It is true, our time in Panama is coming to an end. I can't speak for Shawn, but I have mixed feelings about leaving. I am excited to be heading to Colombia and beyond and I am sad to be leaving behind so many new friends. We will keep in touch with those we have met here but it will still be sad to say goodbye.
I have no regrets about our time spent here in Panama (with exception of maybe the expense of a new transmission:elkgrin
. For me, this trip is about the journey as much as it is the destination. I am very lucky to have had the chance to spend a month in panama, living with wonderful people and really experiencing the country and culture. As travelers and tourists, I think we spend a lot of time blasting through places, taking a look at the scenery from the highway or a select handful of guidebook locations and then claim to "know" the country. I have really enjoyed the chance to slow down and live in an area doing the day to day routine alongside the locals.
I've had some very memorable experiences here. My favorite times here have not been about the location or the sights but about the people I am with. I've had dinner at some of the fanciest restaurants in Panama City and I've had some fantastic food served to me out of a 5 gallon bucket in the slums. I've had the chance to make friends here from all walks of life. I've slept in a penthouse apartment downtown, camped on a beach in the rain, and slept on the floor of a $150/month apartment, as well as staying in a few normal houses. I've ridden in a speedboat through part of the canal. I've shared a compact taxi with 5 other people (plus driver) and been all over the city on $0.25 Diablo Rojo buses. I've had beers with published scientists while swinging in hammocks. I've hiked mountains, seen waterfalls, watched monkeys swing in the trees, and swam in rivers and natural pools. I've met people who's adventures make my trip look like child's play. You could spend a lifetime in Panama, or any other place in the world, and still not experience all of it.
I am very fortunate to have been able to experience these things but, most importantly, I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet the people I have met here in Panama. Everyone has a story, especially in Panama, and it has been wonderful to be able to spend time with all of these new friends and hear all of their stories. If only I had the time to spend this long in each country!
There is a quote that I have heard a few times. I am not quite sure who it should be attributed to, but it goes something like, “The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see.” I mean no offense to tourists since, most of the time, I am one. I identify a lot with this quote in that I have no real expectations or ideas of what each country will bring. I end up in each place and experience it for myself. Panama has given me that opportunity more so than any other country and I feel like I have benefited greatly by it. I think that there are some things you just can't learn about Panama unless you are in Panama and keep an open mind. There is a lot going on here, politically, socially, and economically and I think the best way to learn that is to experience it in person and get involved with the locals. I am glad I had the chance to do that, even briefly. I am walking away slightly more informed about the country and it's people and culture, and that is the best I can hope for.
If everything went as planned, we would have no stories and no adventure.
