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.
