This our last night. All reported that the mini homestays went very well. In the afternoon,
Cabin 9
both farm practices and issues surrounding hydroelectric projects were discussed with Ana, Luis and others. After that students had free time: some rode some horses, some walked up to Finca Dracula (the orchid place), and some walked about town or relaxed. I finally have had a chance to upload some photos. See them by clicking Cerro Punta Photos. Also see Tai and Andre’s video blog entry.
I took the afternoon time the time to go settle our bills, and, with the help of Ramira who was our cook while we were up in the cabins, I bought 8 days of produce for about 20 people. It was about $50 total. This will give us higher quality produce at a much lower price than can be found on the lowland island where ITEC resides. Virtually all the food on the island is brought in from the mainland. By buying produce here, in the city of David and in Bocas del Toro we are able to compare prices and quality and it will help us in tracking the produce from their growth in Cerro Punta (part of an area where almost all produce in Panama is grown) to the different endpoints. What is the cost in transport? Who gets the money? This all part of a larger view we are taking of agriculture, economics and social justice.
Could be a carnvall ride
We are on to ITEC tomorrow. Leaving 8:15 or so, we will travel by bus to the port of Almirante where will take a couple of boats for the ~40-minute ride to ITEC. You can see our land route by going to Google maps and putting in Guadalupe (or Cerro Punta), Panama as a starting point and Almirante, Panama as the end point. The very circuitous route reflects the rugged terrain and the almost total lack of development on the Atlantic slope.
Alas, the ITEC field station has no internet. (The phones will work.) We can have very slow internet if we coordinate an 8-minute walk and a 15 minute boat ride. To get better internet, we have to travel to the main town of Bocas del Toro, which is more of an ordeal. Having such limited internet has been almost painful for me, as I like to upload photos and keep you all abreast of what we are doing. We’ll do the best we can as fae as keeping you updated.
Steve