The End of an Era: Pictures!

So I took the opportunity to celebrate Carnival in Panama this year. On the second morning, with only having consumed two beers, I ventured out into the festival. With my camera hidden in a pocket, within a pocket, woo hiking shorts, I thought I was safe. Oops. Within ten minutes my camera was gone. Luckily, I was uploading pictures at some point in the past and forgot to put my SD card with months of photos back into my camera after uploading them and so I only lost about three weeks worth of pictures. Guess you won't be able to see pictures of my awesome two weeks of technical training where I lived on top of a mountain overlooking the entire town. Just imagine it, you'll do fine! Anyways, here are the remainder of the pictures from the camera I didn't upload as well as pictures from my new "camera", my phone.

Just kidding, looks like everything since my last photo update on this blog is gone. So enjoy these pictures from my phone!

Click the link at the end of the post to continue viewing the pictures.

Not much of a selection choice at the jukebox.

After a "hard day" of training

A really random finding. During in service training I stayed with a host family in a neighboring volunteer's community. This was on their wall. This dog is from my hometown, of like less than 10,000 people.

Casco Viejo in Panama City

Got to check out a guy that made masks for some parades and events in Panama. 

Another random hobby. I learned how to make origami flowers. I decided to make 50 for Valentine's day for everyone since we were doing a card exchange during training. See finished product below.

Making a ferro-cement tank to hold water for the community we worked in during in service training.

Prepared for carnival.

There was a security check to get into carnival. Look at the awesome line.

One day during training there were posters to be given out. There were only 6 so we decided to have contests to see who won them. This was for farthest paper airplane. This one didn't make it so far.

Hanging out with a friend while he sells artisan goods from his community.

Right in the middle of the water spraying during carnival. There were giant water tanker trucks with hoses on top that sprayed everyone.

Good thing I had a water proof case.

Snuck up onto a stage to see the crowd from above.

As we were leaving carnival we ended up accidentally on a bus in the wrong direction. Ended up at this "beach."

First thing I consumed from my garden. This is lemon grass and it makes for a good tea.

Burning trash for the first time!

Current garden. There's vine beans to the left, tomatoes in the top left, lemon grass to the top right, and more vine beans at the bottom right. This was before I overhauled and doubled the size of my garden.

Clearing the land for a second plot of land. What horribly exhausting work.The sun didn't help either. The next day it poured, which would have been nice.

Taking a break to see some sort of religious parade thing going on in my community. That's about as much as I know.

Went to enjoy Carnivalito, or little Carnival, in La Pintada. What interesting rides.

That Ferris Wheel looks very safe.

Street meat! Reminds me of China.

My third collection of plants I'm growing. I have squash, tomatoes, spinach, culantro (not cilantro), and something else I forgot. 

Taking a break from my garden to wait out the rain storm.

This is Saril or Jamaican Tea. It'll make for great tea during Christmas next year.

 

Helping out my tomato plant.

I made these. First thing eaten from my garden.

Beans to give away to other gardeners. I don't have the patience or space to plot enough land to grow and eat these.

This is what has collected/grown inside my "filter" on my tap in the past two months.

Look at those tomatoes! Disregard the burnt bread I don't have a toaster.

Finished garden with fencing to stop the horses and hopefully dogs from entering my garden.

What a name!