Portobelo Vacation

Diablo Rojo bus to Portobelo

My first vacation in Panama was relaxing, educational and fun. The trip from the Emerald City to Colon was on an express bus, standard Greyhound size. And they mean express. Once you leave the city and get on the autopista, there are no exits for the entire 50 mile trip to just outside of Colon. No houses, no nothing except green on both sides of the 4 lane concrete ribbon. And one rest stop at the mid-point and lots of                                                                                       Cell antennas.

The pimped out inside of the Diablo Rojo bus

Outside of Colon, I boarded a packed bus for Portobelo. This was one of the converted US school buses, elaborately painted and decorated called Diablos Rojos – Red Devils. Though the drivers are not worse than the Coaster drivers. The interior was what I imagine a New Orleans whore house might look like, stopping every 5 minutes to load or discharge passengers on a 1 ½ lane road.

Beautiful grounds of Coco Plum - rooms are behind foliage at left

I chose the Coco Plum Hotel and Golden Frog Dive Center and was not disappointed in any way. I fell in love with Coco Plum at first sight. Lush tropical landscaping, everything way over-decorated with a tropical / nautical kitsch theme. Lots of ginger, herbs and fruit growing all

The rooms are pure tropical / nautical Funky

around. The room was large, again with ceramic fish all over the walls. Air conditioned but no hot water, TV or phone. Just my kind of place. A gorgeous little beach and warm water, but not swimmable as the depth about 300ft out is still just waist deep. Unlike the Pacific side of Panama which has 15-18 ft tides, the Carib side has about 1

The beach is small, scenic, but not for swimming

ft tides. Also, the hotel is in a lagoon, protected all around by reefs, so not much for waves.

The restaurant was decorated with all sorts of relics – old gas cans, old anchors, boats, floats winches. The food was incredible – all fresh seafood. They will not serve frozen, which limits dinner choices, but is worth it. The first night no lobster, but fresh octopus, which I wrongly assumed would be like calamari

Restaurant is even funkier than the rooms

(squid). Not so – it was not in rings and VERY tender. Chef Maria did it up in a coconut/ginger sauce that was just extraordinary. And the best fried yucca ever. Next night was only corbina in an aji (garlic) sauce , with coconut rice and a pineapple chutney. Finally got the lobster on my third night – two small (illegal??) tails. Absolutely tender and tasty, with just a little herbal butter.

The diving was OK, but nothing like Belize or the Bahamas

The diving was less than spectacular. Rey, the Divemaster runs a great shop with the very latest and best equipment. So many tech upgrades since my last dive in 2002. But, with all the rivers that exits this coast, any rain sends particulates into the water. Most folks dive here in the dry season. Visibility was about like that off West Palm Beach, FL. We dove the nice reef at the entrance to the lagoon – beautiful corals and lots of fish, even some lobster, in about 25-40 ft. It was OK, but pales in comparison to Belize or the Bahamas. The top 5 ft of water was like a bathtub (fresh river water), with cooler temps below. Still very comfortable without a wetsuit. We tried a second dive up the coast, but it was about the same.

The original Fortaleza San Lorenzo was not defensible

Next day, I walked the coast road into Portobelo itself. The town is quite famous as the Caribbean end of the Camino Real. A few years after Balboa pioneered a route from the Pacific to the Carib, this faster, easier and safer route was found. And Portobelo had a very nice, natural deep water harbor.  Coincidentally, Baboa was executed just about the same time. Gold and silver mined or looted  from the Pacific areas of Peru and Ecuador was then brought to what is now Panama City and trekked by mule train (or slave train) through the jungle trail that led to Portobelo, where it was shipped to Spain. Parts of the highway from the City to Colon are actually built on the path. 

Bigger and more guns on higher ground made the new
Fort Portobelo harder to attack, Still taken twice by English

Problem was that having all that loot flowing through and being stored made Portobelo – also where Columbus made his first landing in Panama, thus the name of nearby Colon – a prime target for English and French raiders. The city was looted several times and finally abandoned in favor of a more defensible harbor at

I bet 18 of these bad boys made some noise

Colon. The original Fortaleza de San Lorenzo was built right on the water’s edge and had only 4” cannon and was easily taken by Morgan and others. The second Fort Portobelo was up higher and had more and bigger guns. Still, it was captured twice and the trans-shipment port was moved about 25 miles up the coast to Colon.

Playa Blanca was well worth the visit.

A $15 water taxi ride from the now small town (pop 2000), brought me to Playa Blanca, a classic tropical beach, which reminded me of Trunk Bay beach in St Johns USVI. The swimming was gorgeous, though very shallow until about 500 ft off the beach. Some enterprising young lads sold 3 liter bottles of water for $3 each for rinse-off. There was another small shack selling hamburgers (not bad). All that was lacking was the queso for a “Cheeseburger in Paradise”. No kosher pickle or cold draft beer, either.

                                                                I skipped a second dive in favor of a hike

I crossed many streams - would not want to
try this in a heavy rain

in the jungle of the Portobelo National Park. The trail is mostly kept clear, but the jungle grows so fast, that at times the trail disappeared and I wished I had brought a machete. I crossed a dozen or more streams and climbed many hills and valleys. Lush, tropical beauty is everywhere. I saw some fantastic neon blue butterflies and heard the cry of the howler monkeys, along with the yakking of parrots. Once again, I was struck by the lack of insects, except for the leaf-cutter ants which flow in lines across the jungle floor. I took dozens of photos, but none really captured the immense size and scope of the giant plants and trees. Here are a few...

Not my photo. But, I did see a couple of these neon flashing in the sun

I know there is a trail here somewhere.
Where is that machete when I really need it ??

The trees and vines are HUGE !! This is just the lower 70 ft of tree

Beautiful Mushroom lady with frilly skirt

Bugs leave a lovely lace pattern on the leaves

On the Bus

Some observations and thoughts from my 4 hour bus ride this morning……..

The Coaster bus - my ride to the City

There is a tradition, of sorts, for passengers to say Buenos Dias (or other greeting), as they board the bus. Everybody on the bus responds in chorus. Not everyone does this – mostly older folks in the rural area. When we get close to the Emerald City it stops completely. It seems a little contrived and corny, but I like it. I’m going to start doing it myself.

Another bus tradition seems to be what I call “The Hot Seat”. This is the passenger seat up with the driver. I once asked to sit there and was abruptly turned down. On further observation, the seat seems to be reserved for rather attractive young women. Maybe not a rule or tradition, but it seems more than coincidence.

The buses that run from the City to “The East Side” – Chepo, Torti and Darien Province – are called “Coasters”. Turns out, that is because almost all of them are indeed Toyota Coaster buses. Duh.

I crashed more than a few of these

If you played with a balsa wood airplane as a kid, it might have come from the Chepo area of Panama. There used to be huge forests of balsa. But, the lumber folks cut them down and failed to plant any new ones and the industry collapsed. Maybe that’s why the little planes are now made of (yuck) Styrofoam.

The narrow block used in Panama

Construction Note : Concrete block here are about half the width of blocks in the US. This makes it easier to carry block to a remote building site, but also makes the wall less laterally stable. Also, since the soil in the jungle is mostly a red clay, with a thin layer of organics, river bed sand is used for concrete mixes. It is not consistent or clean, but seems to work OK. It is sold in little 10 kilo bags.

A little Spanish difference from Peru – In Panama an estate or ranch is called a “finca” , while it was “fondo” in Peru. Here, a “fonda” is a small restaurant. Also, fruit smoothies in Panama are “batidos”, not “liquados or jugos” as in Peru.

XTRA is one big chain here "SUPER 99" is the other.

Panama used to have small local “tiendas”, where you could get a meager assortment of goods, maybe even a few fruits or veggies. They still exist in the small villages. Then came the advent of the “Super”. In the City they are just like any big chain supermarket, in the rural areas, maybe ¼ scale. Anyway, now the small tiendas call themselves “mini-super”, which sort of cancels itself out. I guess.

The “Macarena” is not dead. I just heard it on the bus radio. Oh, Dear.

Line #2 of the Panama Metro is well under way. It will be mostly raised about 15 ft above ground, so cars can pass under it and it can get under over-passes. Same Spanish firm that built the beautiful Line #1, on-time and on-budget, is doing #2. The end of Line #2 was supposed to have been the airport. But, apparently the taxis drivers created a big fuss and that leg is “on hold”, and folks will continue to pay the $30-$40 to get into the City. I don’t see how the Metro would hurt their business much. Most folks arrive with too much baggage to schlep onto the subway.

Bano Units in Ipeti Choco

Lisandro addressing the village meeting

My first meeting with the newly formed Water Committee in Ipeti was one of those precious “Peace Corps moments”, that we all hope to have. As you may recall, the WC was all but defunct in the village. There was just one guy (Lisandro) doing his best to keep the water flowing. Only a handful of people paid the $2/mo water fee. And he was getting tired of it.

New Water Committee is sworn in

We tried to have a town meeting, but only 15 or so showed up. Then, we hit upon the idea of printing up and hand delivering notices, which got us a grand turnout – 80 of the 250 adults in town. At which meeting Lisandro rose to the occasion and the community responded with support, both in people stepping forward to serve on the WC and in 18 people paying their dues. And the community also had the opportunity to discuss other matters – access road, transportation, the new saw mill, etc., which they used with gusto. These folks are not shy and really like to talk. The meeting went on for 3 hours after I left.

So, I was delighted when I came to our first Directivo meeting at the WC office – a defunct USAID tourism office – and all 6 members were waiting for me. 15 minutes EARLY !!  The enthusiasm had not waned, one bit. Brought a smile to my heart.

Ipeti water tanks need some work

I went through all the training materials. Presenting them on my laptop seemed to be particularly impressive to them. My community partner, Global Brigades, had generously donated a complete set of journals, ledgers and receipt books, which further enthused the group. I still need to work with them on setting up the books and planning ways to get more of the community to pay, including a “wall of shame” and maybe lowering the fee – we’ll see when we sit down to draft an annual budget. But this was really a heart-warming fresh start of community development.

Afterwards, we went up to inspect the 2 water storage tanks and discussed the needed repairs and plans to clean and disinfect the system. The GREAT news is that they have a 12V chlorine generator that will make all the chlorine they need – on the spot.

The Bayano watershed 3D map

The added bonus was that a couple of Americans from the Smithsonian were also in town, to give a presentation on reforestation as a means of preserving the local watershed. They had a huge 3D map, which was most impressive.

Bucket with sawdust and scoop, bottle for flushing and urinal

I also met with the Brigades team and some locals about the Bano units (composting toilet/shower/sink) they are building in the village. There were some major problems with the design, including no urinal for men and complete darkness inside with the door closed. The darkness was a perfect opportunity to introduce the gang to the “famous” bottle bulb, which I used with great success in Peru. So, we installed one on the spot, to much acclaim. After exhaustive discussion about how to construct the urinal, my friend Pablo went running off and came back with the perfect solution – a square concrete block, usually used for making columns in a building. We then proceeded to run down all the little extra features to make the Banos work really well.

Pablo was not shy about modeling for the Banos manual.
Here, he is flushing the toilet urinal with water.

A word about Pablo, who is fast becoming a close friend and “go-to” guy in town. He and his wife run one of the 3 small stores (tiendas), that sell all manner of foods, drinks and supplies. They live in the back. Pablo is really bright – he gets concept right away and is an outstanding problem solver. He is outspoken and bold and well respected by the community. He is a little younger than me (63) and much shorter, strong as an ox. He is one of those guys that I instantly feel a bond with, like we’ve known each other for years. I like it when that happens.

Bottle Bulbs make a great addition of light in the shower
 and toilet areas

Another issue with the Bano construction was that they made round holes to set the plastic seat over. This would have caught a lot of poop on the edges, so we decided to use a plastic bucket as a “liner” on the existing units, but make a larger square form for future units. Pablo understood the problem instantly and had a frame constructed in minutes. I love this guy.

A dental problem caused a trip to the Emerald City. One of my (many) crowns came off and needed to be reset. Normally, a dental problem in a foreign country would be cause for alarm. But, this is where the Peace Corps truly has our backs. One call to the Medical Office and I had an appointment the next day. All paid for, including transportation. Problem solved.

Next week ….. VACATION !! Scuba diving in Portobelo on the Caribbean coast.

The KUNA Tribe

Some Kuna women hanging on the street in Chepo

Since both of my service villages identify as “Kuna”, a little background on the tribe is in order. First, the folks in my towns are not pure or “orthodox” Kuna, as I call them. They are of mixed descent, mostly with Afro-Panamanians. This part of Panama was the favorite place to hide when slaves escaped from the Spanish masters. Nor is either village on the Kuna Comarca. The Comarca is a special preserve, a bit like the Indian reservation in the US. Except this land is some of the richest turf around, mostly virgin jungle forest. Only the Kuna can harvest wood or hunt or fish in the Comarca (legally anyway). There is a Comarca for each of the 7 remaining tribes. So, my folks are not pure Kuna, but do share some traits.

The full Kuna outfit

The Kuna Comarca, which is only about 5 km from my cottage, is by far the largest. The boundary is also right across the PanAmerican Hwy from Ipeti Choco, one of my villages, which is why I see so many of the orthodox Kuna. Their village, on the northern side of the PanAm is Ipeti Kuna. The Comarca extends all the way to the Atlantic (Caribbean) side and includes the famous San Blas islands, where the purest of the pure Kuna live. All the Kuna on the Comarca are self-governing and pretty much independent of Panamanian federal control. Everything, including animals, land and homes, is owned communally.

Classic Kuna home

The Kuna moved up from Columbia, after the Spanish wiped out nearly all the natives in Darien and then abandoned the area in favor of the easier crossing route where the Canal is today. The Kuna never got along with the Spaniards or the Panamanians after independence, but did seem to welcome the Scots, who tried (unsuccessfully) to colonize in the area. Their path to autonomy started back in 1925, when the Kuna got tired of government intervention and revolted, killing the entire police force in the region.  For a rather reclusive group, they seemed to have lots of allies. A Canadian served as their army general. And the US sent a warship to prevent the Panamanian government from attacking the tribe by sea.. Sending more police in through the dense jungle only met with more disaster and 13 frustrating years later, the Panamanian government established the Comarca and granted the Kuna full autonomy.

One of the San Blas islands - Tourism is tightly controlled

The Kuna purists will not marry outside the tribe. They worship gods of nature and have (sometimes violently) rejected attempts at religious conversion. The Kuna are fierce protectors of the environment. They recently got the government to agree to remove all the collected plastic and styrofoam trash that washes up on their beaches, so they don’t have to burn or bury it. The women dress in a very specific way in public – headscarf, black skirt with bright green patterns, full arm and leg beaded bracelets and light blouses with colorful, intricately embroidered patches, called molas on front and back. I’ve only seen a few wear shoes. In their villages, it is just the skirt – ala Nat Geographic.

Many "mola" designs feature wildlife and nature

They make their living from their crafts, some tourism and from hunting, fishing, gathering and limited agriculture. They also get a monthly allowance from the Comarca fund that was established when the government paid the Kuna a large (unknown) sum, in order to build the Bayown hydroelectric Dam in 1956, which displaced 10 large Kuna villages and consumed 350,000 hectares of prime river-front land.. There is an annual congress of “chiefs” to work out matters that affect the whole tribe or disputes between villages. There are currently an estimated 40,000 Kuna, living in self-governing villages or islands. The population has been stable since the 1990’s, though exact numbers seem hard to come by.

I’ve heard them speak Spanish on the bus, but use their tribal language when speaking to each other. It is a really unique sounding tongue, spoken in a mono-tone with very little inflection – almost like an old computer generated voice. There are also some sort of click and throaty sounds like a very hard “k”.

They navigate well in the “outside” world. Many attend public schools and universities, even taking jobs in the City for a time, but always returning to their villages, if they wish to retain Kuna membership.

The dyed lines show family heritage

From what I’ve seen the Kuna have a female dominated society. Many of the “chiefs” are women. Women are the ones who do the tourism selling and seem to control the family money. They carry themselves proudly and don’t seem timid in any way. They wear faint “tattoo” lines on their shoulders – a dye, that fades over time, I’m told – which denotes their family heritage, which they are given at puberty, during a very special ceremony.

As you have seen from my photos, they are “diminutive”. But, strong and nimble – anyone who can prance up those notched logs as they do, carrying a sack, has my admiration and respect. They smile a lot and seem quite happy when they are out and about. In sum, the Kuna seem to be able to integrate into the modern world, while proudly maintaining their own traditions and culture with an economy that is quite self-sustaining – a balancing act that could be a model for native people around the world.

The week in Pueblo Nuevo

Benino and Palo - two of the Pueblo Nuevo water committee

My focus this week shifted to my 2^nd service site of Pueblo Nuevo, over the border in Darien Province. Crossing that border is just about like entering another country. Because of all the activity from Columbian rebels (FARC) and drug traffic, the border is heavily patrolled by the Panama National Police – the remnants of the Army, before it was disbanded after the Noriega invasion.

Darien border crossing

All vehicles are stopped and all contents searched. Passengers get off the bus and go through a “customs” line complete with questions and showing of passport or national ID card. In both directions. The only good part is that I usually get on the bus when it is standing room only and my hunched over back gets a break during the stop.

Following the water line through the jungle

Pueblo Nuevo is a mostly Kuna village. The women wear the colorful skirts (though not the full orthodox gear, which includes head cover and leg and arm beaded bracelets) and everybody is short. Architecture is mostly thatched, raised platforms, half open to the air. Many of the newer homes are built of wood walls, with tin/zinc roofs, as the thatch palm is becoming hard to find.

A new 3" waterline will replace the old one

While the Water Committee is better organized and run here, they have some issues with the system. The base problem is that there is just enough water in the dry season, but not quite enough pressure to fill their reservoir tank or operate the sand filters, which are needed to remove the silt from the water when it rains hard. Which leads to problem #2 - the sand filters have fallen into dis-use because of lack of knowledge as to their operation. We got the needed valves un-frozen and the system looks like it will work and backwash properly. But, must wait until there is more pressure on the line to really test.

8 days of rain made big changes around the cottage

Another major problem is that the 7 year old water line has been repaired so many times and has so many small leaks, that it is losing a good portion of the supply to line loss. They have started an entirely new line and run about 6 km of new 3” PVC, but are lacking the final 2 km. They have been saving the monthly water fees, but, it will be another month or two before they can finish the job.

A visit to the water intake was a trip unto itself, the path winding through thick jungle under an immense canopy to a cascade of water from a rock cliff. When the rains start in earnest (maybe a month?) there will be so much water flowing that access to the intake will be impossible. The water will also smash the “dry season” line and they will switch to another intake down-stream.

I’ll  also be working at the elementary school to make a handwash sink for the kids and do hand-wash trainings.

Some side notes:

The 8 days of rain thus far have really had a big impact around the cottage. see above

I’ve learned more than I need to know about the palm thatching methods and materials. They are having to adapt to another type of palm, as deforestation has made the traditional pal (like a FL cabbage palm) harder to find.

I’m loving the classic Panama “campo” hat. Made from the same material and weave as the aristocracy wears, but shaped differently and worn with the front brim up.

I’m finally getting the “hang” of the hammock. I watched the guys in Pueblo Nuevo rock themselves with a side rope. That gets a small breeze going, even on a wind-less day and induces a nice nap.

While Panama uses US currency, it also mints its own coins. They come in $1, .50, .25, .10, .05 and ..01. 50 cents is called a "peso", 25 cents is called a "quata" (think a guy from Boston saying quarter) and 10 cents is a "dine". Took me a while to catch on. I often see prices listed as $B, which means Dollar/Balboa. Same thing. Balboa got his face on most all the coins, despite the fact that he got beheaded (on some trumped up charge) just 8 years after making his land crossing to the Pacific.

FOOD IN PANAMA

One of the many ways that my Peace Corps service in Panama is different from Peru, is what I eat. In Peru, I lived in a mid-size town (pop 6000), with many restaurants and grocery stores within a 2 block radius. So, I ate out often, always lunch and dinner. I cooked a few things – oatmeal, salads and lentil sprouts. And made coffee in the morning, usually with fresh bread from the bakery, with a little butter. But, that was it.

Here in Panama, I live 7 km from town. On the rare occasions that I’m in town or in one of my service sites at mealtime, I may be served a plate of food by the local folk, or dine at the nice little restaurant at the Avicar Hotel. But, mostly, I cook for myself.  The refrigerator gives me the luxurious option to make a little extra, to store in “tuppers”.

Here are my staples :

Lots of fresh local fruit – at the moment, that is watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, avocado, banana, papaya (from my trees) and pear. Soon will come the MANGOES. Citrus will come even later. Fresh vegetables are not great – small cabbages and giant carrots (gotta have my cole slaw), onions and potatoes that seem to have been transported from the US. Plantains are a huge staple with the locals, I’ve tried, but just can’t seem to get them as good as the locals do.  Same with the yucca.

Tortillas in Panama are small (3") and fat (1/2")

Beans and rice are a mainstay here and with me as well. Actually I prefer lentils, as they don’t require a soak and have better flavor. Delighted to find brown rice (arroz integral) in the market in Torti. Fresh eggs, either from my neighbors’ chickens or the market are every day. Fried or hard-boiled. Cheese is “queso fresco”, a soft, crumbly, salty cheese. I supplement with cheddar and Swiss from the City. I’ve also become fond of the fat cornmeal tortillas here. Fry ‘em up with a little butter.

I do fall back on a few canned goods – tuna and mayo for salad and sandwiches. Whole wheat bread ala US factory (here it is Bimbo) is available – there is one small bakery, but not much selection, mostly empanadas and sweet rolls. Pasta sauce works sometimes, with added garlic and onion. Spam, when sliced really thin and fried crisp, makes a superb bacon substitute, as pork is not very popular here – just chicken and beef. A little salt and black pepper for spice. Coffee is Nescafe instant, with some canned milk.

Fruit juice and water (boiled) are my beverage options. Oddly, Welch’s 100% juice is available in apple or grape. Or I bring a quart jug to a liquado (smoothie) stand for some fresh stuff – guava, pineapple or guanabana, at the moment. Mix and match is the order of the day.

Ice IS civilization. And I can make it myself, in limited quantity. A daily effort.

Monthly food cost is about $150, plus treats from the City.

Pretty simple stuff, but it works for me.

A new Water Committee, A Trip to City and Better Banos

Sometimes, the smallest things pay off big. After two very poorly attended meetings to get the Water Committee of Ipeti re-started. I decided to print up 80 notices and have them delivered to each house in the village. I also donated my PC issue Super-Whistle (a security item) to the cause. Between the hand-delivered invites and a kid roaming up and down the main street blowing Holy Hell on the whistle, the turnout was astounding. Over 85 people came in a town of about 300 adults.

There was much speech making and discussion. In the end, leaders came forward , the community came together and we now have a newly elected, complete Water Committee !! To say I’m happy would be understatement.

I also discovered a fully functioning solar power system in the WC office. Even better, they have an electrolysis device for making chlorine out of salt (sodium chloride). So, it will be cheap and easy to make all the chlorine we need for disinfection and daily drip. What a day.

Monday, I rolled into the Emerald City for a meeting. The much dreaded 4 hour bus ride was not all that bad. I got to see the sights, as we stopped about every 10 minutes to pick up or drop off a passenger. In between stops, the driver went well over 70 mph, as the PanAm Hwy is in great shape into the city. They call these drivers “Diablos Rojos” – The Red Devils , for a reason. Also, it was nicely air conditioned, with comfy seats. And it only took about 3 hours until we came to a Metro subway stop. From there, I zoomed into the station near my hotel. Total cost was $8.50 for the journey, including the tasty cup of watermelon bits I got at one stop.

I did some shopping for cottage upgrades and grocery unavailable in Torti – peanut butter, hard cheese and sweet pickle relish. Plus got some shoes for $8.00 and some good AA batteries – they only sell crap in Torti.

The meeting with Global Brigades was good. They have been wanting someone technically experienced, so I’m able to contribute a lot of information and experience from Peru. In particular, I found many problems with their Bano design and made suggestions to fix each. They were accepted without objection.

The ride home was even better. The bus leaves the main terminal and doesn’t stop at all until well outside of the City. So, it was only about 3 hours total, right to my street.

Next day I went to Pueblo Nuevo, my #2 site. Getting there is a bit of a chore. I go out to the PanAm and wait for a bus to Darien, which took about a half hour. Many stops. At the border to Darien province , there is a Military check point. All passengers are questioned and bags inspected, due to the activity of Columbian FARC and drug traffic in Darien. It took over 2 hours door to door.

I inspected the PN water tank, after a nice walk through the community plantain plantation and a bit of jungle, and was surprised to find 2 large , commercial sand filters – out of service. When the rains come, their source gets some dirt from the canyon walls and the water gets murky. The sand filters would clear up the water, except they haven’t worked for 2 years. The automatic backwash valves do not automatically work, but can be replaced with manual valves, I hope. We shall see.

Also visited the elementary school. Same deal as Ipeti – no place for the kids to wash hands. A new sink, some re-routed plumbing, soap dispensers and they should be good to go.

The week closed with a long work day, putting into place all the Bano fixes I proposed. We put in bottle bulbs to give light in the shower, which was totally dark when the door was shut. Added a urinal, so guys (and boys) can pee standing up, some PVC towel/clothes holders, made a plastic liner for the poop hole, added a step, so kids can get up on the seat and did the plumbing for the whole deal. Between the work and the 3 km walk in and out of the village, I was soaking wet, but feeling fine.

Also visited the more orthodox Kuna village down river. They were launching their “long boats” for the rainy season, since it is not navigable in the dry. The women also wear a particular skirt – black with a single color pattern, usually green. They wear beaded bracelets form ankle to knee and colorful scarves.