How to Describe Perfection?

So, our trip to Panama exceeded all expectations. By a lot. To be honest, I did not have high hopes. I thought trying to find all transportation would be a huge hassel, we would all be tired, it would rain, we would stay in dingy places - I thought all the worst was coming. Wrong. It turns out it couldn't be easier - somehow it was all a piece of cake. Buses and taxis right there when we needed them - and when they weren't the people at where we were staying (Both the Purple House in David and Boca Brava) called taxis and arranged everything for us. People are so nice!

The Purple House was fun - internet! and talking to people from all around and shower and sleep. And everything Purple down to my (complimentary) coffee cup in the morning. Best of all, of course, was getting to our destination - the island of Boca Brava (don't ask me why it's called that). Soooo beautiful!! We take a water taxi to the island and go up the steps from the dock to our home for a day. None of us had exact change for the boat taxi, so the man working there said he would pay the man for us and just put it on our tab. We then had breakfast and amazing fruit drinks with milk (my favorite was papaya!). Then we decide to go on a day trip with snorkling. Lets just fill up the day right? Well, our boat taxi friend takes us to an amazingly beautiful beach on an island - it's only us and a couple from England and a girl from Germany who decided to join us. It's absolutely stunning. I can't wait for Laura and Komron to share their pictures!! So, we spend all day on this beach, in the water, climbing the rocks, exploring the forest - eating our packed lunch! Everything just so relaxed and wonderful.

Then we come back to our island and shower and have dinner. After a very tastey dinner with the breeze blowing, the music gets louder and they start dancing.. and we join in!! Oh, I haven't danced for such a long time. Then we all went out and sat on the dock for some good old bonding time. This morning was even more relaxed. We woke up, had some breakfast, and walked to another empty beach. This time, instead of playing with each other, we all chose our own spot - I read, others listened to music or explored. And we headed back to the boarder. And, this may not really be important, but to stay on this Island - room and all meals (5), less than $30.

Okay, time to go - I'll try and put up pictures sometime soon.

Life is good :)

Para Didi

Rachel, I don't know how I did this but I omitted a part of my story that would give you particular pleasure: In David, I am staying at a hostel called - guess what - The Purple House. And yes the house is actually purple, inside and out. Just about everything inside it is purple as well. Down to the fans and the bunkbeds. Cups, towels, all knick-knacks. Purple. :).

A Holy Day in Progresso

We celebrated the Holy Day last night at our house. There were about 40 people from the community who came up to observe it. That meant, since Anne had not yet arrived back from her trip to the states, we had to make all the preparations. And we were short on food. Really - like we didn't even have rice and beans. So, we had to walk down the hill yesterday morning to get the beans on the fire so that they could be ready by dinner time. Plus, one can't have only rice and beans to celebrate a holy day, so we killed two of our chickens. Actually, funny story. The standard procedure is to actually catch the chicken the night before you plan to eat it. You see, it is much easier to catch when they go up into their tree at night. Then, you "simply" shine a flashlight on them and hook them with your home-made noose contraption. Then, tie them up for the night and there they are when you want them. Unfortunately, yesterday, the one chicken chosen to be the perfect one (the one that has been laying eggs in the house for the past month and then jumping on your head when she wants to get out from behind the couch) actually escaped at the moment of her death. So, what to do. One chicken isn't enough to feed forty people - even if it is only arroz con pollo. Well, we had to catch another chicken so we got the dogs to help. And within five minutes they had caught the chicken. We were all so surprised that the dog got the one we wanted. But actually, it turned out it wasn't - it was a smaller version of the old one we wanted. Oh well. So, then we had to clean the chicken. None of us wanted to defeather it, so we skinned it. We got started well enough, but then were unsure of how to continue so we had to call in the assistance of Parviz, who apparently grew up skinning chickens - no, I'm making that up.. but he does know how to do it. Anyways, then we served over 40 people dinner and coffee, said some prayers, told some of the stories of Baha'u'llah's life and then sang some of the favorite songs. And, to finish the night off, we brought out the old laptop, gathered around it and watched the March of the Penguins. Not completely connected with the holy day, but on short notice quite good enough. Except, the night wasn't over yet. During the show, we hear from up the hill "Culebra!!" for those who don't know that means "SNAKE!!" Three men run up the hill and a short time later come back down with a 4 foot long ferdelance spiked through the back of it's neck. So the gringos can take pictures :). Which they did. And, today, us youth cleaned up the house and yard for the homecoming of Anne, and packed our own things to leave the country. So, at 2 we taught an English class at the school and at about 3 we started down for our 3 day rompe in Panama. So, here I am. In David for the night. Tomorrow we head for an Island called Boca Chica (I think).

(by the way, Mom, Nathan and Rachel, if this seems a bit familiar, yes, it is exactly what is in the email - I replied to you first, then decided it was a good enough story to share with all)

Love always!

I actually have time.. this might be long

I am, for the first time in months, on a high speed internet connection and have all the time I want to take on it! As we increase in the number of children's classes we are giving, we have had to make a schedule of who goes where when and all that so, as we were making that schedule, it was decided that, generally speaking, Fridays will be our day off. A prediction of what an average day off might be: wake up at 5 to head down the mountain by 5:30 to catch the 8:00 bus from Conte. That bus stops in Laurel from where we catch another bus or take a taxi to our final destination of Paso Canoas. Paso Canoas is the main boarder town between Costa Rica and Panama. Some people love it because it's sort of a funky place with lots of shops and street vendors and lots of people; there are others, though, that have noted that no one ever smiles here. Sad to say, I've found it's kinda true. But here I am. The main attraction is the fast and cheap internet. Also in Paso Canoas, is a bread shop called Musmani. Yummy. Every time we go to or come back from San Jose I get some new yummy bread (usually a danish or some other sweet yummy thing). Other than that, we'll eat lunch, do some shopping (I should probably get a new flashlight - very important item in the land of little or no electricity) and head back to Conte where we will spend the night in order to be available to teach an English class and children's class in Conte. So, that was the now.

In the upcoming future: On Wednesday, after our afternoon English classes at the primary school, we will be heading to Panama for a few days. Reason? because some of us have to leave the country (Laura y yo) before the 20th. After that... we think we will have Thanksgiving Dinner with some friends of the Ighanis in Panama. December, who knows. There are so many people coming and so many different plans that I really can't keep track. January, though I know we are going to the conference in Managua (sp?) Nicaragua. Apparently there are almost 1000 people coming. After that... nothing with specifics.. but it would be a great time for friends and family to visit! hint hint hint! ;)

That leaves the past right? Well, since last time, Anne has been in the states visiting family, so we've all had to take on more responsibility around the place. Mainly that means cooking. Laura does the most for a couple reasons: firstly, she doesn't like to be idle, but secondly because everything she makes comes out amazing. For weeks I've been meaning to write down the crazy things she does with nothing - a Progresso cookbook. Ok, put that on my list of shopping - a notebook. The rest of us also cook but in my opinion the most I can do is start a fire. Although I am competent at making rice and beans.. and bread. and spaghetti. Well, I try.
Oh, there was a birthday last week - Elias Moctezuma, the husband of a good friend, Besigo. Laura and I went down for the party (to be honest, mainly just a normal night of talking and laughing - but they did turn on the light for us) and good food. And, we stayed the night at their house. Yesterday I dug a ditch along the side of our dormitory because the old ditch had filled up and water was running under our house. Not good on several accounts. One, mosquitos. Two, the posts rot and the building falls down. We've also been working on a floor for the enrichment center.. don't know if I've mentioned that before.

Well, love to all.