My time in panama is quickly drawing to a close. I've been here working for 8 weeks now. I've been quite busy with research and traveling, and finding a time to write has been difficult.
My experiment is reaching the first month mark, meaning this week I am collecting and processing and analyzing seeds that have been in the ground for a month. Life has fallen into a pretty standard routine here. I work in the lab most of the day, have lunch and dinner in the dinning hall with the other scientists. Usually I will be done with work around 5:30-6pm and will spend my evenings on the balcony overlooking the bay and enjoying the company of other island goers. Occasionally, such as this week, I will have work in the field, meaning I hike out to one of our research plots deep on the island. The hike is pleasant and about 30 minutes each way. The work in the fields varies, but mainly composed of either burying or retriving seed bags. One can see many neat things in the forest. I am commonly watched by howler monkeys while I work, and I startle guans while I walk. I've seen pleanty of toucans and agoutis. I've seen a few kawatis and anteater. There are tons and tons of golden orbs spiders everywhere. They're scary and they make their webs right at head level, which is quite inconventient and startelling and gross, but its suprising how quickly you get use to them. These are spiders that would cause me to run screaming and burn my house down if encountered them in the states. But here they are just part of life.
Usually on tuesdays I'll take the boat into panama city with a bunch of other BCI people where the REU program will have a talk or workshop and then there is a seminar by a visiting scientists. After the seminar theres a reception with food and I'll go into the historic district of panama city with the kids from the REU program. We'll get food or ice cream and drinks and have a nice time. Then we go to the grochery store. Since all the food is provided for the island, its basically an excersize in buying chocolates and toiletries. Then the bus picks us up and we go back to the island. Its a nice break from the routine and I've been learning a lot at the seminars.
I have had a chance to travel and relax. There is a large resort in the town where the bci boat docks. I've spent a few afternoon in their pool. This past weekend another of the girls from the REU program, Carolyn, and I went to Santa Clara, a beach on the pacific side. It was a blast. The water was beautiful and warm. We spent two days just hanging out in the surf and enjoying ourselves. We ate ice cream for dinner and whole fishes for lunch. We met a high school teacher who was making lesson plans based on STRI research and he and his companion traveled with us and were just generally lovely company. The trip was a great break. I don't have any photos from it because I decided to spend the weekend off grid and leave all my electronics behind.
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Panama 2015.06.18
Hello! Things have been exciting and new but largely steady here on Barro Colorado Island, thus daily entries have not been very necessary. I've started working in my lab. I'm learning quite a lot, and it's a lot of fun. I'm working with seeds, so while the work is interesting, it is also pretty repetitive, since the average size of an experiment is a few thousand seeds. So I've been working in lab everyday and listening to a bunch of podcasts. Work has fallen into an easy rhythm. I get up at 6:30, have breakfast in the cafeteria, work till noon, eat, work till 6:30, eat dinner, then work till 8 or so. Then I spend time in the lounge where there is wifi and good company until bed. Meal time are delicious and enjoyable. The company on the island is hella awesome. About 80% of the residents are women scientists in their twenties and the remainder are men scientists in their twenties. Everyone is so smart and interesting to talk to. There are a lot of students from Europe or Central America here and everyone is doing really fascinating research. Every night a group gathers on a balcony overlooking the bay and drinks beer and talks and listens to the bats and geckos. Its quite a lot of fun.
I've had two days off so far. Saturday I took basically a half day off where I spent the morning reading and applying to jobs and spent the afternoon over a microscope. Then on Sunday a group of us went to the Albrook Mall, which is something like the 13th largest mall in the world. It's huuuuge! The place is so big we never made it to the end of it. A lot of stores repeat and there were huge animal statues everywhere. I went in hoping to buy hiking socks and guitar strings for the guitar in the lounge. I found several stores named "planetarium", two religious book stores, a store that sold cameo and guns, tons and tons of "circuit city" stores, a grocery store, a store that sold cellos and marching glockenspiels, to name a few. I did find socks, but they were expensive so I bought cool marvel socks. And I bought a bunch of candy and a sandwich from whichwich. It was a bundle of fun.
Overall, I've mostly been on the island. I went into the city to watch a lecture on Tuesday about petrified wood and then went out to dinner at a really cool place called "The Fish Market" which was a restaurant on picnic tables within the hollowed out shell of an old reclaimed building. I had excellent key lime pie and fish tacos. That's mostly what's been happening here. I'll post again next time things change up a bit
I've had two days off so far. Saturday I took basically a half day off where I spent the morning reading and applying to jobs and spent the afternoon over a microscope. Then on Sunday a group of us went to the Albrook Mall, which is something like the 13th largest mall in the world. It's huuuuge! The place is so big we never made it to the end of it. A lot of stores repeat and there were huge animal statues everywhere. I went in hoping to buy hiking socks and guitar strings for the guitar in the lounge. I found several stores named "planetarium", two religious book stores, a store that sold cameo and guns, tons and tons of "circuit city" stores, a grocery store, a store that sold cellos and marching glockenspiels, to name a few. I did find socks, but they were expensive so I bought cool marvel socks. And I bought a bunch of candy and a sandwich from whichwich. It was a bundle of fun.
Overall, I've mostly been on the island. I went into the city to watch a lecture on Tuesday about petrified wood and then went out to dinner at a really cool place called "The Fish Market" which was a restaurant on picnic tables within the hollowed out shell of an old reclaimed building. I had excellent key lime pie and fish tacos. That's mostly what's been happening here. I'll post again next time things change up a bit
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Panama 2016.06.10
Hello from Barro Colorado Island!
When we last left off we were about to take a tour of the city. That tour kind of happened, it ended up being more of an expoloration of the historic district. That portion of the city is very pretty but the gentrification of the area makes me a little sad. We wandered the area, had lunch, I got sepearted from the group but found them eventually and all was well. When we returned to Gamboa it was pouring rain, but warm. The group played a few games then we decided to walk to the small corner store in town to pick up some supplies for dinner. We got thoroughly lost, and were soaked by the time we found the store. Its this cute little place behind some houses with only the bare essentials. We returned home and made rice and beans for dinner and everything was delicious.
The next day (Monday) we were taken to Tupper in the city for an orientation of the REU in general and about saftey and security. Turns out STRI has a system in place where one can log whatever trip their going on and if they don't sign back in when they are set to return the saftey team will got on the hunt to figure out where they are. So thats a nice feature. We were given a tour of Naos, a research facility in the city, and then we returned to Gamboa and had a nice group dinner again.
Yesterday was my first day on Barro Colorado Island, where I will be staying for the rest of the trip. The island is so cool. The only buildings on it are STRI research buildings or housing for STRI employees. other than that it is all wild and forests. I will be doing research on seed pathogens here. My mentor showed me around the lab space and told me all about the project. An intern in the lab and I hunted for seed pods and then I was tasked with separating the seeds from the pods with tweezers.
Every tuesday there is a talk back in the city. This week was about Mantis Shimps Occular Systems and it was hella cool. So around 2pm I took a boat back to land and then a bus back to the city. We listened to the talk and there is a small reception with food and drinks afterwards and everyone mingles about. All the scientists know one another and its feels like such a close community here. Then I tagged along with some of the butterfly researchers and we went and got all you can eat chicken wings at Hooters of all places. So that was bizzare. I've never been to a hooters before. The wings were meh but the company was great. Then I took a taxi back to the bus pickup site, met more people who live on BCI, and we bussed then boated back to the island where I quickly went to bed and fell asleep
When we last left off we were about to take a tour of the city. That tour kind of happened, it ended up being more of an expoloration of the historic district. That portion of the city is very pretty but the gentrification of the area makes me a little sad. We wandered the area, had lunch, I got sepearted from the group but found them eventually and all was well. When we returned to Gamboa it was pouring rain, but warm. The group played a few games then we decided to walk to the small corner store in town to pick up some supplies for dinner. We got thoroughly lost, and were soaked by the time we found the store. Its this cute little place behind some houses with only the bare essentials. We returned home and made rice and beans for dinner and everything was delicious.
The next day (Monday) we were taken to Tupper in the city for an orientation of the REU in general and about saftey and security. Turns out STRI has a system in place where one can log whatever trip their going on and if they don't sign back in when they are set to return the saftey team will got on the hunt to figure out where they are. So thats a nice feature. We were given a tour of Naos, a research facility in the city, and then we returned to Gamboa and had a nice group dinner again.
Yesterday was my first day on Barro Colorado Island, where I will be staying for the rest of the trip. The island is so cool. The only buildings on it are STRI research buildings or housing for STRI employees. other than that it is all wild and forests. I will be doing research on seed pathogens here. My mentor showed me around the lab space and told me all about the project. An intern in the lab and I hunted for seed pods and then I was tasked with separating the seeds from the pods with tweezers.
Every tuesday there is a talk back in the city. This week was about Mantis Shimps Occular Systems and it was hella cool. So around 2pm I took a boat back to land and then a bus back to the city. We listened to the talk and there is a small reception with food and drinks afterwards and everyone mingles about. All the scientists know one another and its feels like such a close community here. Then I tagged along with some of the butterfly researchers and we went and got all you can eat chicken wings at Hooters of all places. So that was bizzare. I've never been to a hooters before. The wings were meh but the company was great. Then I took a taxi back to the bus pickup site, met more people who live on BCI, and we bussed then boated back to the island where I quickly went to bed and fell asleep
Monday, June 8, 2015
Greetings from Panama!
Hello All! Greetings from Gamboa, Panama. I arrived yesterday on a 7am flight from Chicago to Miami, and a quick flight from Miami to Panama City. Interesting things from the flight, on my flight from chicago to Miami, the middle seats were blocked off. No neighbors elbows! On the flight to Panama, while people were boarding a metal concerts worth of mist flooded the plane. It was very rave like. I suspect it was water vapor to rise the humidity of the airplane, but I was sitting there the entire time like "If this was a movie, this would be a neurotoxin mist and we're all just sitting here calmly accepting our fate." The flights were uneventful, the best kind of flights. We landed a little early, and I got through security, immigration, baggage and customs smoothly. I worried that my bags would get lost or unnecessarily searched through, the worry of all travelers. The customs agent exclaimed about my 70 day stay. It would be pretty long if I was just a tourist going around the country. After leaving customs I found the shuttle driver quickly (The big "Smithsonian" sign helped quite a bit) and he showed me to two other students who had already arrived. There are 10 of us total, from all across the country. There will be one other girl from Harvard on Barro Colorado Island with me, and the other 8 students will be staying in other locations in the country. For the next few days I will be staying at a small town called Gamboa with the other students and then on Tuesday we will be moved to BCI for the duration of our trip. We've been told that our accommodations on BCI will have fans, but no AC. On BCI we will be given 3 meals a day prepared by a kitchen staff, to be eaten communally which is a pretty freaking sweet deal. The shuttle driver took us to a grocery store for supplies for the next few days Gamboa. I stocked up on tuna, PB and J and fruit. I can easily eat PB&J for every meal, so it's always my goto. We drove to Ancon to drop of two students who will be staying there and then headed to Gamboa. It's so lovely here. There is a large fancy hotel up on the hill with a spacious and tropical lobby and an elaborate pool system. The hotel overlooks misty mountains and a lake. We took a walk through the grounds and so many parrots and water birds. The grounds has a lovely little orchard nursery and a tropical frog habitat. Next to the hotel are streets full of identical, brightly colored stilted houses. For the next few days we will be staying in one of them. There are 4 appartments in each house, and they are lovely, all airy space and wicker furniture and tree top views. We are sharing the place with another undergrad student who is a intern with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, not an REU student. She's been here for 3 weeks already and when she saw that we arrived she baked us cookies! We had a potluck style dinner after our walk, where all the students in our building brought ingredients and we cooked rice and beans with cookies and fruit for dessert. The surrounding area is full of mango trees that you can pick off the ground and eat at your leisure. After dinner we sat around and talked until it became hard to keep eyes open.
Today, we awoke early, since we went to bed at 9:30 the previous night. I had breakfast and took a walk around the grounds and finally took an extremely cold and refreshing shower. At this moment I am waiting for the shuttle to arrive and give us a tour of panama city! It should be an exciting day.
Today, we awoke early, since we went to bed at 9:30 the previous night. I had breakfast and took a walk around the grounds and finally took an extremely cold and refreshing shower. At this moment I am waiting for the shuttle to arrive and give us a tour of panama city! It should be an exciting day.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Costa Rica Day 8
It's Sunday, and time to say good bye to Costa Rica. Many of my friends are already back on campus. We got up early, ready to go. One final breakfast at the cabins (rice and beans and eggs and fruit). And then it's onto to the bus for the 3 hour drive to the airport. I've been enjoying the drives. I'm listening to a really good book on tape, so it's been really pleasant to sit an listen to it. We drove past the pacific ocean and stopped so we could put our feet it. Officially on both coasts within just a few days!
When we're near the airport we stop at a Chinese restaurant of all things for lunch. I'm still a little shaky after last night, so I don't eat much. We got to the airport and hour of so before boarding. We got through the exit tax line, then get stuck at check in. We finally made it past security 20 minutes after boarding was supposed to start, but the plane ended up being delayed so it turned out fine. The first flight was fine, though on the descent we had to make a couple loops to avoid some birds. By the time taxis and lets us off our connecting flight is already making the last call for boarding. We bolt through the airport, and have to go through security again for some reason, but we make it onto the next flight. Then another flight, more books on tape and we landed in Chicago and headed home.
The trip was simply amazing. I learned so much about the natural world and so much about Central American culture. I'm incredibly grateful that I had this experience and I will cherish these memories forever.
When we're near the airport we stop at a Chinese restaurant of all things for lunch. I'm still a little shaky after last night, so I don't eat much. We got to the airport and hour of so before boarding. We got through the exit tax line, then get stuck at check in. We finally made it past security 20 minutes after boarding was supposed to start, but the plane ended up being delayed so it turned out fine. The first flight was fine, though on the descent we had to make a couple loops to avoid some birds. By the time taxis and lets us off our connecting flight is already making the last call for boarding. We bolt through the airport, and have to go through security again for some reason, but we make it onto the next flight. Then another flight, more books on tape and we landed in Chicago and headed home.
The trip was simply amazing. I learned so much about the natural world and so much about Central American culture. I'm incredibly grateful that I had this experience and I will cherish these memories forever.
Costa Rica Day 7
Our last full day in Costa Rica!
I went birding in the morning with Dr. Kanter and few other students. It was incredibly windy, so there weren't many birds out. We had breakfast at the cabins (rice and beans and eggs and cheese).
We went to MVI and got a really cute lecture from on of the original Quaker settlers in Costa Rica. He talked about the reason for the immigration and the difficult journey into the country. It was really inspiring. After the lecture, we took a walk through the forest and got to a gigantic strangling fig tree. The strangling fig is a vine that climbs up an existing tree and out competes it for light. Over time the original tree will die and rot away, leaving a hollow tree in its wake. This hollow tree is very easy to climb. It was so fun! The tree is all tangled and full of foot and hand holds. I got 20 ft or more up the tree without even noticing.
We got lunch at a local restaurant. I shared lunch with Laura and Dr. Kanter. We got a soup, and a salad, and a cheviche and a plantain chip with dip and it was all delicious and entirely too much food. We were then picked up by a van for our free afternoon activity. Some students went zip lining, some students hung out on the cabin grounds or hiked. Dr. Kanter and Laura and I went for a hike on the Suspended Bridges at a park nearby. It was very cool. We were the only ones on the trail the entire time. We got within 5 feet of a family of howler monkeys as they crossed one of the bridges. The bridges themselves were very cool. The traveled across ravines in the forest and let us get right into the canopy of the trees. The plant life here is so diverse and complicated and beautiful. I had a great time on the hike. The running joke was that it looked like a was a kid out for a hike with Mom and Dad.
On the way back we just missed the last bus so we got a taxi and rushed back to the cabins. We went to a nice restaurant for dinner. I had steak and potatoes and peppers with soursop juice. Then the group went to a Quaker compound where we were taught some square dances. It was a whole lot of fun and my partner, Kris was very enthusiastic and great to dance with.
Then most of the kids went to town for more dancing and I went back to the cabins. Partially because I was completely out of cash and partially because I wasn't feeling great. I then spent most of the night puking. Oh well.
I went birding in the morning with Dr. Kanter and few other students. It was incredibly windy, so there weren't many birds out. We had breakfast at the cabins (rice and beans and eggs and cheese).
We went to MVI and got a really cute lecture from on of the original Quaker settlers in Costa Rica. He talked about the reason for the immigration and the difficult journey into the country. It was really inspiring. After the lecture, we took a walk through the forest and got to a gigantic strangling fig tree. The strangling fig is a vine that climbs up an existing tree and out competes it for light. Over time the original tree will die and rot away, leaving a hollow tree in its wake. This hollow tree is very easy to climb. It was so fun! The tree is all tangled and full of foot and hand holds. I got 20 ft or more up the tree without even noticing.
We got lunch at a local restaurant. I shared lunch with Laura and Dr. Kanter. We got a soup, and a salad, and a cheviche and a plantain chip with dip and it was all delicious and entirely too much food. We were then picked up by a van for our free afternoon activity. Some students went zip lining, some students hung out on the cabin grounds or hiked. Dr. Kanter and Laura and I went for a hike on the Suspended Bridges at a park nearby. It was very cool. We were the only ones on the trail the entire time. We got within 5 feet of a family of howler monkeys as they crossed one of the bridges. The bridges themselves were very cool. The traveled across ravines in the forest and let us get right into the canopy of the trees. The plant life here is so diverse and complicated and beautiful. I had a great time on the hike. The running joke was that it looked like a was a kid out for a hike with Mom and Dad.
On the way back we just missed the last bus so we got a taxi and rushed back to the cabins. We went to a nice restaurant for dinner. I had steak and potatoes and peppers with soursop juice. Then the group went to a Quaker compound where we were taught some square dances. It was a whole lot of fun and my partner, Kris was very enthusiastic and great to dance with.
Then most of the kids went to town for more dancing and I went back to the cabins. Partially because I was completely out of cash and partially because I wasn't feeling great. I then spent most of the night puking. Oh well.
Costa Rica Day 6
It's Friday! The trip is almost over! I can't believe how fast it was going. We start the day at 6, which has been pretty normal for me since I've been birding so much, but was still pretty early. We went to our guide's family's dairy farm. I milked a cow. They had so many little calfs! We took a walk around the property and saw the small coffee crop they grow and learned about dairy farming practicing in the country.
Back to the cabins for breakfast (french toast, fruit). We took a walk around the cabins, which our guides own. We went to his gardens, where he grows vegetables hydroponically. We gathered carrots, and hacked down a sugar cane. We walked through the woods and had to run through a fire ant nest. We juiced the sugar cane in this interesting old press. It was hard, but a whole lot of fun. We had a little free time to hang out on the hammocks, and then lunch at the cabins.
We went on a tour of a coffee plantation. The plantation grows organic coffee. The plantation was full of fruit trees. Apparently the fruit trees will feed animals that will wander onto the plantation so they don't eat the coffee beans, which is interesting. They served us coffee and sweet corn cakes. I only drank a little of it, because coffee hurts my stomach, but it was very tasty.
We headed over to the Monteverde Institute and had a little free time. A group of us wandered to a Woman's Coop nearby where they sell locally made crafts. I got a whole bunch of chocolate to bring back as souvenirs. We received a lecture on Bats. The lecturer emphasized the importance of bats to the ecosystem and all the difficulties they face. Then we went into the forest to catch bats! It was incredibly cool. They set up mist nets around us. If a bat runs into a net, they fall into soft little pockets and need assistance to get out. It doesn't hurt them, just softly catches them. We caught a bunch of varieties. We caught two pregnant bats too! Some of the bats were very docile and agreed to being held and showed off. Some of the other one were aggressive and gnawed violently on the guides gloves. The bats weren't hurt, but they were stretched out so we could see and feel the wings and we were given a little anatomy lesson. Then the bats were released and flew right away to go catch more food.
We got dinner at the cabins, and hung out, talking on the porch for the rest of the night.
Back to the cabins for breakfast (french toast, fruit). We took a walk around the cabins, which our guides own. We went to his gardens, where he grows vegetables hydroponically. We gathered carrots, and hacked down a sugar cane. We walked through the woods and had to run through a fire ant nest. We juiced the sugar cane in this interesting old press. It was hard, but a whole lot of fun. We had a little free time to hang out on the hammocks, and then lunch at the cabins.
We went on a tour of a coffee plantation. The plantation grows organic coffee. The plantation was full of fruit trees. Apparently the fruit trees will feed animals that will wander onto the plantation so they don't eat the coffee beans, which is interesting. They served us coffee and sweet corn cakes. I only drank a little of it, because coffee hurts my stomach, but it was very tasty.
We headed over to the Monteverde Institute and had a little free time. A group of us wandered to a Woman's Coop nearby where they sell locally made crafts. I got a whole bunch of chocolate to bring back as souvenirs. We received a lecture on Bats. The lecturer emphasized the importance of bats to the ecosystem and all the difficulties they face. Then we went into the forest to catch bats! It was incredibly cool. They set up mist nets around us. If a bat runs into a net, they fall into soft little pockets and need assistance to get out. It doesn't hurt them, just softly catches them. We caught a bunch of varieties. We caught two pregnant bats too! Some of the bats were very docile and agreed to being held and showed off. Some of the other one were aggressive and gnawed violently on the guides gloves. The bats weren't hurt, but they were stretched out so we could see and feel the wings and we were given a little anatomy lesson. Then the bats were released and flew right away to go catch more food.
We got dinner at the cabins, and hung out, talking on the porch for the rest of the night.
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