Field Note Category: Azuero, Panama

Check out this video of Azuero volunteers making promises to protect the environment:

Picture this: mountains that are green, chickens that only have feathers on their backs, and mangoes ripening on trees. Welcome to Panama, also known as the AMIGOS life. So far, we have gone on hikes, eaten a bunch of rice, and of course, lived with host families. Our projects in community have ranged from gardens, … Read More

Dear World, This weekend we left our community and were put into a school with 59 more gringos. But it was great! Currently, we are all sitting on a bench after taking a hike labeled “facil.” For you non-Spanish speakers, that is the easy hike. People were sliding, which was a bit dramatic, but other … Read More

The goal was to catch the volunteers off-guard. Supervisors and staff were asked repeatedly since the start of briefing, “when are we going to find out our partners and routes?” This is arguably the most exciting element of Briefing, and the supervisors were determined to create an activity that built off of this energy. In … Read More

Azuero volunteers will be given the option to call home the week of July 8th on a rolling basis. If you do not hear from your student during this week, it is not cause for alarm. Many volunteers prefer to remain immersed in their summer experience and elect not to call home at all.

It is midday on a Sunday in the Calabacito community of Azuero and I am realizing that skipping breakfast may not have a been the best idea. Beckoned to the back of the Pinto family house, I encounter Señora Pinto seated with her daughter and granddaughter as they shred buckets of chicken with their fingers, … Read More

I was nine years old the first time I left the United States. My parents planned a vacation to Oaxaca, Mexico, to explore Mayan ruins and learn about local folk art. None of this sounded appealing to my nine-year-old self, especially since what I knew about Mexico was shared by classmates who traveled to the … Read More

Despedida from Community, Debriefing, Panama City and Departure Back Home     Our project is coming to an end and we do not want to say goodbye. At times “see you later” works as a replacement, but such a promise doesn’t seem appropriate, at times, to share with people that have meant something so pure … Read More

Week Four: Fiesta Ambiental at Reserva Montuosa (Chepo, Azuero) Participants officially passed the halfway point of their journey in Azuero, Panama and, to celebrate properly, we thought it would  be perfect to host a Fiesta Ambiental in the beautiful Reserva Forestal El Montoso, a natural wildlife reserve near our communities in Las Minas.  In true … Read More

Midterm is upon us and our participants are kindly reminding us that it’s time to call home. As July 10th and 11th came around, supervisors gathered participants from every one of their routes at regional hubs with trusted WiFi connections in Las Minas, Los Pozos, Pese, and Parita, which all are located approximately an hour … Read More