Migrating Storck

Mindset and Pushing Limits

Alright, so it has been a long time (maybe years…) since I have written on here. A lot has happened over this time and the focus of this page is going to have quite the shift. Although I would like to bring some Peace Corps reflection in here from time to time.

I am going to be focusing more on my current dailys, hobbies, thoughts and plans. It’s the end of summer here in Salt Lake and we are…

Feels as if I never left… Here are a few more photos of the day before I head on to the next country! Enjoy 🙂 Got to play a game with my Ngabe soccer team. We had some cool Argentinian-themed jerseys donated for the playoffs.  These girls are about the the toughest around and for sure almost have my back when I get thrown to the ground 🙂 These wonderful young ladies went on to take second in the…

This migration is my return to Panama. I never did write a summary or a final post about my Peace Corps experience but I figured the fact that I am back a year later to visit says a lot about how I ended my friendships in all parts of Panama, including my community of Salitre in La Comarca Ngabe Bugle. During my current adventure I am taking a photo of the day, so here are a few to get this blog…

Long road ahead

Clearing after the storm

los muchachos

A game of soccer where the goal may not be to score…

School we crashed in, night 3

Made it to the Caribbean!

“El capitan”

5 day hiking trip from one ocean to another made possible by Panama. The large majority of this through the natives, Ngäbe Buglé’s reservation (comarca). It has been a dream of mine basically since I arrived in my community and fell in love with the naturaleza and investigation of this native culture. I decided I wanted to hike the width of the reservation, going from the Chiriquí side (where I live) to the Bocas del Toro side on the Caribbean. After staring at the map of Panama pegged to the wall of my house so many times, I decided I wanted to add an extra element to the adventure: ocean to ocean.

On April 30, we woke up to the sun rising up over the Pacific Ocean ( which also does not happen in too many places), with our feet in the water at our beloved local beach Las Lajas and set out for the Caribbean. The first day was most certainly the least adventurous but is where the most miles were put in. We hiked along the flat paved road. We had a beautiful cloudy morning, which made for a pleasant morning passing by the farms and cow pastures, through the town of Las Lajas and into my “hub” town of restocking and refueling, San Felix. From there we continued along the road finally crossing over the bridge to what is officially “la comarca”. Now begins my second goal of the trip, walking through the reservation. We stay the night at our Peace Corps buddies’ house which happens to be along our way, who not to mention had a very special guest visiting, his dad! They spoiled us with a few good meals and we were set to leave in the morning.

Except one problem, our guide who lives farther up along the path and was suppose to meet us there, had not showed. 8,9,10,11 o’clock has gone by. So we make a decision to go for it. We hoped to take the trail to the town of Chami where the guide lives but instead we were forced to continue along the road. Up we started to go, climbing up and up so that the following day we could pass over the mountain range. Winter here had just begun so we faced some having rain storms, at least keeping us cooled off. There was some spectacular views along this way and a lot of surprised people to hear what the gringos were up too. We get into our destination just after dark, finding our guide there as well. We get dinner at a small family restaurant, hang up our hammocks, and sleep until dawn.

Day 3: Today is the big day heading over the top of the mountain range toward Bocas del Toro. Up and up we climb through the rain and cool climate. As our guide correctly pointed out the sun is shining when we reach the top and are greeted with a spectacular view of the towns below. We finally get off the road and begin our trek through creek beds and narrow paths, not even the horses can make it through parts of it. Stopping for a break along the way we found some chichitre (kiddos) playing some footie. My friend Sean and I jump in, knocking the ball around we eventually scored a few goals before realizing that may not have been the objective of these kid’s game. The goal opened up to the river so if you scored a goal someone would have to go chase after it down river! Oops, at least I showed them girls can play soccer too! It proved to be a long but breathtaking day. As we are starting to tire and think we must be getting close we get passed by some teachers, booking it, hiking to work! They graciously give us the details of the rest of that day’s hike and tell us we can set up camp that night in one of the school classrooms. 👌We roll into town as dusk is upon and finally get a a chance to go swimming/bathing in the river we had been criss crossing all day. Just the doctor’s orders! We bought some food at the local store, rice and lentils and found a family to cook for us. To us Peace Corps volunteers, always with an appetite, the stores were one of the great excitements/surprises of the trip. Comparative to the store in my community which generally has about 10 different items the people bring in on horses, these stores were HUGE! And not to mention horses don’t go out this far and farther. Everything is brought in a chakra (large woven bag from string) on their heads!!! Super impressive and hard working these people are.

Day 4: Headed out towards a community called Quebrada Negra, 10ish hours either direction from a car/boat transportation. Another beautiful day hiking along the river through fields of ginger. We arrive to our destination with time to spare. Bought some beans and green bananas for a women to cook up for is for dinner and off to the river we went. Epic swim spot! Plenty of rocks to jump off, climb up and wash our clothes on. If I had to pick a town this would be mine. Hung out with some kiddos who were teaching us more of their language, Ngäbere and we taught them how to play frisbee.

Day 5: Last day of hiking, headed to the “city” of Kankintu. Early start with what turned out to be an 11 hour day ahead of us. Starting the day off by climbing our “last significant hill” that is what our guide had told us, if only that was halfway true. From there we continue to and from the river, up and down the mountain, and in and out of the jungle. Around lunch time we arrive in the lovely school town of Coronte. Here there is a large river crossing, the only way across besides swimming would be with el capitan and his dug out canoe. A hunched over old man with silver hair and his skin, blackened and wrinkly from the constant sun of his job. As far as we know, for years this man has shuttled students and community members to and from day after day and maybe even without pay? We arrive as the second round of students are going to school (the only school that at least goes to 9th in quite a few miles) so there is a long crossing line. While waiting under a tree, we hear the sound of a helicopter, to our surprise it was coming over us. Based what we have seen in the movies, we would have thought we were in Vietnam during the war based on the style of helicopter and the surrounding land. The helicopter ended up landing in front of the school to take away a sick teacher. We continue on through the hot day, not being able to take in the surroundings as much as we would like so that we could arrive before dark. Booking it along the path, feeling as if I had star power from Mario Kart for a while and being greeted with ñantoro jämräka, (hey friend in Ngäbere) due to me wearing their traditional dress (nagua). We do all finally make it in before dark. We arrive to the most devolved town in the reservation. Out of the jungle appears a side walk and then electricity and local man offers up him beautiful green wood house to stay the night in. We enjoy fish and fried plantations from the restaurant for dinner. A lovely way to round out the trip. The next morning we are set to head out in a motor boat to Bocas del Toro.

All seven of us arrived with spirits alive and some damage to our feet from having to hike most of the trip in calf high rubber boots. Feeling on top of the world now as we have a little better understanding of the culture, way of life, language, and nature of the Ngäbe-Bugle’s, ready to go back to our own community’s to share our experiences with them!

Mä niki ño? Where are you going? Nun tä nain mrente, Kankintute. We are going to the ocean, the town of Kankintu.

Ñobta? Why? Nun tä kä mike gare jai: We are going to understand the land. Ahhhh kuin: Ohhhh good!

Preston:

Vamos a la Playa

I can remember one interaction with a Panamanian that was less than cordial. And that guy wasn’t even mean or nasty – he was just curt. That’s it. Every other person that we interacted with, on buses, in restaurants, while hanging from a rock wall, was exceedingly nice, and happy to help a group of gringos. Of course, it helped to have a de facto local leading our motley crew, but we were still clearly outsiders in this world. And we were treated as friends everywhere we went. I’m not even proficient at speaking Spanish, and our Uber driver the first morning definitely recognized that. But he didn’t think twice about quickly rerouting our trip when he realized that we needed to be taken to Albrook bus station, not Albrook airport. I would’ve forgiven him for being grumpy or laughing at us, but he smiled and charged us an obscenely low fare as a reward for our ignorance. That’s what I call service with a smile.

The people are what makes this country special. They guided us on a rock climbing expedition for free, and helped us to negotiate a hostel booking snafu during the busiest booking season of the year. They conducted a thoroughly engaging, Spanish-only Easter Sunday mass. They took us to a karaoke bar, and after we thoroughly embarrassed ourselves, they rewarded us with sympathetic applause. Most importantly, they proved to love laughter just as much as everyone else in the world. It turns out that funny things are pretty universal. Making animal sounds back and forth with a small child is always funny. Watching Erin sleep with her head cushioned against the metal frame of a bouncing chiva is absurd and hilarious, even if (especially if?) you don’t know her. And, of course, watching/listening to people bomb at karaoke is never not a good time.

  Lauren:

Vamos a Panamá

  I will never forget my adventure to Panamá. But really, I have the scars to prove it. This trip was one of the most enriching and challenging experiences of my life thus far – and I am so grateful for Erin joining the Peace Corps and giving me this opportunity!

While I won’t go into detail of the ten days spent in the country, I will touch on what I enjoyed most, what was the most challenging, what was the most surprising and what I have taken home with me.

One of the things that I enjoyed most was the journey into Salitre. The ride down the mountain in the chiva (back of a pick-up truck with 25 other Ngäbe people) was so much fun. It was like riding a roller coaster with a really cool view. What followed was a very challenging 2-hour hike/stumble down a mountain! The view was amazing, despite me reaching the bottom of the mountain with some extra cuts and bruises.

The two days that we spent in El Campo were the most eye-opening. It is incredible to learn how the indigenous people of the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé live. The Ngäbe do almost everything that we do on a daily basis, only in a primitive manner. They choose to live secluded lives although modern societies dwell within a very short distance. All of the Ngäbe people were curious about us and interested in meeting us. They were more friendly than I had anticipated, welcoming us into their homes.

One of the most challenging aspects of this adventure was sticking out among the crowd and not knowing the language, although we rocked our Naguas – the traditional dress of the women in the Comarca. I have lived my life always surrounded by people just like me and experiencing the feeling of being different gave me a new-found respect for those who spend their lives as minorities in areas that they are not accustomed to or comfortable in.

Although our time in El Campo is something I will always cherish, my favorite place that we traveled to was Boquete. I had a wonderful time “surfing” and drinking Soggy Naguas at Playa Venao and exploring Casco Viejo/ the Canal in the City, but it was so nice to spend some time in the mountains – away from that jungle heat!

The best part of Boquete, for me, was when we went rock climbing. This is something that I have always wanted to try and I finally faced my fears and climbed to the top – It was chicha de piña! We were also able to enjoy a cold beverage, or three, at the Boquete Brewing Company.

In addition to all of the new activities that I experienced, I would be remiss if I did not mention the FOOD of Panama.  While every single thing we ate was amazing, my favorites would have to be the following:

Manzanas – The most delicious banana I will ever eat.

Holjadras – Panamanian fry bread and the perfect 25 cent treat after a 2.5-hour mountain hike.

Patacones – Fried plantains, best paired with cerveza.

Pifa – A yummy little fruit that served as the perfect bus ride snack.

Seviche – We have this at home, but it was extra special as we enjoyed it at the Fish Market in Panama City.

Needless to say, I will forever remember this trip and the wonderful memories that were made. Thank you Erin for hosting me and showing me what Panama is all about.

Chao pesca’o!

The Soccer Camp “Weekly Top Ten”

During the first week of February I held a young girls soccer and development camp in my regional capital. With the help of 9 other female Peace Corps volunteers and the spirited participation of 30, 10-14 year old girls from all around the Ngäbe Buglé reservation we had a successful pilot camp. With several Panamanian invitees including, the governmental health agency, the mayoress, Association…

The “Junta”

Ya viene la lluvia: nu kite tibien: The rain is coming       It is now the heart of rice harvesting. The rainy season is nearing its end. The three month rice has been harvested and the five and six month are in progress. My community members are all hard at work to get it all done, being they are subsistence farmers. My gente have a very special way of planting and harvesting in large numbers.…

Just Another Day at Work

5:30 am I wake up and roll out of my hammock. I put some water on the stove to boil for my coffee. Drink some coffee, make some oatmeal, feed my cat and chickens, lock the house, and hit the path out of site. 1 hour 12 minutes later and 1500 vertical ft I make it up to my road. Time to wait for the chiva, a caged in pick up truck, that takes me to town. Today’s a little different tho, when the…

Elige Tu Vida: Choose your Life

Safe sex, condom practice Elige Tu Vida is a youth development workshop that provides young adults with the inspiration, motivation, and skills to make healthier and more informed life choices. It guides them to identify their own personal values and strengths. The students are taught that they are in the driver seats of their life and are encouraged to imagine what they want their life’s to look…

Panamisms and the “campo” life

A few “Panamisms” and the idiosyncrasies that are now seemly normal Panama loves their English and some of this has even made it out to the campo -Que prity : How pretty, que nice: how nice -All baseball words: ow: out, fow: foul – Casey Casom was on the local radio… -cheecay: cheesecake, cu lai: kook aid -tuperware: Tupperware (one of my favorites due to the accent -The list could go on! There…

I decided to try something a little different this time! Hope ya”ll enjoy it!

This link will take you to my video on youtube

Also here are some pictures from the Kuna Yala

Kuna Yala women in traditional dress

Some of my group during the hike out to the Kuna Yala

Kuna father daughter

Celebrating the independence of the Kuna Yala.…

The Light of Panama

Team orange! Fuegos explosivos!

Team orange! Fuegos explosivos!

Teaching them about the dangers of HIV through hands-on activities

Egg babies! How cute

Esteban showing off his egg baby!

A girl from my community actually smiling!

Tattoos!

Ngabere kids teaching their indigenous dance!

Peace Corps Ngabere language teacher sharing her story with the kids

Drawing their values

Right here and now I am…

So what am I doing in my community? What is my work as a Peace Corps volunteer? What is the daily life of Eti (my indigenous name)?

I have realized that in my recent blogs I have not been posting much about my site work or what projects I am hoping to do with my community in the future. Although I guess I really have not had any recent posts either…I was thinking how most people back at home have…

I left off my last blog waiting for the arrival of my cousin and one of my best friends. She showed up with a surplus of s’mores supplies. It is quite the toss up who enjoyed it more, my host family or me. We had plenty of fixins so we let them eat as much as they wanted and my youngest host brother crushed at least 6, fairly impressive. Although as my host mom told me, “we [ngäbes] never get…

Although these past few weeks since my last post have been quite the whirlwind of emotions, right now I am nothing but happy, relaxed, grateful, and excited.  I am sitting at a resort (mooching internet) right on the beach on a cool breezy day with a new storm rolling in waiting for my cousin and best friend to show up.  I just finished skyping my parents and talking to one of the best friends I…

I was sitting on that rock in the right using my phone when this happened!

View from cell phone hill

Future kitties??

Host “sisters” and host “nephew” harvesting rice

My “brothers” heading out to spray the crops.

I have survived quite a lot coming out of the last few weeks. My return trip back from town turned out to be more than I bargained for. So caught up in blogging for y’all that I took my…