Panama Update #110
December 31, 2009
Happy New Year and Feliz Ano Nuevo! We are taking off tomorrow (Thursday) to another part of Panama for a couple of days with a colleague of Nikki's so I probably will not have another blog entry until January 3 (Saturday).
Our cycling guests left our apartment this morning (see Pictures from Panama 19) and are in search for a boat to Columbia.
Today I gave Nikki a hand in her field work since all her other colleagues are on vacation. On the way, we saw Rod Carew National Stadium (see Pictures from Panama 20). The picture of me is taken by me. It was an experiment with our new camera and it worked OK. You can see a ship in the Canal in the background.
For New Year's Eve tonight we are hanging out at the apartment. Nikki has some work to finish up before we leave town tomorrow. The football bowl game that the University of Minnesota is playing in tonight is on a cable channel that we have here so I'll probably check that.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Panama Update #109
Panama Update #109
December 30, 2008
Today I spent some more time shopping. I found a bike helmet for Nikki and also bought some grocery supplies since it is the first time I have been at the store since we came back from the US. In the afternoon, Ariel ,our cyclist visitor, met up with her two biking companions that have been with her since Guatemala. She started her trip in Mexico City in March and has biked about 3000 miles so far. From here they are looking for a boat to Columbia. I took all of them out to the mall near us tonight because they were looking for some supplies such as a hammock, new sandals, sleeping mat, and pump. They found most, but not all the things. All three of them plan to stay at our house tonight and then they will be on their way tomorrow.
December 30, 2008
Today I spent some more time shopping. I found a bike helmet for Nikki and also bought some grocery supplies since it is the first time I have been at the store since we came back from the US. In the afternoon, Ariel ,our cyclist visitor, met up with her two biking companions that have been with her since Guatemala. She started her trip in Mexico City in March and has biked about 3000 miles so far. From here they are looking for a boat to Columbia. I took all of them out to the mall near us tonight because they were looking for some supplies such as a hammock, new sandals, sleeping mat, and pump. They found most, but not all the things. All three of them plan to stay at our house tonight and then they will be on their way tomorrow.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Panama Update #108
Panama Update #108
December 29, 2008
I called up the same guy who helped us move to this apartment and asked if he could help us pick up a couple of bikes. He has a pick-up truck and does this kind of thing for a living. We originally found him since he is a friend of our landlord. He does not speak English and is of Chinese descent, but communication in Spanish was not a problem. He drove us quite a ways (about 30 minutes)to the Goodwill store where they sell donated bikes for about $50. Nikki found one that she liked and I decided to get another to have for guests. The driver is also a mechanic and he adjusted one of the bikes on the spot to fix some minor problems. He charged us $20 for the round-trip and we gave him a tip for helping fix one of the bikes. Nikki is excited about biking with me tomorrow in the afternoon, after I buy her a helmet in the morning.
Ariel, our first guest in Panama, arrived today. She is the 24 year old daughter of a friend of my sister. She started her journey last March in Mexico City, spent 6 months doing volunteer work in Guatemala, and has finally biked to Panama City. She found her way to the large Police Station near here and I met her there. If her mom is reading this, I had enough bail money to get her out (just kidding). She was separated by her biking partner, but through email has figured out where he is and they will meet up tomorrow and both of them will probably stay here one more night.
December 29, 2008
I called up the same guy who helped us move to this apartment and asked if he could help us pick up a couple of bikes. He has a pick-up truck and does this kind of thing for a living. We originally found him since he is a friend of our landlord. He does not speak English and is of Chinese descent, but communication in Spanish was not a problem. He drove us quite a ways (about 30 minutes)to the Goodwill store where they sell donated bikes for about $50. Nikki found one that she liked and I decided to get another to have for guests. The driver is also a mechanic and he adjusted one of the bikes on the spot to fix some minor problems. He charged us $20 for the round-trip and we gave him a tip for helping fix one of the bikes. Nikki is excited about biking with me tomorrow in the afternoon, after I buy her a helmet in the morning.
Ariel, our first guest in Panama, arrived today. She is the 24 year old daughter of a friend of my sister. She started her journey last March in Mexico City, spent 6 months doing volunteer work in Guatemala, and has finally biked to Panama City. She found her way to the large Police Station near here and I met her there. If her mom is reading this, I had enough bail money to get her out (just kidding). She was separated by her biking partner, but through email has figured out where he is and they will meet up tomorrow and both of them will probably stay here one more night.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Panama Update #107
Panama Update #107
December 28, 2008
Yeah! Our luggage arrived today at about 8:00 PM with all the things we had bought in the US, so we were very happy about that. I didn't know what the proper protocal was, but the driver from American Air who delivered the things seemed to be waiting around for a tip, so I gave him $5. Today we refilled the refrigerator with items from the fruit and vegetable market and caught up on some sleep. Tomorrow is a laundry day and I am also planning to bike down to the Causeway. We are also expecting house guests. We just heard last week that a daughter of a friend of my sister Laurie's and her two body guard friends who have been biking across Mexico and Central America for the last several months are arriving in Panama City tomorrow. They plan to stay at our apartment for a couple of nights so I can report in the blog more information about them and their trip.
December 28, 2008
Yeah! Our luggage arrived today at about 8:00 PM with all the things we had bought in the US, so we were very happy about that. I didn't know what the proper protocal was, but the driver from American Air who delivered the things seemed to be waiting around for a tip, so I gave him $5. Today we refilled the refrigerator with items from the fruit and vegetable market and caught up on some sleep. Tomorrow is a laundry day and I am also planning to bike down to the Causeway. We are also expecting house guests. We just heard last week that a daughter of a friend of my sister Laurie's and her two body guard friends who have been biking across Mexico and Central America for the last several months are arriving in Panama City tomorrow. They plan to stay at our apartment for a couple of nights so I can report in the blog more information about them and their trip.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Panama Update #106
Panama Update #106
December 27, 2008
WE ARE BACK IN PANAMA afer 12 days of running around in the US. It seems funny to be back, yet familiar at the same time. Our flight today on American Air from SF to Dallas was over an hour late. We made our connection to Panama but our luggage did not. The airlines said they would deliver it tomorrow (Sunday), but I'll believe it when I see it.
In the 12 days we visited many places and people and it was too much running around but we had a good time visiting with everyone in SF, Berkeley, Oakland, Ceour d'Alene, and LA- Carolyn, Red, Marilee, Fred, Ran, Betty, and Barbara. We had a lot of back and forth and early morning shuttles, including this morning at 4:00 AM. Tomorrow I'll plan to post some more pictures from the trip.
December 27, 2008
WE ARE BACK IN PANAMA afer 12 days of running around in the US. It seems funny to be back, yet familiar at the same time. Our flight today on American Air from SF to Dallas was over an hour late. We made our connection to Panama but our luggage did not. The airlines said they would deliver it tomorrow (Sunday), but I'll believe it when I see it.
In the 12 days we visited many places and people and it was too much running around but we had a good time visiting with everyone in SF, Berkeley, Oakland, Ceour d'Alene, and LA- Carolyn, Red, Marilee, Fred, Ran, Betty, and Barbara. We had a lot of back and forth and early morning shuttles, including this morning at 4:00 AM. Tomorrow I'll plan to post some more pictures from the trip.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Panama Update #105
Panama Update #105
December 24, 2008
The shuttle picked us up this morning at 4:oo AM to bring us to the Spokane airport. We had a nice visit in Idaho. It was short but I think everybody had a good time. We arrived with our luggage in Los Angeles as scheduled. Even with all the weather mess and crowded airports we made it from Spokane to Oakland to LA on time. My cousin Barbara picked us up at the Burbank airport and because of the holidays, the traffic was very light. We had a nice lunch with my Aunt Betty and then went for a walk around the neighborhood. LA is surprisingly and unusually cold and rainy. The weather is very similar to SF with drizzle and highs around 50. On the way back from the walk we saw a sign advertising for a foot massage in the strip mall across the street. Nikki and I both made appointments and came back later in the afternoon for a one hour massage at a very good price. I think it helped both of us a lot. We needed something like that with all the flying and weather changes we have been experiencing on this trip. This morning we started to feel the effects of schleppling our things and bodies through so many airports and cities in the last few days. Tomorrow we may go for a walk or bike ride along the ocean or see a movie, depending on the weather.
December 24, 2008
The shuttle picked us up this morning at 4:oo AM to bring us to the Spokane airport. We had a nice visit in Idaho. It was short but I think everybody had a good time. We arrived with our luggage in Los Angeles as scheduled. Even with all the weather mess and crowded airports we made it from Spokane to Oakland to LA on time. My cousin Barbara picked us up at the Burbank airport and because of the holidays, the traffic was very light. We had a nice lunch with my Aunt Betty and then went for a walk around the neighborhood. LA is surprisingly and unusually cold and rainy. The weather is very similar to SF with drizzle and highs around 50. On the way back from the walk we saw a sign advertising for a foot massage in the strip mall across the street. Nikki and I both made appointments and came back later in the afternoon for a one hour massage at a very good price. I think it helped both of us a lot. We needed something like that with all the flying and weather changes we have been experiencing on this trip. This morning we started to feel the effects of schleppling our things and bodies through so many airports and cities in the last few days. Tomorrow we may go for a walk or bike ride along the ocean or see a movie, depending on the weather.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Pictures from Panama 16 (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho)
Daniel and Red (red jacket) and Nikki (blue) shoveling snow in northern Idaho. A slight contrast to Panama. Taken with our new camera. The previous camera was another victim of the Panama humidity.
Red taking off his boots.Nikki and her mom (Carolyn).
Panama Update #104
Panama Update #104
December 23, 2008
The snow let up today in the Spokane area and our plan is to be picked up tomorrow at 4:00 AM by a shuttle van that will bring us to the airport. It takes about an hour and a half to get there from Nikki's mom's house in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. We switch planes in Oakland and then go to LA where we would like to take a long walk in the afternoon to get some exercise. We haven't gotten much exercise here because of the cold.
December 23, 2008
The snow let up today in the Spokane area and our plan is to be picked up tomorrow at 4:00 AM by a shuttle van that will bring us to the airport. It takes about an hour and a half to get there from Nikki's mom's house in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. We switch planes in Oakland and then go to LA where we would like to take a long walk in the afternoon to get some exercise. We haven't gotten much exercise here because of the cold.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Panama Update #103
Panama Update #103
December 21, 2008
We arrived in Spokane, WA today from Oakland on SW air at about 11:30 AM. Our flight was only delayed for only about 10 minutes even with all the weather problems in the area. The people going to Portland were not so lucky. While we were waiting to board our flight we heard that the airport in Portland, OR was closed for the day because of an ice storm. They announced that all people at the airport who had a flight to Portland should go home and try again tomorrow. We were also slow to leave the plane once we landed in Spokane because a woman got sick in flight and they called any doctors on the plane to help out. They thought she was having a heart attack, but it turned out to be some complications from her blood pressure medication. The paramedics met the plane in Spokane and they took her immediately to the hospital. I found all this out by talking to some family members at the baggage claim. I had met the woman and her family before the flight, while we were waiting in Oakland.
It was a high of about 12F in Spokane today with a windchill of 0F. Earlier in the week they had 3 feet of snow on one day and the airport was closed here 2 days ago. We are scheduled to leave for LA on Wednesday so hopefully that will work out with all the weather problems. The contrast to Panama weather and the winter weather here is amazing. I haven't had culture shock yet on this trip to the states, but moving into deep winter weather is bringing me there. I have my silk long underwear with me and some heavier clothes, so I have been warm so far. Nikki's mom lives in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho which is about 50 miles from Spokane.
I have traveled to so many cities and different weather conditions in the last couple of months (in addition to all the places in Panama) that my head is spinning trying to get used to the idea of Miami, Houston,Austin, San Francisco, Coeur d'Alene, and still Oakland and LA yet to come on this leg. I know many people have this type of travel lifestyle, but for me it has been about 10 years since I have run around so much.
December 21, 2008
We arrived in Spokane, WA today from Oakland on SW air at about 11:30 AM. Our flight was only delayed for only about 10 minutes even with all the weather problems in the area. The people going to Portland were not so lucky. While we were waiting to board our flight we heard that the airport in Portland, OR was closed for the day because of an ice storm. They announced that all people at the airport who had a flight to Portland should go home and try again tomorrow. We were also slow to leave the plane once we landed in Spokane because a woman got sick in flight and they called any doctors on the plane to help out. They thought she was having a heart attack, but it turned out to be some complications from her blood pressure medication. The paramedics met the plane in Spokane and they took her immediately to the hospital. I found all this out by talking to some family members at the baggage claim. I had met the woman and her family before the flight, while we were waiting in Oakland.
It was a high of about 12F in Spokane today with a windchill of 0F. Earlier in the week they had 3 feet of snow on one day and the airport was closed here 2 days ago. We are scheduled to leave for LA on Wednesday so hopefully that will work out with all the weather problems. The contrast to Panama weather and the winter weather here is amazing. I haven't had culture shock yet on this trip to the states, but moving into deep winter weather is bringing me there. I have my silk long underwear with me and some heavier clothes, so I have been warm so far. Nikki's mom lives in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho which is about 50 miles from Spokane.
I have traveled to so many cities and different weather conditions in the last couple of months (in addition to all the places in Panama) that my head is spinning trying to get used to the idea of Miami, Houston,Austin, San Francisco, Coeur d'Alene, and still Oakland and LA yet to come on this leg. I know many people have this type of travel lifestyle, but for me it has been about 10 years since I have run around so much.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Panama Update #102
Panama Update #102
December 20, 2008
Today I took the BART over to Berkeley at about 1:00 PM. Nikki and I had made plans to meet after her meeting at about 5:30 PM at an Ethiopian restuarant on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley. The BART took about 30 minutes from the Civic Center stop near us and cost $3.40. When I arrived I could see a big Farmer's Market down the street from the station, near a park and city hall. They had about 75 booths selling all sorts of different organic foods, prepared and raw. I hadn't eaten lunch yet, and I find a seaweed burrito and some Indian style pancake and ate in the park. After lunch I found a bike rental place and explored around the UC-Berkeley campus and some other parts of the city. There was a huge art fair on Telegraph Ave. that was packed with art booths and people. They had some Hare Krishna group chanting on the sidewalk, which I haven't seen in a long time. They also had booths that were selling radical bumper stickers and all the crazy stuff that you can imagine.
After I returned the bike and walked back over to meet Nikki, there was a UC/UNLV basketball game going on and they let me in for free since it was already the 2nd half. I watched for about an hour since I had some time before meeting Nikki. It was a pretty good game and I think UC won, but I left before it was over. When I met up with Nikki we found out the Ethiopian restaurant was closed, so we did not have a chance to eat that kind of food here. We haven't had good Ethiopian food since we were in Ethiopia a little over a year ago. Nikki found a tea and herb shop that she really liked and bought a bunch of different teas to bring back to Panama.
Tomorrow the shuttle is supposed to pick us up at 6 AM and take us to the Oakland airport and then on to Spokane, weather permitting.
December 20, 2008
Today I took the BART over to Berkeley at about 1:00 PM. Nikki and I had made plans to meet after her meeting at about 5:30 PM at an Ethiopian restuarant on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley. The BART took about 30 minutes from the Civic Center stop near us and cost $3.40. When I arrived I could see a big Farmer's Market down the street from the station, near a park and city hall. They had about 75 booths selling all sorts of different organic foods, prepared and raw. I hadn't eaten lunch yet, and I find a seaweed burrito and some Indian style pancake and ate in the park. After lunch I found a bike rental place and explored around the UC-Berkeley campus and some other parts of the city. There was a huge art fair on Telegraph Ave. that was packed with art booths and people. They had some Hare Krishna group chanting on the sidewalk, which I haven't seen in a long time. They also had booths that were selling radical bumper stickers and all the crazy stuff that you can imagine.
After I returned the bike and walked back over to meet Nikki, there was a UC/UNLV basketball game going on and they let me in for free since it was already the 2nd half. I watched for about an hour since I had some time before meeting Nikki. It was a pretty good game and I think UC won, but I left before it was over. When I met up with Nikki we found out the Ethiopian restaurant was closed, so we did not have a chance to eat that kind of food here. We haven't had good Ethiopian food since we were in Ethiopia a little over a year ago. Nikki found a tea and herb shop that she really liked and bought a bunch of different teas to bring back to Panama.
Tomorrow the shuttle is supposed to pick us up at 6 AM and take us to the Oakland airport and then on to Spokane, weather permitting.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Panama Update #101
Panama Update #101
December 19, 2008
After 3 days of doing errands in San Francisco, I had completed all of the things I wanted to do, so today I decided to do some tourist activities and Nikki was able to join me. We walked down to Fisherman's Wharf and along the way stopped at a tea store where they make samples for you of exotic and expensive teas. At Fisherman's Wharf we rented bikes and went along the trail to the Golden Gate Bridge. We didn't go all the way to the bridge, but saw some nice sites along the way such as a view of Alcatraz and the Palace of Fine Arts. It was a beautiful sunny day here but windy and cooler than average, maybe about 50 for a high. We returned the bikes and took a cable car to Chinatown where we found a vegetarian Chinese restaurant. From there we took a bus to a huge Old Navy Store on Market Street in the shopping district and Nikki found a few things to buy. After that we walked back to the Youth Hostel. Nikki has a meeting in Berkeley tomorrow (Saturday) so the plan is for me to meet her there later in the day and go to an Ethiopian Restaurant. I may go early and rent another bike and explore around there in the afternoon.
It has been about 30 years since I have spent time looking around SF, but my impression this trip is that it is a city that works. The population is large enough and dense enough that the public transportation system here is great. The buses come so often that you don't need to check a schedule and they are only $1.50 to ride. We plan to take the BART system to Berkeley tomorrow. This is in contrast to Panama City, where the traffic is terrible and the public transportation does not work well. There also seems to be a vibrant, open, fluid, and accepting energy here with a large diversity of people. It is a real international city like Panama City is. There are a lot of street people, but even they (the ones that are awake) seem happy somehow. It is easy to see why people like it here. They have something for everyone and more.
We are scheduled to leave for Spokane early on Sunday AM. They have been having some big storms there and had to close the airport a couple of days ago, so whether we go there is a day to day decision and we will have to call the airlines again tomorrow night to check the status. We found out that Southwest will refund flight amounts, if necessary, without a hassle, which makes it very different than the other larger airlines.
December 19, 2008
After 3 days of doing errands in San Francisco, I had completed all of the things I wanted to do, so today I decided to do some tourist activities and Nikki was able to join me. We walked down to Fisherman's Wharf and along the way stopped at a tea store where they make samples for you of exotic and expensive teas. At Fisherman's Wharf we rented bikes and went along the trail to the Golden Gate Bridge. We didn't go all the way to the bridge, but saw some nice sites along the way such as a view of Alcatraz and the Palace of Fine Arts. It was a beautiful sunny day here but windy and cooler than average, maybe about 50 for a high. We returned the bikes and took a cable car to Chinatown where we found a vegetarian Chinese restaurant. From there we took a bus to a huge Old Navy Store on Market Street in the shopping district and Nikki found a few things to buy. After that we walked back to the Youth Hostel. Nikki has a meeting in Berkeley tomorrow (Saturday) so the plan is for me to meet her there later in the day and go to an Ethiopian Restaurant. I may go early and rent another bike and explore around there in the afternoon.
It has been about 30 years since I have spent time looking around SF, but my impression this trip is that it is a city that works. The population is large enough and dense enough that the public transportation system here is great. The buses come so often that you don't need to check a schedule and they are only $1.50 to ride. We plan to take the BART system to Berkeley tomorrow. This is in contrast to Panama City, where the traffic is terrible and the public transportation does not work well. There also seems to be a vibrant, open, fluid, and accepting energy here with a large diversity of people. It is a real international city like Panama City is. There are a lot of street people, but even they (the ones that are awake) seem happy somehow. It is easy to see why people like it here. They have something for everyone and more.
We are scheduled to leave for Spokane early on Sunday AM. They have been having some big storms there and had to close the airport a couple of days ago, so whether we go there is a day to day decision and we will have to call the airlines again tomorrow night to check the status. We found out that Southwest will refund flight amounts, if necessary, without a hassle, which makes it very different than the other larger airlines.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Pictures from Panama #15 (San Francisco)
Nikki explaining her Poster to someone at the conference (2008 American Geophysical Union).
Nikki setting up her Poster and making last minutes edits.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Panama Update #100
Panama Update #100
December 16, 2008
This is the 100th entry to the blog since leaving Minneapolis on July 10, 2008. If anyone ever has any comments about the blog, feel free to write me at my email address, since it cannot be posted directly.
I am writing today from San Francisco. We arrived at the downtown City Center Hostel at about 10:00 PM last night. We left for the airport in Panama at about 4:00 AM yesterday morning. It took about 18 hours to get here, including time waiting at the airport in Panama City and Miami. We had a 5 hour layover in Miami and the flight left an hour late. It is more than 6 hours flying time from Miami to SF. On the flight to Miami we were given seats right next to the bathroom, but found some empty seats and moved away a bit. We sat next to a Jewish woman from Panama who told us about the community there and wants to have us over some time. She told us about the popular Rabbi in Panama who had recently passed away after serving the community for the last 60 years. She said his son plans to take over. She has a place in both Miami and Panama.
Today in SF I had a bunch of errands to do and will continue on more tasks for the next couple of days while Nikki is busy at the conference. I accomplished more today walking around than I could in about 2 months in Panama with a lot of taxi rides. The place we are staying is very convenient to a lot of restaurants and stores that are on streets called Geary, Larkin, Polk, and California. I found a Best Buy and got a new wireless card, a tea shop that has exotic teas in bulk, a Whole Foods, a shoe repair, a drug store, a hardware store, a post office, and a bookstore. I had Thai food for lunch and we found a great Indian restaurant for dinner. We have plans to go to a vegetarian Chinese in the area and another in Chinatown, along with an Ethiopian restaurant if the timing works out.
December 16, 2008
This is the 100th entry to the blog since leaving Minneapolis on July 10, 2008. If anyone ever has any comments about the blog, feel free to write me at my email address, since it cannot be posted directly.
I am writing today from San Francisco. We arrived at the downtown City Center Hostel at about 10:00 PM last night. We left for the airport in Panama at about 4:00 AM yesterday morning. It took about 18 hours to get here, including time waiting at the airport in Panama City and Miami. We had a 5 hour layover in Miami and the flight left an hour late. It is more than 6 hours flying time from Miami to SF. On the flight to Miami we were given seats right next to the bathroom, but found some empty seats and moved away a bit. We sat next to a Jewish woman from Panama who told us about the community there and wants to have us over some time. She told us about the popular Rabbi in Panama who had recently passed away after serving the community for the last 60 years. She said his son plans to take over. She has a place in both Miami and Panama.
Today in SF I had a bunch of errands to do and will continue on more tasks for the next couple of days while Nikki is busy at the conference. I accomplished more today walking around than I could in about 2 months in Panama with a lot of taxi rides. The place we are staying is very convenient to a lot of restaurants and stores that are on streets called Geary, Larkin, Polk, and California. I found a Best Buy and got a new wireless card, a tea shop that has exotic teas in bulk, a Whole Foods, a shoe repair, a drug store, a hardware store, a post office, and a bookstore. I had Thai food for lunch and we found a great Indian restaurant for dinner. We have plans to go to a vegetarian Chinese in the area and another in Chinatown, along with an Ethiopian restaurant if the timing works out.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Panama Update #99
Panama Update #99
December 14, 2008
Nikki stayed up all night last night to finish her Poster for the conference in SF. The taxi is supposed to pick us up for the airport at 4:30 AM tomorrow. We have a 5 hour layover in Miami and are supposed to arrive in SF at 7:00 PM so it will be a long day.
While Nikki was busy working on her poster, I have been fixing up and riding a bicycle that I recently bought for $20 from a friend who is leaving Panama soon. I found a mechanic in Balboa (a section of town close to us) who normally works on cars, but has all the proper tools that were needed for the bike. Early in morning today (about 7:00 AM), the weather was very pleasant and I rode the bike out the Causeway, which has a nice bike path along the ocean. It was probably the funnest thing I have done so far in Panama, so when we return from the trip I plan to do it more often. Nikki will also probably buy a bike when we get back. I found a route that allowed me to stay on the sidewalk the whole way, if necessary, because of the traffic.
I read that the high temperature in Minneapolis, Minnesota tomorrow is only supposed to be zero degrees farenheit, so I appreciate biking along the ocean.
Many of the people that Nikki works with are leaving soon for the holidays and many will not return, so we have said goodbye the best we could. Because Nikki was busy with her work this weekend we had to cancel some social events. If you read this, goodbye Marina and enjoy Vancouver. We will do our best to baby sit Aaron while you are gone.
December 14, 2008
Nikki stayed up all night last night to finish her Poster for the conference in SF. The taxi is supposed to pick us up for the airport at 4:30 AM tomorrow. We have a 5 hour layover in Miami and are supposed to arrive in SF at 7:00 PM so it will be a long day.
While Nikki was busy working on her poster, I have been fixing up and riding a bicycle that I recently bought for $20 from a friend who is leaving Panama soon. I found a mechanic in Balboa (a section of town close to us) who normally works on cars, but has all the proper tools that were needed for the bike. Early in morning today (about 7:00 AM), the weather was very pleasant and I rode the bike out the Causeway, which has a nice bike path along the ocean. It was probably the funnest thing I have done so far in Panama, so when we return from the trip I plan to do it more often. Nikki will also probably buy a bike when we get back. I found a route that allowed me to stay on the sidewalk the whole way, if necessary, because of the traffic.
I read that the high temperature in Minneapolis, Minnesota tomorrow is only supposed to be zero degrees farenheit, so I appreciate biking along the ocean.
Many of the people that Nikki works with are leaving soon for the holidays and many will not return, so we have said goodbye the best we could. Because Nikki was busy with her work this weekend we had to cancel some social events. If you read this, goodbye Marina and enjoy Vancouver. We will do our best to baby sit Aaron while you are gone.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Panama Update #98
Panama Update #98
December 12, 2008
In addition to the blog, I have gotten a lot of writing done here over the last 5 months. I have finished essays called Why Collect Things, Staying Positive, and Home. If anyone is interested in seeing them, send me an email. I have also set a goal of reading in both Spanish and English as much as I can. In English I am reading a anthology of nature writings and in Spanish I am reading a book called El Libro de la Nada by Osho. Both are slow going, especially the Spanish book since I have to look up a lot of words. Since we are about half-way through our stay in Panama I am assessing how to best spend my time for the second half here. It looks like my job at the school will continue, but there will still be some time for other activities.
December 12, 2008
In addition to the blog, I have gotten a lot of writing done here over the last 5 months. I have finished essays called Why Collect Things, Staying Positive, and Home. If anyone is interested in seeing them, send me an email. I have also set a goal of reading in both Spanish and English as much as I can. In English I am reading a anthology of nature writings and in Spanish I am reading a book called El Libro de la Nada by Osho. Both are slow going, especially the Spanish book since I have to look up a lot of words. Since we are about half-way through our stay in Panama I am assessing how to best spend my time for the second half here. It looks like my job at the school will continue, but there will still be some time for other activities.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Panama Update #97
Panama Update #97
December 11, 2008
Nikki's big talk on Tuesday went well. I walked over to the talk with Nikki from our apartment. We were in a big hurry and I forgot the camera, so sorry that I do not have pictures to share. The talk was about climate and land-use in Ethiopia and how it affected the societies about 3000 years ago. It is based on the research she did in Ethiopia the last two years. The powerpoint was one hour long and she took some questions after. There were about 25-30 people there. She met some researchers here who she had not met before and got some good connections from that. Now she switches gears and is preparing a Poster to present at the San Francisco AGU conference on her work here.
Today I finished work at the school until January 13, a long winter break (they call it summer here). Today is also the last Yoga class until January 8. Everyone at the organization here where Nikki works seems to be dispersing for 2 or 3 weeks over the holidays. Some will return and others have ended their time here. We have seen a lot of people come and go in our 5 months here, including some very good friends from different countries that we plan to keep in touch with.
December 11, 2008
Nikki's big talk on Tuesday went well. I walked over to the talk with Nikki from our apartment. We were in a big hurry and I forgot the camera, so sorry that I do not have pictures to share. The talk was about climate and land-use in Ethiopia and how it affected the societies about 3000 years ago. It is based on the research she did in Ethiopia the last two years. The powerpoint was one hour long and she took some questions after. There were about 25-30 people there. She met some researchers here who she had not met before and got some good connections from that. Now she switches gears and is preparing a Poster to present at the San Francisco AGU conference on her work here.
Today I finished work at the school until January 13, a long winter break (they call it summer here). Today is also the last Yoga class until January 8. Everyone at the organization here where Nikki works seems to be dispersing for 2 or 3 weeks over the holidays. Some will return and others have ended their time here. We have seen a lot of people come and go in our 5 months here, including some very good friends from different countries that we plan to keep in touch with.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Panama Update #96
Panama Update #96
December 9, 2008
Nikki's big talk is today at 4:00 PM. I am planning to take some pictures of it to post on the next blog. She stayed up all night last night putting the finishing touches on the presentation and talk.
Today is the 2nd day in a row without rain, so maybe it is changing seasons here now. I check the weather in Minneapolis almost everyday to see what we are missing. So far it looks like a cold and snowy winter.
After this week we will be taking a 3 week break with the Yoga class. When we return in January we may go to one time a week, depending on the turnout. That would free me up to offer a class in a different location, but we will see what happens.
We leave for San Francisco in less than a week, on the 15th.
A friend sold me a bike for cheap which needs a couple repairs. When we get it going, Nikki might also get a bike. When we return from the trip to States, we may start biking out to the causeway regularly, which would be a great place to bike. We think we can do it pretty easily from our apartment.
December 9, 2008
Nikki's big talk is today at 4:00 PM. I am planning to take some pictures of it to post on the next blog. She stayed up all night last night putting the finishing touches on the presentation and talk.
Today is the 2nd day in a row without rain, so maybe it is changing seasons here now. I check the weather in Minneapolis almost everyday to see what we are missing. So far it looks like a cold and snowy winter.
After this week we will be taking a 3 week break with the Yoga class. When we return in January we may go to one time a week, depending on the turnout. That would free me up to offer a class in a different location, but we will see what happens.
We leave for San Francisco in less than a week, on the 15th.
A friend sold me a bike for cheap which needs a couple repairs. When we get it going, Nikki might also get a bike. When we return from the trip to States, we may start biking out to the causeway regularly, which would be a great place to bike. We think we can do it pretty easily from our apartment.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Panama Update #95
Panama Update #95
December 7, 2008
While Nikki was busy working today (Sunday) I did some errands around town. I bought some holiday gifts, fancy imported sweets, for the people we work with. The Kosher Grocery has all sorts of specialty items like that. We were also craving our new favorite drink, Agua de Pipa (coconut water) so I ran out to another store to get that. Sundays are easiest for shopping since the traffic is not bad and it is easy to find a taxi. Tomorrow I am going to show some new friends here the giant outdoor fruit market that we shop at since they have never been here before. It is Mother's Day in Panama tomorrow, and it is a national holiday, so the school where I work is closed. There sure are a lot of holidays here in November and December. They also have a big carnival in February and another big break later in the spring. The weather here has been much drier lately and some people are saying that it is now switching to the dry season, where it doesn't rain much for about 3 months. Everyone seems excited about that since there has been so much rain lately.
December 7, 2008
While Nikki was busy working today (Sunday) I did some errands around town. I bought some holiday gifts, fancy imported sweets, for the people we work with. The Kosher Grocery has all sorts of specialty items like that. We were also craving our new favorite drink, Agua de Pipa (coconut water) so I ran out to another store to get that. Sundays are easiest for shopping since the traffic is not bad and it is easy to find a taxi. Tomorrow I am going to show some new friends here the giant outdoor fruit market that we shop at since they have never been here before. It is Mother's Day in Panama tomorrow, and it is a national holiday, so the school where I work is closed. There sure are a lot of holidays here in November and December. They also have a big carnival in February and another big break later in the spring. The weather here has been much drier lately and some people are saying that it is now switching to the dry season, where it doesn't rain much for about 3 months. Everyone seems excited about that since there has been so much rain lately.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Panama Update #94
Panama Update #94
December 5, 2008
Nikki is busy preparing for a big talk she gives next Tuesday, December 9. It is the main talk for the week at the organization she works for and all employees and the public are invited. She is speaking on the research she conducted in Ethiopia over the last 2 years, before coming to Panama. After that talk, then she has 5 days to prepare for the poster she is presenting at the American Geological Union (AGU) in San Francisco. She is also continuing to see an Ayurvedic doctor down here who she likes a lot. She has made her appointments early in the morning since we live on the other side of town and the traffic is so bad. The taxi driver picks her up at 5:30, it takes about a half-hour to get there, and then she returns home by about 7:00 AM. She gets some massage, therapy, herbal tea, and suggestions on diet and nutrition. In order to get a taxi driver to come to the house at that time, she has to pay him $6 to driver her over there, which by Panama standards is expensive, but otherwise it would be difficult to find someone.
December 5, 2008
Nikki is busy preparing for a big talk she gives next Tuesday, December 9. It is the main talk for the week at the organization she works for and all employees and the public are invited. She is speaking on the research she conducted in Ethiopia over the last 2 years, before coming to Panama. After that talk, then she has 5 days to prepare for the poster she is presenting at the American Geological Union (AGU) in San Francisco. She is also continuing to see an Ayurvedic doctor down here who she likes a lot. She has made her appointments early in the morning since we live on the other side of town and the traffic is so bad. The taxi driver picks her up at 5:30, it takes about a half-hour to get there, and then she returns home by about 7:00 AM. She gets some massage, therapy, herbal tea, and suggestions on diet and nutrition. In order to get a taxi driver to come to the house at that time, she has to pay him $6 to driver her over there, which by Panama standards is expensive, but otherwise it would be difficult to find someone.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Panama Update #93
Panama Update #93
December 3, 2008
We are focusing more on our upcoming trip back to the States. On December 15 we leave for San Francisco and Nikki's AGU meeting. Many of the people who we know that work with Nikki will also be leaving town during that time. When we return on the December 27, it will still be pretty quiet around here, and we don't know yet how we will celebrate the New Year here.
We talked to our landlord last night. He lives in the apartment across the hall and seems like a genuine caring person. Nikki was looking for a taxi driver who could pick her up at 5:30 AM this morning to take her to the Auyurvedic appointment shehad. He gave us the name of a driver he knows and he was here on time. He also gave us a giant Papaya from the tree in his backyard which he said will be ripe in about 3 days. He talked a lot about how much he loves Papayas. He does not know English, but I am able to understand a lot of what he says and we can have a conversation in Spanish. We are also big fans of Papayas and eat them often. We have also started to drink a lot of Agua de Pipa (coconut water). They sell it in plastic bottles in the supermarkets and it is 100% natural. It is so tastey and so refreshing. There are many nutritional qualities of it that we did not know and they can be found on the web if anyone is curious.
I tried to find a taxi driver to take me downtown this afternoon, but no one likes to do it since the traffic is so bad. Someone finally stopped. It took about an hour to get to the bank. I had to withdraw money for this month's rent, which we pay in cash. I didn't want to keep the money in our apartment so I paid the landlord right away.
December 3, 2008
We are focusing more on our upcoming trip back to the States. On December 15 we leave for San Francisco and Nikki's AGU meeting. Many of the people who we know that work with Nikki will also be leaving town during that time. When we return on the December 27, it will still be pretty quiet around here, and we don't know yet how we will celebrate the New Year here.
We talked to our landlord last night. He lives in the apartment across the hall and seems like a genuine caring person. Nikki was looking for a taxi driver who could pick her up at 5:30 AM this morning to take her to the Auyurvedic appointment shehad. He gave us the name of a driver he knows and he was here on time. He also gave us a giant Papaya from the tree in his backyard which he said will be ripe in about 3 days. He talked a lot about how much he loves Papayas. He does not know English, but I am able to understand a lot of what he says and we can have a conversation in Spanish. We are also big fans of Papayas and eat them often. We have also started to drink a lot of Agua de Pipa (coconut water). They sell it in plastic bottles in the supermarkets and it is 100% natural. It is so tastey and so refreshing. There are many nutritional qualities of it that we did not know and they can be found on the web if anyone is curious.
I tried to find a taxi driver to take me downtown this afternoon, but no one likes to do it since the traffic is so bad. Someone finally stopped. It took about an hour to get to the bank. I had to withdraw money for this month's rent, which we pay in cash. I didn't want to keep the money in our apartment so I paid the landlord right away.
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