Spontaneous Rainforest Trip

I was going to go to the grocery store today - really. I was just moments away from leaving when the doorbell rang. It was 2 guys from my Statistics class, saying they were going looking for a waterfall and that I had to go. So 3 minutes later, Miguel, Gil, Jake and I were on our way. The waterfall itself wasn't much, but it was cool to go adventuring in the rainforest and see more of the interior of the country.

Amir's Chiva!!!

A Chiva is an old school bus turned into a club on wheels. So you take 40 of your closest friends and get driven around the city at approximately 3 miles per hour. It's the funnest thing ever. So for Amir's birthday we had to have one! It picked us up from Multicentro at 11:30 and dropped us off at Berties' rooftop party at 3 am. Such good times.

Various stages of sunrise
Me and the birthday boy on the rooftop

New tattoo!

My roommate Stephanie Manciagli and I got inked today yeaaahhh. Mine is a dreamcatcher, hers is a Buddhist quote in Sanskrit. Check it out

Josh and Jake had fun filming and keeping us distracted

A Day at the Beach

Today we went to the beach at Riomar and made up haikus. The rule was that each one had to end with "a day at the beach."
For example:

The sand burns my feet

We collected rocks and shells

A day at the beach

I know, I know. I have a very promising career as a poet ahead of me.

I went on a date with a guy who doesn't speak a word of English. It was super fun. I knew he was a waiter but then he told me he works somewhere different on Fridays, and that my friends and I should come check out this club. Turns out he's like a Chippendale's dancer. I feel cool.

I love the rain here! Everyone makes fun of me because I still get all excited when it rains. But living in California, I have never seen it rain as hard it does every day here. It starts out of nowhere and stops like half an hour later.

Out in front of our house

At El Valle - approximately one minute after we felt the first raindrops

Hey does anyone actually read this? Leave me comments!

La Bodeguita

First of all, I saw this stuff at the grocery store and we just had to make it. It seems to be some sort of Asian dessert. No one knows for certain. I think it's called Yoki.

I'm not sure how to explain Wednesday. There is a club called La Bodeguita. But everyone just calls it the hooker bar. Because that's where the Colombian whores are. Any everyone knows it. But we just had to see for ourselves.

At one point my friend told me I was standing next to a famous Panamanian porn star. But later a guy told me she was the most famous hooker in Panama. But "she" looks more like a "he" to me. All anyone knows for sure is that it has big fake boobs and it drives a couple of BMWs.

The silver lining of being surrounded by hookers all night is that as we were going to leave, we found out Comando Tiburon was about to perform! Okay obviously if you are reading this, you are in the US and that name means nothing to you, but I guess they're a big deal here if you're into reggaeton. "Ya tu sabes quienes son!"

Comando Tiburon again. Could the club be any smokier?

Some crazy Panamanians! (I'm talking about all 5 of us) Yesterday I was doing dishes in my kitchen, talking on the phone in Spanish. So weird how that's so normal now. I've been here for one month today, and though it's gone by so quickly I feel like I've been living here forever.

COMANDO TIBURON! My first attempt at video posting! I hope it works

City safari!

Jake, Stephanie, and I finally got around to climbing our neighborhood mountain, Ancon Hill. The views were pretty sweet.

The Canal Administration building. We call them the Great Stairs. View from Great Stairs
Casco Viejo (Old Colonial Panama)
Canal stuff
See my school? Right under the bridge, 1st building left of the canal. My whole town

The girls of 917B - Goin out to Voila!

Though I hate how pretentious it sounds, I must admit that it feels really good to bypass the line and get in the club for free ... because you're on the list. I think us girls are becoming very popular, because as big as this city is, we can't go anywhere downtown without seeing people we know!

Football game tonight vs. Colorado. Yeaahhh SEMINOLES

El Valle

We went to some place called El Valle, hung out at a hotel, and rappelled down through a waterfall. It was a wet and tiring day.

Hotel

The city the other day

Playa/Play Adventures

So yesterday morning (Saturday), nine of us had our hearts set on finding the beach. We took the bus towards Santiago for an hour and forty minutes until it dropped us off in Santa Clara. Well, on the side of the road.

HereWe walked for another half an hour until we were convinced that we would never find the beach.

And then we did.
It was great fun.

Then last night we went to a dance club on the Causeway called Play, where we tried to take pictures with as many Panamanians as possible.

Look what a good photographer I am haha And there's a pool there! Insane

Update! Our Sunday potluck is growing. Last night: 32 people. And tons of food.