another quickie - tech week

So I´m in Penonome again, this time after finished up technical week and before heading back to the homestead of Santa Clara. But it´s Sunday and the internet cafe closes at 1 so I don´t have much time. But tech week was awesome, I had a blast. It was quite interesting to see the difference between two towns in Coclé - San Pedro for cultural week which was a very quiet town with no electricity where the people didn´t talk much and the kids were super shy, to Barrigon for tech week where the people were immediately welcoming and talkative and the kids loved to run around and talk and play. It makes me more curious to see what the people in my site will be like (I hope more open). Barrigon was beautiful. Very green and lush and surrounded by mountains. We hiked in the natural park at the top of the hill from the town, swam in waterfalls and champagne colored water (from the minerals, it´s totally clean water), helped to reforest a hill in the burning burning sun, built a stove out of sand and clay, and I carried a bucket of cement up a hill 8 different times. Oh yes, I am strong like bull! It was a good week. It may actually be kind of difficult to go back to Santa Clara and have 8 hours of classes a day again, sitting under a rancho and listening to lectures. But only a few more weeks of training left! Then I´m off, a true volunteer and no longer an aspirante. Whoo I´m excited. But yes, sorry for the rambling. I took a ton of pictures the last two weeks and I will try to post them soon. I´m also going to try to post all my photos on photobucket so you can see more than just the select I put up here. And sometime soon I shall write in more detail about everything. Although it´s hard to express just how beautiful the country is and how different the people are from town to town. Customs and traditions run deep. But everything is wonderful, the last two weeks were a blast, and I even went out last night and did some dancing! Woot! Although I can not move my hips near as well as these Latina women. :-p But apparently just being a gringa is good enough. Anyway, I love you all and miss you! Hugs!