxi to our hotel on Isla Bastimento. The views from the water taxi were breathtaking. The hotel has a beautiful dock with views of the other islands. We then enjoyed a refreshing swim in the water right off the dock of the hotel. We ate a delicious dinner served by the welcoming hotel staff. We had delicious chicken and rice, and passion fruit juice. Before and after dinner we had an orientation presented by Ms. Emilie, Director of Events from the NGO Give and Surf, and Mr. Bill Cotter from Shoulder-to-Shoulder, our curriculum and planning director. They both introduced their respective programs, their history, the needs of the local community, and our involvement in the activities for this week. We learned of their expectations and hopes for us. We look forward to the upcoming events...stay tuned!

-Tim Keefe and Vivion Purser