on the move

Finally made it to Panama. Went through some serious culture shock for about 24 hours.

Imaging spending 3 weeks where almost half the people wear some level of what I would describe as "non-modern" attitre, some of it some of it being Mayan clothing some of stemming from poverty and living in the hills with a lack of dental care and culture differences. I have become acustom to hearing Spanish around me, seeing goldcapped or missing teeth, the unique beautiful, undescribable fabrics, infants and two-year olds bound to their mothers backs - all as a part of my existence and i hadn´t noticed it and I hadn´t noticed until the airport.

I was cramming trying to read up on Panama (serious data deficit) . . .and naturally everyone was still speaking Spanish (Guatemala City) however they were dressed totally modern. Where was I??? How far had he mini bus driven? What continent - a dream? Am I in Spain, are they really speaking Spanish or is my head just totally swiming?? Wow, they are all realy clean and pretty . . . .

I suddenly became acutely aware of how gross I must have seemed to these increadibly stylsh people. It was as though I were in Spain rather than the Latin America I´ve been in for the past 3 weeks . . . So interrestingly, my departure from Guatemala was nothing like the 3.5 weeks i speand in the country.

Guatemala was great but now I'm Panama - and it is hot, humid and I LOVE IT!!!!

Flying in was crazy b/c Panama City the is freakishly modern - as the guide book says it is a lot like Miami. We stayed out till 4am and things were still bumping went we tool off. After 2 nights Kevin and I have moved on the the caribean boccas Del Torro island chain and are going to an outter island in the morning. This is nothing short of amazing.

I´d go into more detail but I am beat from the 4am night club thing. The whole world should have have all night discos.