Tucked Away in Chitre

Hola! Buena!

I have now spent two good chunks of daytime in Chitre, Panama. I fear this may be a dull post, but also feel obligated to update.

When I got into the Airport in Panama City, I walked through the motions, heading toward immigration. There was a big mob of people at the bottom of the escalator, and I figured, “well, I don’t know what that’s for, but I might as well stand over there and wait for someone to tell me to leave.” Turns out it was the line for the census, and people who biased the line were directed to return. So, turns out I did something right!!!

I stayed the night in Panama City when I got into the country. After chatting with Ms. Judy Watts for a bit, I realized that not only was I in the hostel she spent some time in during her own jaunt in Panama, but I WAS SLEEPING IN HER ROOM!!! Always a good sign.

The next morning, I woke to ask the keeper of the hostel how to take the bus to the terminal (the big bus stop). Dude, my Spanish blows. She pretty much stuck me on the right bus, and when I got off, another woman befriended me (in English) and took me to my ticket counter to get on a four hour bus to Chitre. I slept most of that ride, and arrived at the bus station here to find my contact person, Amanda. That was great, but when I got to the truck, it was full! And everyone was speaking Spanish. FLASH BACKS TO BEING 18 IN TOLEDO, SPAIN, LOOKING SOMETHING LIKE THIS:

Alas, it was time for lunch, with which I drank vino tinto, in order to shed a nerve or two. It seemed to help. I then went to the health center with which I will be working (assuming I can pull my Spanish together at some point). I visited a zoo more depressing (perhaps) than the Como Zoo in St. Paul, MN,

and then joined my host, her fiance, her Canadian friend (awesome, I know), and a Swedish friend and her novio for panamanian cervezas. That, of course, was not all that was included in my first day in Chitre. We then went to a beach that used to be beautiful trees, but a gringo came in during the 60s-70s to turn it into a beach and park--now lovingly referred to as Tetanus City.

All in all, a better first day than I could have imagined. And the cervezas even encouraged me to speak Spanish, though I cannot vouch for the quality.

Today I had a real first meeting with health center APLAFA. Let me emphasize that, while I took like 6.5 years of Spanish and did also take a class in Spanish in Spain, this was all five + years ago, and my Spanish blows. So, I sat dumbfounded trying to understand what was being said about working with the sex workers…and failing pretty miserably. Bueno. Amanda is helpful. I then resorted to an Italian restaurant owned by an American from NY with Canadian Leah because it was air conditioned and had wifi. I proceeded to read Spanish books about STIs and bone up on secretions. After tiring of that, we went on a walk, bought a phone, drank Pepsi Lite, and found our way home, where I read more about these secretions and tried to learn my Spanish. Until, that is, hockey games started, and here I sit, listening to the Habs/Flyers game, writing my blog, awaiting tomorrow. Spanish, come back to me!