I just saw my parents off after spending a little over a week with them here in Panama. I don't think I fully appreciated the itinerary until it was all over. I met them at the airport and we spent two and a half days exploring Panama City. Panama City is sorta like a third-world city in the trappings of a developed city. There are fancy hotels and fine dining. There are shopping malls and parks for recreation. There are also open sewers, congestion and a lot of dysfunction. It was a good launching off point physically and mentally for the rest of the vacation.
After checking out the canal and a few other tourist to-dos, we headed off to my site. It takes over a day of travel. Two buses, a taxi, a 3.5 hour boat ride, followed by an hour long hike. My parents are the oldest gringos to have done it as far as I can tell (though there might be some competition from one of the members of Waterlines, the group that funded my community's aqueduct). Needless to say, my site serves as a stark contrast to the few days before in Panama City.
After a few days in site, we traveled to Bocas del Toro, a gringo haven and major Panamanian tourist attraction. Signs are in English. I have better Spanish than the realtor that I asked for directions. Food is expensive, but catered to an American crowd. A far cry from Comarca living.
In seeing Panama through my parents' eyes for the past week and a half, I've come to realize how much I navigate between these worlds. I'm blogging, about to embark on the said boat ride up the river in a dug out canoe.
It's also worth noting how interesting the dynamic in Bocas is. Bocas represents a major tourist destination. Families of Americans, Canadians, and Europeans come to see the turquoise waters and dine under charming thatch roofs. But what Lonely Planet doesn't mention is the extreme poverty a 20-minute boat ride would reveal. There are volunteers that have to come in and out of Bocas to travel to and from their site. Constantly living in that dichotomy would put my head in a tailspin.
And then there's the topic of encroaching development. Ngabes on cell phones, etc. Good or bad, it's inevitable. The world is getting smaller. Remote places are less and less remote. In trying to figure out my role as a developer, I've taken up the camp that I'm doing ''good work'' if it improves the health of those around me. If I'm playing both the roles of educator and of listener, then I'm doing well in a world where worlds collide.
Author's Note: I know this post was a little scattered. Running out of internet cafe time... More cohesion in future posts. Promise.
