Water System Reset in Pueblo Nuevo

Two Goyos back in Pueblo Nuevo with the goods

A day with mi tocayo

Ligorio is my tocayo – we have the same nickname (Goyo), which gives us a sort of bond to begin with. But, today we deepened our friendship with a trip to the Emerald City. He doesn’t get to the big City much – last time was over a year ago – so it was a treat for him. He got all dressed up and was like a little kid commenting on everything we passed.
Our mission was a shopping trip for water system supplies : sand for the filters, HTH chlorine for cleaning the tanks and a dissolved solids test kit. The village had absolutely no way to figure out where to buy this stuff, so it was my job to find a source and show Ligorio how to get there and what to get. Goyo took notes about everything on the trip, got the number for our taxi driver, how to get from the Mega Mall to the store, etc. The idea is that when I leave, these guys need to be able to do all this stuff themselves.

The water team , loaded with materials

We had a little glitch when we realized he only brought money for bus and product, but forgot about sales tax and lunch. So, I offered to treat him to lunch and asked where he wanted to go. His arm shot out, straight at a KFC – wouldn’t have been my choice, but he said he had always wanted to try “American chicken” and I was not about to burst his bubble and say that the chicken likely came from back in Darien. After thanking me about 10 times for “the best chicken in the world”, we continued on our journey.

Loading new sand into the filters

Since we couldn’t very well haul 100 kilos of materials to the bus, we went to the Global Brigades office, who had kindly offered to transport for us. Now, the GB offices are pretty modest, at best. But, you’d have thought we just entered IBM headquarters from the look on Goyo’s face. We got him back to the bus stop for Darien, with copious note taking and Thanks all the way.

It’s things like this that are the core of what I do – giving folks the tools and information they need to do for themselves. It wasn’t a hard day’s work , but it was certainly rewarding.

4 years of dirt were flushed from the water tank

Pueblo Nuevo Water System Reset

It was a great day for me and my wonderful water team. All our materials from yesterday’s shopping trip arrived and we set our plan. When I asked the team “recharge filters or clean tank?” they shouted back “BOTH !!”. So, that’s what we did. Loaded up all our supplies and set out through the jungle to the water tank / filter area, slogging through mud and overgrown trails the whole way.

I got jest a leetle woosie from the chlorine fumes

First, we had to cut the tank drain line since the valve has been broken for like forever. Muddy water flowed like mad. While the tank drained, we opened the filter ports and added our brand new sand (from FLORIDA !!). When the tank was down to about 2 feet deep, we scampered up the rebar ladder and pushed mud down the drain. This was the accumulated silt from 4 YEARS !! Constant rinsing eventually got all the dirt out. Then we scrubbed the walls and floor with a concentrated chlorine solution. We took

The result : a spotless clean and safe water tank !!

turns, staying no more than 5 minutes each in the chlorine fumes. Even still, I felt a tad woosie. Walls and floor got a final rinse and the result was a spotless clean and safe water tank. The boys did GREAT !!

We then replaced the drain tube and valve, which took some McGuyvering. But these folks are great at that. We went back to the village and celebrated with a big water spray of filtered, crystal clear water – the first the village has seen in years. It had some residual chlorine, but that was fine by me. We had a fast lunch, which Benino’s wife had for us, washed down with a gallon or so of ice cold bottled water.

I left Darien for home a very tired, very dirty, very happy camper.

The new Ipeti Chlorine Lab in production

Chlorine Lab
A good morning in Ipeti Choco, setting up the new Chlorine Lab. I made a test batch, which turned out just like the Internet said it would – about 10% pure or 2x regular Clorox. The first class at Universidad de Cloro, con Prof Goyo, will be on Saturday. Now, these folks will be able to make all the chlorine they want from a little salt and tap water !!

Magical Metro Choir

I boarded the Panama Metro (subway) at the El Ingenio station, headed for Albrook , to stock up on “city only” items, like brown rice, teriyaki sauce, peanut butter and jelly. As we approached the Via Argentina station, I started whistling “Don’t Cry for me Argentina.” I do stuff like that to amuse myself.

And that’s when the magic happened.

I suddenly realized that another passenger – no TWO others – were whistling with me. I stood on tiptoe to see across the crowded car and my gaze was met by a tall black man and a stocky twenty something, smiling and whistling back at me.

It is hard for me to explain the excitement and thrill I felt as we formed a spontaneous, joyous choir of three on a crowded Metro car.   Some might think it silly, but to have 3 total strangers drop their shields and guards and connect like that was a kind of ecstasy for me.

We finished the chorus just as we pulled into the station and my two choir mates got off with a wave and big smiles. I hope they enjoyed that rare kind of human moment as much as I did.

A Little Help from My Friends

Moving sawdust from the sawmill

First team to finish the gutters that will catch rain

32 great students from USC Hayward came to Ipeti to help finish the Banos, followed by another group of 28 from UC Irvine. The first session got rained out. The second session got cancelled due to a missed flight from Houston. Finally, on the third session, we had a wonderful and productive day, They dug drain fields, made and installed clothes pegs, scoops, squirt bottles and plumbing They also moved a truckload of sawdust and manufactured some much needed air release vales for the water system. Kudos to these great kids for their caring, time and energy. Then the final session, it also rained, but no heavy. So, the kids soldiered on in trash bag raincoats and managed to get a little something done. I think I recruited several Peace Corps volunteers – they liked what they experienced and want MORE !!

FINALLY. Found a parrot that would stay still long enough to get a photo, even video. While its cousins flew overhead. From the looks of the feathers, I don't think this bird is well. Here is the video link. Just click on it

https://youtu.be/beNnfIiz3xI

Good Dogs go to Heaven. Bad dogs that kill chickens?

Life is not always kind out here on the perimeter. The jungle can be a harsh place with lessons learned the hard way. You may remember the young pups who caught and killed a chicken a few days back? Well, the bigger brother decided he LIKED what he tasted and killed a couple more, for which he was severely beaten by my neighbor, Tomas. (I swear I did not snitch on the dogs.)

Well, today the young pup killed two more chickens and paid the ultimate price – Tomas put him down. In front of the other pups and their parents. No three strike rule here. If you don’t learn from the first warning – one strike and you’re out.

My bet is the other dogs won't go near the chickens for a while.

One of the many infrastructures that we very much take for granted in the US, is banking. An ATM on every street corner, just about. In rural Panama…. Not so much. I am fortunate to have a bank and ATM just 30 minutes from the cottage. Other Peace Corps volunteers travel 4-5 hours to bank.
Alas, my local bank has been under “fumigation and remodeling” for the last week and cash was running low. So, after an early morning of work, I jumped on a bus to Chepo, just 2 hours away. Hit the ATM (which somehow knows I speak English), and caught a return bus.
Please appreciate all the little (and big) conveniences which you enjoy in the States.

Izael at the computer for the first time

My little buddy Iza came by after school. He really likes looking at photos on the computer, so that's what we did. He did just fine at navigating the forward and back buttons and loved how he could make a picture bigger and smaller and bigger and smaller. Now that's some big time fun.
Of course, there were the non-stop questions about everything and anything. Sometimes he gave me a quizzical look, like "WTF?". Not sure if he didn't get my Spanish or if my answer just didn't make sense to him (like explaining a total eclipse of the sun - he just didn't get it or didn't believe it)
Anyway, we had fun and laughed and he got to raid my fruit supply. Watermelon has universal appeal. Lucky for me he doesn't like mango.

  

Big doings at the Panama Canal. The test ship passed all locks and the NEW wider, deeper canal route will open on June 26th. I won't miss history  being madeI'm headed to the City next week to see these monsters. The monster ships will pay upwards of $500K to transit the new locks. 

The Noni fruit and flower

My nose led me to a fragrant tree in a far corner of the property. It turned out to be a Noni tree, famous for its curative properties. Everyone tells me it really stinks, but I’ll give it a go. The explorer in me has got to try.

This water tank serves as a buffer between me and the local water system. Unlike the US, we get water only occasionally. So, when the water comes on it fills this tank, with a float valve cut-off so as not to overfill and waste any water. It means I always have water.
Last month, I started an experiment to see just how much water I use. (there are no meters on the water here) The results are now in ::: 34.52 gal per day. That compares with 25.5 GPD avg for rural Panama and 138 GPD for the US. Of course, I have no car to wash and my neighbor does my laundry.

BUS THOUGHTS

A long bus ride, especially over a route that is frequently traveled, can bring a flood of random thoughts to mind, mostly triggered by sights along the route. Here are a few:

Credit – Consumer credit is much more available in Panama than in Peru. Folks here are free to go into debt. Construction and mortgage loans are widespread, meaning less unfinished construction projects. Consumer debt is also BIG business. There is a credit service store in every mall or strip mall. I checked online and their rates run from 18% on a secured loan to 50% + on unsecured credit. BIG business, but good mostly for the lenders.

Graffiti -  I see very little graffiti here in Panama, though one construction project did have some impressive “graffiti art” on the wall. Either it gets cleaned up really fast, or there is not the mentality for it. Another explanation might be that with very low unemployment, kids are busy working instead of tagging.

Apartments – Many apartment billboards that I’ve seen around the Emerald City tout square footage as between 600 and 800 Sq Ft. Quite small compared to the US, but certainly enough space for 1 or 2 people (maybe more?). It also keeps rents more affordable. About $400-500 / month gets a nice upper-middle class apartment – US style, with all amenities.

I haven’t noticed any racial discrimination, though there is clearly no love lost for Columbians. And there is clearly plenty of class separation between the very wealthy and the poor. But, I did notice that on the Caribbean side, the population, especially Colon and Portobello is almost entirely Afro-Panamanian. I guess that makes sense with all the slaves floating around the Caribbean back in the day. Also lots of blacks in the Darien, which was where many escaped slaves fled.
There does seem to be a local disdain for the Chinese shop keepers, who run most of the stores in Torti and are building a mini-mall here. “Their prices are too high.” And “They cheat you.” Are the main complaints I’ve heard. Still, they seem to do a brisk business.

Postal – Nothing like living in a 3^rd world country to make you appreciate the good old USPS. Postal service here is expensive, unreliable (especially for packages, which often go missing) and sparse. There is no home delivery and offices are closed on Saturday. Service is ONLY PO to PO, via “General Delivery”. The closest one to me is in Chepo, a 2 hour bus ride.
But two private companies - Mailboxes,Etc and Postal Express are opening storefront offices all over the City and even in rural areas. They piggy-back on the official mail service, but provide more local service. DHL, FedEx are only in the City. There must be UPS as well, but I’ve not seen them.

Coca-Cola – Coke never had any competition here like they did in Peru (Inka Cola). No sign of Pepsi. Coke has been here from the start and owns the soft drink market. When Coke laborers formed a union and wanted more pay, the CIA was sent in (so they say) and union leaders magically disappeared. There is a malted product “Malta” that is a popular alternative to soda. But, if you want a soft drink, it’s Coca Cola , Sprite or nothing.

Campo hats – The distinctive straw hat with brown circles and turned up at the front, is apparently a fairly local tradition (though I’ve only traveled here and to Colon). No such hats in Portobelo – baseball caps (turned backward on teens) rule the fashion scene there. Most sport logos from US sports teams and big corporations.

Grainger – WW Grainger, a love of my life and oft times savior thereof, has 3 stores in the Emerald City. For those who don’t know, WWG is the ULTIMATE parts supply store. If it’s not in their catalog, it probably doesn’t exist. Sadly, using WWG generally violates the PC creed of sustainability. I may be able to get parts from them, but my local counterparts could likely not navigate that supply route. So, we try and keep all materials local.

ACCLIMATE

Today marks 2 months since I arrived in Torti, Panama. Much to my surprise and delight, I noticed yesterday that my body has become acclimated to the environment here. I don’t sweat as much and the heat doesn’t slow me down like it did when I got here. The environment hasn’t changed. In fact, it never changes here at 8N latitude. Every day is around 80-90% RH and the temperature ranges from 85F in the day to 75F at night. Every day. The only change since my arrival has been the rain, which has increased significantly, with a corresponding increase in mud. Not only has my body adjusted, but I’ve learned to plan my day around the rain and the brutal noon sun, as much as possible.

Nothing sadder than a bus that passes by FULL.
It means at least a 30 minute wait for the next one.

Weather is not the only thing that requires acclimating in a rural 3^rd world area like Torti.  It took me a few weeks to adjust to the pace. I can’t just jump in my car and go and do. I walk 15 min to the Pan Am Hwy and wait. And wait. Sometimes I get lucky and get a taxi or bus headed to Torti or Ipeti in 10-15 minutes. Or I might wait over 2 hours, if passing buses are full. But, I’ve learned to use the time planning projects and making notes. Or just looking around and seeing all the little worlds around me, or listening to the teak forest across the highway.

My "office", with white USB internet connector

The internet took some acclimating, as well. Instead of lightning fast cable in Florida, I have a USB stick. I’m right on the edge of 3G coverage, so it comes and goes. When I see that blue light come on, time to drop what I’m doing and upload photos to my blog or Facebook, since the only thing I can do at 2G is email – with no big attachments. Even at 3G, a single photo can take 5 minutes to upload. So, I pop away from the keyboard and cook or clean or just take a few swings in the hammock. I’m grateful to have service at all, since many Peace Corps locations here have neither phone nor data coverage.

My diet has made adjustments, too. No more easy trips to the Publix to get whatever I want. I eat whatever fruits and vegetables are offered in the market. Very little meat – well, if you saw the meat counter you’d understand. Lots of brown rice and lentils, a) because they are readily available and b) because I really like them.

They say that the main reason that humans have thrived on the planet is their uncanny ability to adapt to many different environments. I know that adaptation and acclimation are key to enjoying any new environment. If you are unwilling to change your routine…. Stay home.

2 Weeks is 2 Long

Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. It’s been 2 weeks since my last blog. Just trying to remember everything is hard. So, hang on for a long one.

a reunion of Peace Corps Peru

I got back from vacation and went straight to a Regional Peace Corps meeting, complete with goat roast. Great to meet some of the other volunteers in my “East Side” of Panama. A special treat at the meeting was a wonderful visit from Marci from the PC Peru, who office showed up with her husband, on vacation in Panama !!

And Francisco, the APCD for Environment here in Panama, realized we met in Lima at the last ECPA conference. Small world.

Pualina's crafts

Some of the many crafts I see around the Kuna villages where I do Water & Sanitation work are quite remarkable. More brilliantly colored offerings in the craft department from my friend Pablo’s wife – Woven reed plates, masks, baskets, boats and some other colorful skirts. In September, I will catalog all with prices and take orders for my dear friends in the US. Her skirts are $12, plates are $10, masks are $25, boat is $30 and the big ornate basket is $40.

My community partner, Global Brigades, very kindly gifted each of my Water Committees (Ipeti and Pueblo Nuevo) with a new set of accounting ledgers and all the fixings.

Now it's my job to teach them basic accounting and help them set up the books. 
The idea is to set up 2 ledgers - one will be a General Acct book, with all tranactions entered as credit or debit, with resulting balance. The other will be a book with a page for each user, showing payments and balance owed. Also, we need a good system for collecting the monthly payments ($2/mo for each family) . And an enforcement mechanism (cutting off water supply). We plan to offer an option of work in lieu of payment. And will stop "water sharing" - where 1 family taps into their neighbors line.
Hopefully, this will give the Comite de Agua the funds and labor they need to keep their 8 km long water line in service. And add periodic maintenance and disinfection for better quality.

The cashew fruit - an odd one

A word about cashews. I have a cashew tree in the yard here at the Cottage. The fruit is likely the oddest looking nut there is. It hangs down from a seedless (and tasteless) fruit that looks like a small pear, when ripe, making the cashew nut/seed external to the fruit. This pod is detached from the fruit and an outer gum-filled covering is removed from the nut itself. With great difficulty, since the gum is really nasty, not water soluble - I had to use turpentine to remove it from my fingers. The sap from the cashew outer coverings was indeed toxic. It turned my skin brownish and then peeled like a chemical burn. I'm told my mistake was not letting the pod dry in the sun for a week. Impatient, I am. Then there is an inner peel, that only comes off when dried. Now, to roast the beasts....
So, next time you raise a handful of those delicious nuts to your mouth, please give a little Thanks for all the work that went into putting them there. And ENJOY !!

The municipal dump for Torti, Panama, is just at the side of the PanAmerican Hwy. Everything gets dumped here and the birds scavenge the organics. Every few days, piles are burned and then pushed into the ravine, which flows to the river. The folks down-stream don't have a chance. No recycling program at all. Sadly, I've been told that there is no interest in changing things, since the dump is WAY outside of town. Out of sight, out of mind. My only hope is to help create a market for the aluminum, steel and plastic, which can be sold in Panama City. But, getting it there is the trick, with so little private transportation.

Pablo, with his new forms = PERFECT !!

I mentioned my brilliant friend Pablo, the store-keeper in Ipeti. I had an idea last night to put gutters on the tin roofs of the Bano units to collect rain water. Pablo had the same idea last night !!
I did the calculation on how much rain water we might collect from the Banos roofs in Ipeti - an astonishing 59 liters (15 gallons) per day (avg). That's a lot of water from 2 small roof sections.
Roof area = 195” x 68” = 13,600 sq in
Rainfall/mo = 200mm = 7.9”
Rain volume = 107,440 cu in = 1760 liters/ mo or 58.6 liters / day
Dry season is about 20mm/mo = 5.9 liters/day (avg)

It is such a joy to work with people who really want to change things for the better in their community and are always thinking of ways to do that. 

Another surprise from Pablo:. When I pointed out that the round holes would not work with our nice blue plastic Bano seats, he created a custom form. I love this guy. Shown here with his forms and the resulting perfect "holes".

Gourd Tree

First mangoes of the season !! Actually from my neighbor's tree. But, tasted DEEE-licious. I want more. MORE !!. My addiction to mangoes is over-powering !!

The “gourd tree” is a fascinating and useful fruit tree around the Ipeti village. The hard shell can be crafted into bowls, plates, storage containers and even spoons and stir sticks. I’ve only seen this done with gourds that grow in vines on the ground in the past. Always something new to discover here.

These are the latrines that are being replaced by the new Eco-Banos units in Ipeti. Not bad, as latrines go. The fiberglass floor / seat is an excellent upgrade from the standard squatting hole, though the hole should have been expanded when the new seat was installed, so as not to catch poop around the edges. And a cover for the seat would have kept flies from having free access to poop and nearby food surfaces. And, yes, they smell just as bad as a porto-potty. Without the deodorant.

Short-haired selfie

A couple of “firsts” – my first haircut in Panama and my first “selfie”. I was told Charlie was the best of the 4 barbers in Torti. He was fast. I’ll give him that. And his shop is air-conditioned – another plus. But, before I could stop him, he had gone just about to the bone and I now sport the shortest hair I’ve ever had. The good news is that it will grow back. Hair and nails seem to grow extra fast when I’m in the Tropics. And the price was right – just $3.00. Should last until I’m back in the States.

One step closer and I'll eat YOU next

I suppose it was inevitable. It began with a couple of playful brother pups chasing chickens around the yard. And keeping the hens from laying eggs under my porch. Then it escalated into harmless “catch and release”. But today, the cute little puppies drew first blood and killed a young chicken. At first, they just dragged it around, like a limp prize. Eventually, their carnivorous instincts (or hunger) kicked in and they tore it apart and ate it. With great relish. In 30 minutes there was nothing left but feathers. So much for the “dogs will choke on chicken bones” theory.

parts for the air explulsion valve

One of my greatest pleasures in Peace Corps service is solving problems with just materials locally available. Both my villages have water lines that trap air at various high points in the water line, which can block the flow of water. The air needs to be released to get the water flowing. In the US, I could buy simple air release valves for about $3.50. But, I'm in rural Panama and need a solution that is sustainable. So, a trip to Torti netted materials for a $1.40 home-made valve. Best part is the connection solution to the water line - 3/4" hole with forced threading. I love my job !!

The Blue-rey Panama Tanager can HOVER !!

We have a new entry in the papaya eating contest for birds. One looks like a regular bluebird (light blue head and darker blue wings), but it can HOVER !!  More entries in the papaya eating saga: a couple of new hummers, a new larger grey bird with large beak that attacks the fruit from a branch above, butterfly and the chickens, who feast on the seeds that the fruit / juice eaters release to the ground. Close inspection also reveals a large assortment of insects who sip the sweet fruit’s nectar. I now feel a twinge of 
guilt eating my beautiful ripe papaya. But it’s only a small twinge and passes quickly.

While our attention sometimes gets focused on the big world or national picture, It is a joy to focus on the smaller world of a papaya tree. And see the tremendous activity and interactions that take place there. And smell the new papaya blossoms.