So now we're back in the U.S. and trying to get back into the swing of things. I have now taken 6 hot showers, that's right, I've been keeping track. :D I also think that everything is way too expensive here since the low prices in Panama have ruined my outlook on prices in the U.S. forever... :(
I have also been to two doctors who have assured me that the horrible rash I developed in my last week in Panama is not contagious, nor is it ringworm. It is in fact, a hypersensitive reaction to insect bites, leading to the release of too much histamine, thus the rash wherever anything touches my skin... It's wonderful... But now I have steroids to make it all better!! So yay United States and modern medicine!!!
The last few weeks in Panama were pretty brutal. I was exhausted from all the physical activity, homesick cause I missed Easter, and covered in the before mentioned rash. It all worked out in the end though and the last week was pretty productive. Well lets back track a minute. We had free days at the end of Holy Week, which turned out to be the worst idea ever. In case you didn't know this it is nearly impossible to travel in Panama during Holy Week. Me, Dan, and Leslie tried to go back to El Valle to help out at the frog center for a few days. We had absolutely no problem getting to El Valle, but once we got there we found out we had no place to stay and they didn't need our help. So we turned around to leave, only to find that once we got back out to the Entrada and onto the Interamericana there were no buses to take us the direction we wanted to go. So we waited for 2 hours trying to catch a bus, then had to turn back around and go back to El Valle where Heidi had magically found a room for us to stay in for the night. We then stayed the night, woke up, then it took us almost 4 hours to finally catch a bus out of El Valle and back to El Cope, but we got out and that's all that matter. Oh that was such a stressful time. I feel my blood pressure rising just thinking about it...
Other than that our last few days in Panama were rather uneventful. Me and Leslie finished up our research. Chad took us out on our last night and we went adventuring through the forest to find a pond that had red eyed tree frogs. They were so cute!! And it really was an adventure since the path to the pond was all overgrown and we had to whack trees out of the way and explore off the path to find a way. It was exciting! We also saw a few really cool snakes, which made Chad's night, but then it started raining so our biology fun was ruined and we had to go back. It was a sad chiva ride back from the park that night. My last chiva ride... Maybe my last chiva ride ever!
So that was all the exciting stuff. We had a talent show on Tuesday then left early on Wednesday morning to go to Panama City and do some shopping and go to the mall, which was wonderful. I bought nice clean clothes to wear home. Then showered and got all clean when we got to Gamboa. It was wonderful to be clean and not have to worry about getting covered in dirt again 5 seconds after being clean. I still love the feeling. I'm not used to it yet.
But yeah, then we flew on the plane (which we almost missed) from Panama to Miami, and Miami home! I attacked my mom at the airport and her and my sister almost didn't recognize me because I was so tan. :D
It's good to be home and I find that I really did miss it. I've adjusted back to life here better than I thought I would, but I still have to stop myself from talking to people in Spanish and waving at all the cars I see. It's strange to adjust but I'm getting there. Happy day! Yay being home!
I have also been to two doctors who have assured me that the horrible rash I developed in my last week in Panama is not contagious, nor is it ringworm. It is in fact, a hypersensitive reaction to insect bites, leading to the release of too much histamine, thus the rash wherever anything touches my skin... It's wonderful... But now I have steroids to make it all better!! So yay United States and modern medicine!!!
The last few weeks in Panama were pretty brutal. I was exhausted from all the physical activity, homesick cause I missed Easter, and covered in the before mentioned rash. It all worked out in the end though and the last week was pretty productive. Well lets back track a minute. We had free days at the end of Holy Week, which turned out to be the worst idea ever. In case you didn't know this it is nearly impossible to travel in Panama during Holy Week. Me, Dan, and Leslie tried to go back to El Valle to help out at the frog center for a few days. We had absolutely no problem getting to El Valle, but once we got there we found out we had no place to stay and they didn't need our help. So we turned around to leave, only to find that once we got back out to the Entrada and onto the Interamericana there were no buses to take us the direction we wanted to go. So we waited for 2 hours trying to catch a bus, then had to turn back around and go back to El Valle where Heidi had magically found a room for us to stay in for the night. We then stayed the night, woke up, then it took us almost 4 hours to finally catch a bus out of El Valle and back to El Cope, but we got out and that's all that matter. Oh that was such a stressful time. I feel my blood pressure rising just thinking about it...
Other than that our last few days in Panama were rather uneventful. Me and Leslie finished up our research. Chad took us out on our last night and we went adventuring through the forest to find a pond that had red eyed tree frogs. They were so cute!! And it really was an adventure since the path to the pond was all overgrown and we had to whack trees out of the way and explore off the path to find a way. It was exciting! We also saw a few really cool snakes, which made Chad's night, but then it started raining so our biology fun was ruined and we had to go back. It was a sad chiva ride back from the park that night. My last chiva ride... Maybe my last chiva ride ever!
So that was all the exciting stuff. We had a talent show on Tuesday then left early on Wednesday morning to go to Panama City and do some shopping and go to the mall, which was wonderful. I bought nice clean clothes to wear home. Then showered and got all clean when we got to Gamboa. It was wonderful to be clean and not have to worry about getting covered in dirt again 5 seconds after being clean. I still love the feeling. I'm not used to it yet.
But yeah, then we flew on the plane (which we almost missed) from Panama to Miami, and Miami home! I attacked my mom at the airport and her and my sister almost didn't recognize me because I was so tan. :D
It's good to be home and I find that I really did miss it. I've adjusted back to life here better than I thought I would, but I still have to stop myself from talking to people in Spanish and waving at all the cars I see. It's strange to adjust but I'm getting there. Happy day! Yay being home!
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