Volunteer Visit

This weekend we all went to different sites to visit with a current volunteer and see firsthand what the life of a volunteer is like and also to relax a little after a really busy schedule.  I went to a site up in the mountains in the province of Herrera.  To get there, I first had to catch a bus to the provincial capital of Herrera, called Chitre.  Chitre isn’t too big, but it does have a McDonald’s.  I went there to fill up my water bottle and discovered that McDonald’s is really expensive for Panamá.  Prices in Panama much lower than prices in the United States – for example, this weekend I bought a substantial meal of beef, rice, lentils and a salad for $1.75.  But the price of a Big Mac is the same as it is in the United States.  I would have expected a small fries to be 25 cents, maybe, but it was a dollar.  I was a little surprised.  Chitre is hot and bright and brown.  Of course, when we went to the grocery store, I almost went a little crazy with all the variety they had.  So much fruit and vegetables to choose from!  Really, there were only ten or fifteen different types of produce, but compared to a few cucumbers, carrots and tomatoes, I was in heaven.

The next stage of my trip was to take a small bus (busito) to a smaller town, Las Minas, in the mountains.  Then we caught a chiva (a truck with a covered bed) to an even smaller town even further in the mountains.  On the way we passed some amazing views.  I like sitting toward the front of the truck so I can see over the top of the cab and feel the wind.  The dirt road winds through the mountains, often on the crests, and all around are hills and mountains of forest and pastures.  In the distance we could see the Pacific Ocean in between the mountains of the Azuero Peninsula and the islands that rise from the water.  It’s quite a view.  The last part of the journey we took on horseback.  We got off the chiva the even smaller town where my volunteer had left her horse and a horse she had borrowed for me to use.  It was really fun to ride a horse again, but also very terrifying.  We rode down a really steep hill, until we crossed a river, and then rode up a really steep hill to get to her house.  On the way down I felt like I and my saddle were going to slide down the horse’s neck, and/or we would all fall head first down the hill, and on the way up I felt like I and my saddle were going to fall off the horse rear.  (I asked my volunteer what I should do if the horse trips and falls, and she suggested trying to get my feet out of the stirrups as fast as possible…)  The horses were also really skinny, with thin necks and well-defined hip bones, and I was certain that I, my backpack, and our groceries were going to crush my mare.  But in the end, the horses did not trip, we did not fall, and only the bread was slightly smooshed from the journey.

I realize while I was visiting this site that Peace Corps eases us into living in these types of communities.  When I first visited my training community, I thought my host family’s house was a modest, simple house.  But now, after seeing the community of this volunteer, my host family’s house seems like a luxurious mansion.  We may use a latrine and have a bucket bath, but we have electricity, tile floors, and a pretty nice TV.

                The site itself was really neat.  It was really spread out, with a bunch of houses on different parts of the mountain.  It is an evangelical community, and everyone was very respectful and welcoming.  There were two stores and they were in someone’s house.  The volunteer lived in a one-room house, running drinkable water with no electricity and had the nicest latrine in the area.  And everyone was so excited for me to come visit.  Everyone wanted to meet me and asked me how I liked the community and when I would come back.  The kids are really shy but warm up to you really quickly if you pay them enough attention.  They particularly loved my volunteer – everyone there did.  They always said hi to her and called her name when they saw her.  They always greet everyone they see and the men at least shake hands with everyone they know. 

                We pretty much relaxed and talked the entire weekend.  She has a very comfortable hammock that looks over the mountains toward the ocean, and we spent a lot of time just sitting and chatting and becoming friends.  Sunday we went to a local baseball game.  The field serves as both a baseball field and a soccer field, and is the only really flat surface in the mountains.  Part of the outfield extended across the street and down the mountain, and whenever the ball went into the forest the runners were only allowed to advance one base (it’s not the outfielders’ fault if they can’t find the ball in the forest).  We also visited with members of her host family and got to know the community and the kids.  Whenever I visit anyone, it is perfectly fine to just sit without talking.  Silences aren’t awkward!  They are natural, accepted and expected.  Having the company is what really matters.  This makes me really happy, because sometimes I enjoy just sitting with someone without saying anything, and knowing that that’s ok is a great relief. 

                                Monday I hiked out of the site and began the long journey in reverse.  Unfortunately one of my fellow trainees was sick, so I stuck with her until she felt well enough to travel and then accompanied her to the approved clinic.  There has been a virus going around our training community and around us, that involves vomiting and diarrhea and lasts a few days before going away.  Luckily I have been spared (knock on wood!) but it’s been hitting people really hard.