First World Problems

The first time I visited a third world country, I was 25 years old and in my last year of medical school.  I went to India for a month, and thought I knew what I was in for.  The level of shock at what I was actually seeing is difficult to describe.  The ideas I had about the conditions of life outside the Midwest U.S. paled in comparison to the reality of the dust and the heat, the trash and the poverty.  Yet India embedded itself in my heart and ever since I returned, it is a part of me and I can't imagine life without that experience. 

I think of this as I watch my children react to life in and travels through Central America.  We have talked in the past of "waiting until they are old enough" but I think there is a point where waiting too long makes it more difficult for them and for us.  At 7, with a relatively uncomplicated personality, Josef seems to take it all in stride.  He observes and catalogues and with his scientist's brain, does not seem to make judgments.  Maggie, entering tweenhood and somewhat particular about her surroundings, has had perhaps a more difficult time while taking in the world around her.  I watched her growing discomfort on our travel day bring her to the edge of tears and finally she just admitted that the layer of grime that seems to cover everything in the third world was about to push her over the edge.

We promise that we will keep them safe and do our best to keep them healthy.  We give them advice born of experience ("don't eat the salad with the fresh tomato because you don't know what kind of water it was washed in... that's what laid me out for a day in the Dominican Republic!") and assure them that if the things they see make them uncomfortable, perhaps it will give them perspective that will help them in the long run. And we hope that they can see through the dirt and the poverty to the beauty that is in the ocean, the culture, the language and the people.

Baby steps: Today we went out to dinner to celebrate our first day of Spanish school.  Maggie was scoping out the restaurant, and, indicating a man sitting across the room, said, "You can always tell the Americans in these places, look, he has a coke and French fries, same as you could get at Wendy's", with the air of a world traveler.  I watched the two of them find their way home on the muddy path as local families and kids walked by, stopping to talk to a dog as if they belonged here.  Already their Spanish comes more easily and I am hopeful that they will always hold this month in their hearts. 

Photos

We have photos! I uploaded them to Picasa and then somehow they will transfer over.  However, in doing so, I now have several copies of each photo on the last post.  Sorry!  Will work out the glitches as we go.  That last post has photos of the border crossing between Costa Rica and Panama (watch your step on the bridge... lots of missing boards!) and some pics of our house here in Bocas del Toro.  School starts today; Ray is off to class and the kids and I go this afternoon.  It's a quiet morning on Saigon Bay.  Love to all.

Crossing the border from Costa Rica to Panama

 To cross the border from Costa Rica into Panama, you have to get off the bus, check out with immigration, walk across this bridge while the bus drives, check in with the other immigration, get your stuff off the bus and change buses because the Costa Rican bus can't drive into Panama.








These other pictures are views off our porch on Saigon Bay, Bocas del Toro, Panama in last evening's rain








































Josef on the couch

From Ray:

Extrication [to free or remove from an entanglement] and Coincidence [the occurrence of events that happen at the same time by accident but seem to have some connection]

Before any travel there is the process, the work, of preparing to remove oneself from the usual routine; one’s occupation, many of the usual social and familial obligations, hobbies and other activities we choose [or perhaps not] to include in our days.  These seem at times during the preparation to extend like endless tentacles around the soon to be traveler.  Our daily lives entail so much more of this than we may be aware of.  There in may be some of the beauty, the allure, at least for some, to the “travel” experience.

The early morning of September 27, cool and raining, was the first of our travel days.  The airport was reached without any unexpected events.  Walking to one of many “security” lines I saw her, a familiar face from years ago.  She [ I’ll call her Joannie M.  a tribute to the many memories I have of her and to the song writer whose lyrics frequently remind me of her] is as ageless as anyone I know.  A priceless “coincidence”; to have the opportunity to talk to her and share recent events was wonderful.  This event reinforces my feeling, my belief, that these apparent accidental events are far from accidental or random.

Panama

By Maggie

          I have done a lot of stuff in Panama, even though I have only been here for

two days. One of the first things that happened was that we were waiting to be picked up

and taken to our house and no one came. We looked around, and eventually got a hotel for

the night. In the morning, we got a phone and called the emergency number on the guys door.

His assistant came and explained that he was on vacation in the USA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

            At the restaurant that we ate last night, there were live lobsters in a pit in the dining area!

It was dark out and there were green lights making the lobsters visible. It was so cool, but I miss

being in Colorado with civilization. I want to come home, but I like being in the water twenty-four

seven. We are actually on the water. Well, our house is.

           That’s what is has been happening around here lately.

Maggie

Josef’s Blog

 

Panama               9\29\13       6:23 pm.

Panama is good so far.

I like boating, swimming, reading and siting by the water.

We  saw a ton of fish. In a restaurant they had live lobsters.

Out house is almost fully in the water!

I cant wait to boat again.

By,

     Josef

Still working on adding pictures

Toby is coming with us, he says.

Learning to add pictures to the blog! Here are Toby and the chickens.

 

 

 

 

Blog Test

Hey there, Just testing this site!! I am hoping to work on a blog while we are in Panama.  Let me know if this is working.  Love to all!!