A Cottage in Paradise

My little slice of paradise - just the right size, with everything I want
(neighbors have a washer)

What week it has been !! When they say that PC Response volunteers hit the ground running, they are not kidding.  Monday, I got a ride with my community partner, Pablo to Torti. The house is actually about 7km past Torti and closer to a little town called Huegronal, but Torti is the only thing you’ll find on the map.

The cottage is so much more than I could have ever wished for – electricity, (untreated) water 24/7, fridge, gas stove, comfy bed with mosquito net, kick-ass floor fan, fruit trees and absolute peace, except for the squawking flocks of parakeets that cruise by and the gorgeous rooster that greets me in the morning – about 5:30. And it is beyond charming – pink with a thatched roof, breezy porch and plenty of windows.

So far, the bug situation is nominal. Windows are open 24/7 with no screens and I haven’t been bothered at all. I deployed the mosquito net the first night, but soon discovered that neither breeze nor fan can penetrate the net. So, off it went – without incident.

I am about 1.5 km from the PanAmerican Hwy, down a fair dirt road. So, anytime I go out is at least a nice walk in both directions. Shopping must be done bit by bit. Once at the highway, I wait for a bus or a taxi, which can take as long as 20 minutes. Not much traffic on the highway, since it only goes another 100 to the east and dead-ends. Most all the taxis and all the buses are air conditioned, which is a nice treat. There are few houses between here and Torti, plus a huge new evangelical church and an even bigger beer depot.

A traditional home attached to a more modern one with wood siding and tin roof

Tuesday, Pablo drove me to meet my 2 service communities. We first went east, into the Heart of Darkness that is Darien province, to Pueblo Nuevo. This province borders Colombia and is full of drug and criminal activity. There are multiple security check-points, manned with military folks in full combat gear, who inspect the vehicle and question all passengers. Fortunately, I was issued an official Peace Corps ID that is respected as a free pass. There are other volunteers who serve deep in the heart of Darien – a full 6 hour drive and 4 hour boat ride from my site !!

Water Committee meeting. Note all bare feet except one. Floor is split bamboo and is raised 10 feet off the ground

At the Darien border, the PanAm effectively stops being a real road. Clearly no attention is given to maintaining this road, as the government seriously wants to discourage travel there. All driving is done off the side of the road, which is full of rocks and pot-holes.

The traditional community meeting house, raised, with bamboo floor and thatched roof - traditional and modern stairs are offered

Pueblo Nuevo is a small village of about 200 folks , who only came out of the jungle about 25 years ago. Their houses are built on stilts, which were required by the rivers and swamps where they once lived, but now are simply tradition (and charming). They have thatched roofs, with no walls or only a partial wall for ventilation. The “stairway” up is a log with notches and no hand-rail – not for the clumsy.

Our meeting was attended by about 40, which was a fantastic turnout, in my experience. Their water committee is very well organized and they were anxious to show me their record book and receipt pads. They do need some tech support from me. The water line runs about 5 km through the jungle , up a hill, down and then up a mountain from a spring source. They have problems with air getting into the line and blocking flow. So, I will show them where to install the air release valves that they will buy. The sad part is that they used to get water from the nearby river, but that became so polluted with run-off from the clear-cut areas and small mines that it became undrinkable. So, the government built them the looong water line.

We then headed back west, toward Panama City, past Torti, to my other site, which is Ipeti, another indigenous village, about 3 km off the PanAm. It is larger, about 400 and not nearly as organized or community minded as Pueblo Nuevo. Same housing construction. Though, some have switched to a regular wooden house, with thatched roof, on the round. Some have gone full modern, with concrete block walls and a tin roof. The meeting was a total bust, as only the water committee president and one other guy showed up. We agreed that I would return on Saturday and he’d try for a better turn-out. I did get to see the composting toilet / shower units that Global Brigades is sponsoring there. Concrete block construction with running water to the showers and a washing sick on the side. They will use a very cool plastic seat, which is much more attractive, comfortable and cleaner than the concrete seats I made in Peru. I will be doing the training on toilet use and maintenance.

Tuesday, I went back to Ipeti and took measurements and did a soil percolation test to see if my idea to convert these units to flush toilet will work, which looks good. We will try one experimental unit soon.

The next day was shopping and settling in to the cottage. Lots of deep cleaning and some painting. So, I now feel quite and home and very happy with my situation. I met some of the other local Volunteers for dinner and beers and regaled them with Goyo stories.                                                      
I'm enjoying the food here. Lots of fish and much more beef than in Peru, due to the large cattle ranches being carved out of the jungle. Fruit is plentiful. Rice is a given at any meal. A small bowl of beans is usually served on the side. Just like Peru, roasted chicken is a mainstay, with rice and beans and surprisingly a dollop of potato salad. Another favorite, new to me, are fried plantains. I've had them before, but somehow here they are just delicious. Eggs are not just for breakfast and usually served with a "tortilla" about 3" round and 1/2" thick - deep fried. Another favorite breakfast is chopped steak with onions and green peppers. Fried yucca is served instead of french fries, which is fine with me.

The national alcohol is Seca, which is just rum that is not aged. There are 3 national beers : Atlas, Panama and Balboa. Atlas light and Balboa suit my Bud taste just fine.                                                                                                                                                                                          

Some random observations here:

First papaya from my trees = deelicious

There is very little haggling here. The price quoted is the price and it is usually quite reasonable. I like that.

Weather is pretty much the same every day – High of 85, low of 75. This is right on the line of comfort for me. My sweat glands are in overdrive and I could only sleep with the air from the fan. It rained lightly and then  down-poured, with thunder and lightning, much like Florida in the summer. The rainy season is late this year, due to El Nino and everything is bone dry. The heavy daily rains should start soon.

Daily cottage maintenance includes sweeping the litter that falls from the inside of the thatched roof and boiling drinking water. I go through about 3 liters a day.

My phone and USB internet stick work well, albeit 3G and slow, but not complaining. Both are from the old Cable & Wireless, which I knew well in the Caribbean.

Lots of names for things different here than in Mexico or Peru. Hummingbirds are “visita-flor” or “culibri”.