Carnival in Dolega, Martijn's Art Journal and Flowers
in Boquete
David, Panama, March 6, 2003
 Well
it has been a busy and exciting week for me. Many things
have happened since the last
journal entry. I have been making plans for my "far-flung
ideas" and they are coming together quite nicely. Check
out "Help
me make it to Montana" and you will get most of
the story about my planned adventure.
Last week I went to David for Carnival and to a small
town outside of David called Dolega. Carnival is a 4
day event for the whole family with music, dancing,
food, drinks and a whole lot of water. The entire event
is actually one giagantic outdoor hose-down party. There
is a canal on the outskirts of Dolega and literally
as far as the eye can see, there are people in the water
and along the banks, spraying and splashing everyone
near the canal. We walked for over an hour and never
reached the end. It was like running the gaunlet. The
crowning of the Queen in an evening parade concluded
the week of festivities.
While in David I met Martijn, Helle and Raymond. Martijn
was writing and drawing in his journal in front of the
hotel where we were staying. He has maintained this
journal throughout his entire trip. His ideas and stories
are incredible so I took some photos of them. He has
a story behind each drawing and he is going to write
them up in the comment section for each one. Most of
them are on the "Postcards
from the Edge" page. You have to be a member to
view this page but membership is free so what are you
waiting for? Sign
up and enjoy.
 During
Carnival, I changed adresses to a small mountain village
called Boquete. The climate is much cooler and it was
a relief from the opressive heat of David. For my time
in Boquete, which was short, I hiked a road called Bajo
Mono that circles through the surrounding countryside
and back to Boquete. On the way I met a local, Antonio
who came along for the 6 hour walk. We walked and talked
the entire day. Our conversation was mostly about impromptu
English and Spanish lessons and the history of the the
local indigenous people called the Ngoebii.
At the highest point in the road we came to Rachael
de Castillo's garden and farm. This woman has worked
the land all of her life as a labour of love and it
shows. She is very friendly and loves sharing her knowledge
with anybody that has an interest.
This week's journal is short but there are a lot of
photos
that I hope you enjoy. I will be travelling fairly quickly
for the next while and I am anxious to get on the road.
My next planned journal will be from Tikal, Guatemala.
Yes, I saved the best for the last but there is even
more. There will be a World Peace festival in Tikal,
organized by "One World Beat" on the 21-23 of March,
hosted by ... me. Be sure to check out the "Help
me make it to Montana" link. That is all for now
so until Tikal and the full moon, listen to your spirit
it knows where to go.
Previous entry:
Panama City and the Whistle Stop Tour
|
