I think if you ask any of the students, they will say that this day was their favorite. Today many of the students checked quite a few things off of their “Life Bucket List”! They had a lot of “firsts” that they will probably remember for the rest of their lives.
Gatún Lake Boat Ride:
We started the morning with a boat ride around Gatun Lake. For two of my students, this is the first time they have ever been on a boat. They will forever be able to say, “the first time I rode a boat was in Panama next to the canal”. It was fun to watch their faces and hear their comments as the waves from very large ships met our boat!
As we rode around the lake area, our goals were to see wildlife and understand how the lake works to assist the Panama Canal. The lake is man-made and is completely freshwater. The reasoning for it being freshwater instead of saltwater and allowing both oceans to mix, is to make sure species stay where they are from. Students were fascinated by the “science chat” and contributed a lot of vocabulary words to the process.
The highlight for most of the kids were the animals we saw on various islands in the lake. We saw howler monkeys, the tamarin, and the capuchin. I have been to Panama before, and have seen monkeys, but I have never seen them ALL! Gabo talked to the kids about the importance of keeping a distance between our group and the wildlife. We saw other boats feeding the monkeys and the monkeys in their boats. We watched the monkeys as they swung from the branches and interacted in the trees. He mentioned that the more humans interact with them and provide them food, the less-like their natural environment it is. He also pointed out that while it appears they are friendly and like the people in the other boat, they are wild animals and are unpredictable. The kids completely understood this and enjoyed all types of monkeys in their environment.
Our group traveled the lake in two boats due to size. One of the groups was able to see a baby crocodile. Due to the rainy conditions we were in, it was highly unlikely that we would see the crocodile. They like to come out and lay on the shore in the sun. We also saw a small ball of fur, up high in the trees. This was one of the three species of sloth in Panama! While we were able to check it off our list, we would find out later that there are MUCH better sightings!due t D gg E fdsafdsafdsfd
The Panama Canal:
After stopping for a bite to eat, we made our way to the Miraflores Lock Center. We watched an amazing documentary about the Panama Canal. It was directed by Morgan Freemen and he went through the history of the canal and how it works. He also highlighted how many countries were involved in the creation. Students learned that in recent years the canal has expanded to allow even larger cargo ships to pass. When ships are able to utilize the canal, they save three weeks transportation when they do not have to travel around the tip of South America. The locks use a very sound system of tug boats, mechanical mules, and ship pilots to navigate. As they pass through the canal, some of the larger ships can have les than a foot of space between the ship and the side of the canal. It is a very impressive operation.
Metropolitan National Park in Panama:
We ended our afternoon with a visit to a nature park located in Panama City. The goal in Panama is to have nature and man live simultaneously. The canal provides many to help the country prosper and grow with banks, businesses, and more, but it is also important that the value of nature and biodiversity be preserved. Parks like this are helping Panama do this!
At this park we hiked for about an hour an a half round trip. There were gallons of sweat shed! Students were able to see more monkeys, leaf-cutter ants, many types of birds, wasp and ant nests, and several plants. Other than the breathtaking view at the top, the highlights of this adventure were probably being able to see a sloth moving in the treetops and eating termites. Sloths are not typically moving when you visit parks during the day so this was an amazing sight! Also, termites are a great source of protein if you are ever stranded in the wilderness. We saw amazing things and learned survival skills in the forrest! Although I encouraged all students to try them because YOPO (Your Only in Panama Once), some of them decided not to. You can check out the picture of those that did it below!
Folklore Dinner:
For dinner this evening we opted in on a folklore dinner. We ate traditional foods from Panama: a soup, chicken/fish, a plantain for dessert and a salad of tomato, cucumber and lettuce. This was our dress-up night and the kids looked dapper! They learned about the food, as well as some of the traditional dances and clothing of Panama. They were shown the dances of the African slaves and the indigenous communities of the area. The learned that many of the clothing articles were made of remnants of Spanish clothing. They also learned that the dances were meant to mock death and ward off evil spirits. These dances and traditions have only been spread these dances have only been spread by word of mouth so some of the history is unclear, but so important to be remembered and celebrated.
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