Panama – The trip of a bag pack

Hi everyone there! I’m a bag pack. Moreover, I’m Zoes bag pack and I was on a trip through Panama with her and the other KUSis. It was very exciting.

Our first stop was Miguel’s Camp in the middle on the rainforest. After Zoe had carried me through the wild, green forest, I had to lie on the wooden bottom of the simple cabin that was made by Miguel himself. In the first night, I was a bit scared of the spiders around me and all the noises the animals in the rainforest made. You must keep in mind that I had only known the warm and safe under bunk before. But then I realised that the soft light that flooded the night came from the moon and all the thousands of stars sprinkling the sky and my fears were washed away.

After some days we moved on to Panama City. It was quite the opposite to the place before. In the hostel we lived in some kind of tents and the sound of the city was everywhere. There was the starting of car engines, talking people, sometimes a siren in the distance and -of course- the “talking” of the parrots living in the hostel. Also, the light was very different. Instead of all the stars, the night was enlightened by street lanterns and the light flooding out of all the living rooms. Everything was busy and loud.

The next place to go was Boquete where the KUSis stayed in host families. I really enjoyed it, being placed in a house, hearing people speak and laugh. Furthermore, our host family had a brown cat that was sneaking around me. Like in Panama City we heard a lot of cars despite Boquete being a smaller town compared to Panama City. It was quite a challenge for the KUSis having to speak Spanish with everyone, but they mastered very well.

Our last stop was in Bocas del Toro, where we stayed for several days in a small village of the Naso, the indigenous people there. It was a mix of nature – because we were again surrounded by rainforest, but also a place where people were meeting and living. You could smell the food cooked over the fire, hear the laughter of the playing children, and see all the little chickens running crazy around. And while I was standing at the bottom of the simple hut we were living in, the KUSis got the incredible chance to learn a lot of the old culture of the Naso. For example, they were able to make bowls and cups out of fruit shells and bamboo.

Panama was one of my most favourite trips as a bag pack but nevertheless I’m glad that I can now rest in the under bunk again. After seeing so much of Panama the calm darkness here gives me the space to reflect all the impressions we got. But while thinking I’m looking forward to Cuba where I’ll able to accompany Zoe and the other KUSis while exploring the country…