Upon coming to Panama, my first impressions were, ?I need to shower.? After a long travel day, I think we all thought the same. After that though, I developed my first impressions when I got pizza with my hotel roommate. I really enjoyed how a lot of places were within walking distance and the area we stayed in was very lively. It was around 10 PM and there were many families out, lots of people walking their dogs, and there was just an overall welcoming vibe. When we got to the restaurant, I had the first instance of the language barrier. As a non-Spanish speaker, it was difficult to communicate at times and it became common within our group to go places with a Spanish speaker whenever we could. On our first day in Panama, we visited ruins and a cultural city. The ruins really gave me insight into the rich history Panama has. At the cultural city, Casco Antiguo, I also saw firsthand the socioeconomic divide and differences in Panama. The city overall was absolutely gorgeous and was a good way to start our Panama experience. Traveling through the city and seeing everything for the first time was also something I enjoyed. I always made sure to sit by the windows on the bus so I could really take in Panama City. The buildings and architecture within the city, especially in the financial district, are impressive with many high rises. I also liked seeing the little details someone might miss if they weren?t paying attention, such as seeing the different stores they have in Panama. The next day, our group was really able to see a big part of the history and culture of Panama by visiting the Embera Indigenous Village. We were able to venture to an amazing waterfall in the jungle via canoes and watch their cultural dances. A huge rainstorm came through and we had to wait for it to stop so we could safely travel back along the river to get to the bus. Though this created a bump in some of our plans, I feel like the rainfall really helped me see how the weather affects a village such as Embera. These two days showed me how different some things are between Panama and the US–the different lifestyles and cultures. But, I was also able to see the similarities (they have Taco Bell, just as we do). I think this goes to show you can have familiar feelings no matter where you go, but you also need to be able to explore and learn and embrace where you are at. I hope to gain a better understanding of how cultures interact, and as I said, just really embrace the culture here. I?m excited to see what we have learned over the past semester go into effect.
