What an amazing day to wrap up our week-long adventure. The group of New Mexico students left this morning at 6:30AM, and several of my students woke up to see them off and enjoy breakfast with them before they left. Since students were required to be packed before lights out last night, we were able to wake up at a reasonable hour and extend our tour a bit before leaving for the airport. Several students asked to do another walking tour of the area around our hotel. We were able to eat breakfast, fit in the walk, visit a church, take a ride on the city subway "metro", visit the largest bus station in Panama, and make one last stop for snacks before loading our suitcases and making our way to the airport.
Iglesia del Carmen Visit:
Our first stop was a short visit to the Iglesia del Carmen. This building was built in the 20th century with gothic-style architecture. The beauty in the arches and the gold leaf were immaculate. For those of you that travel, if you have never stopped to check out the churches where you travel, you are missing out! We have been to many churches throughout our travels and this one was breathtaking. Regardless of individual beliefs, all students and adults took a few moments upon entering each of the churches to reflect and admire the beauty.
Metro Ride:
In order to get to and from the church in the amount of time we had before our flight, we took the metro. This was also an opportunity for another large group of students to experience another "first". Only a handful of students had ever ridden the subway. Gabo took time to explain the processes of: putting money on the metro card, scanning at the entry and exit, understanding the police presence for safety, maintaining cleanliness from graffiti, boarding quickly to not get left behind, holding on when the subway starts, and always making sure they give up their seat for anyone elderly or in need. I love that he stops and gives my students lessons on history, economics, nature and more... but it is the "life" lessons that Gabo shares that I love the most! Thank you Gabo.
Panama Goodbyes and Hello Homes:
Although it looks like we are just staring at a wall (which we were), this is our only image with our shirt numbers. I will miss our number calls (in both English and Spanish) to make sure everyone is present. This group was amazing at being on time, ready, and present for all activities.
Panama was amazing. We had a blast, but all good things must come to an end. We said our heartfelt farewells to Gabo and Rafin. They both gave little speeches to our group, and I know that we all had an impact on each other. Gabo spoke of highlights on the trip, and also let the group know they were special. He even stated that we were one of his top 5 groups of all time. This really meant a lot to me as a leader. As leaders, we try really hard to make sure our kids are "travelers" and not just "tourists". I want them to eat, breathe, and feel Panama... not just visit. I think we accomplished this mission and it was nice to know that someone else recognized it as well.
