Uh, What’s Panama? pt. 1

A question I get asked almost weekly. I would get asked are you excited for Panama & I would say “yes! I don’t have any idea what it is like though.” Panama is just one of those countries that you know is a country or may not know, but you know nothing about it, minus the Panama Canal.  This question makes me laugh a bit because just about a month ago I asked the same question. 

My squad gathered in the Costa Rican sand eagerly waiting to get the news of our next country. There had been a ton of talk about where we were going next if we were going somewhere at all. As we sat in the sand staring at our leaders for the news.  One of our squad leaders, Drew exclaims “we’re going to Panama!” I am not kidding when I say my entire squad sat there with a blank stare and the look of confusion on our faces. We genuinely thought Drew was kidding. Our reactions weren’t because we were not excited because man! We were so excited for another country. However, when we all heard Panama. It was completely unexpected. 

That’s when the lingering question of “What’s Panama?” came about. 

Currently I have been living in Bocas del Toro, Panama. My team and I are staying at a YWAM (youth with a mission) base on the 2nd largest island, Bastimentos. So I can’t speak for all of Panama, but I certainly can speak on some of it! Our ministry here consists of serving the YWAM groups that are here for their outreach trips, so a good chunk of our time here is spent on base. It is also not a quick, easy trip to the nearest store or restaurant anyway, so with that, our days in town are always an adventure with meeting new people and seeing all the sights. 

Bocas is surrounded by the Caribbean Sea, so honestly it was expected for the water to be insanely gorgeous, but the amazement never ceases. Fun Fact- on our boat ride into the islands from the mainland we saw dolphins in the distance, and it honestly felt like a dream! 

I have never lived as a true islander before, but they aren’t kidding when they say the sea is their road and the boat is their car! Bastimentos is considered a national park. It is majority beach and jungle with small villages scattered throughout the island, so there is no way to travel around the island minus boating from dock to dock or trekking through the jungle. 

Speaking of the jungle… Panama is SO green. I thought Costa Rica was crazy green, but living out in the middle of the jungle has given me a whole new perspective on how alive everything actually is. Panama is currently entering the rainy season, and when it rains; it pours. The plants here are huge. Leaves falling that are taller than me. Trees that rise up like skyscrapers. The vibrant flowers that stand out amongst all the green. I look around and just think, “WOW GOD! YOU DID THAT!”

Not to mention that most of the plants that grow here; grow fruits & veggies on them. So just about everything is edible, whether it is poisonous or not. Haha. We spent one weekend here touring a Cacao farm where they grew a ton more than cocoa trees. They prepared this large spread of fresh foods for us made straight from their garden, with a  brief history lesson about every plant surrounding us. 

Like I said, Panama is one of those places that not many people know much about, but it deserves to be seen. The amount of beauty that I have seen in this country already gets me so excited for the people that have yet to see it. I already want to share this place with every person I know. 

(Stay tuned for a “What’s Panama? pt. 2” as we will be traveling to other parts of Panama!)