My National Geographic Month: October 2009

I have had an utterly random four weeks in “the nature” here in Panama. One evening while making a smashingly delicious dinner I heard a strange noise coming from the part of my house nearest the beach. I placed my fork and knife (yes, you read correctly I eat like an American when I am in my house!) on the table and peered out the door to see a MASSIVE possum eating an ENORMOUS toad. It was disgusting and awesome. I had no idea possums existed in this part of the world. The following day was quite rainy and overcast. I had been teaching all day, exhausted I returned to my house for a cat nap of sorts. As I approached my hammock I saw the most shocking creature I have ever seen in my life – an armadillo. FACT. The little guy was rummaging for food or only God knows what…all over my yard. My shock quickly turned into disgust and latter into the amazement of a small child so I proceeded to follow the little guy around my yard trying to take his picture. Yes, I am assuming it is a male…it is SO UGLY. Haha. **Side memory for Tim: “Leonardo Dicaprio is NOT attractive at all. – Marta. I know! Why are so many people obsessed with him, in most of his films he is so ugly. – Me. Several Minutes later… Oh My God! Tim you look just like Leonardo Dicarprio there! – Marta and I (watching The Departed) – Wow. Thanks guys. That is just freakin’ awesome. YOU JUST SAID HE IS UNATTRACTIVE. You guys suck. Sorry for getting off track there. So, the armadillo has been a staple in my yard and a welcome change to herds of dogs that smell like crap. A few days later cockily sure that nothing else could shock me in the natural world that is my front yard I saw three baby raccoons on the beach in front of my house! They were adorable, so tiny and … raccoon –like for lack of a better description. I did not expect to see anything like that down here. Monkeys, snakes, spiders I was ready for, I have seen sloths as adults and babies, but possums and raccoons?? Armadillos?!! Yet another night while eating my dinner I saw a rather large leaf in my window. I thought it strange for some reason and wanted to move it, as I touched it, it moved! It was not a leaf by any means it was in fact a cockroach the size of my hand, fingers included. I just threw up in my mouth writing about it. It was so big I did not want to kill it with my machete because I knew it would be a mess so I used bug spray. Twenty minutes later the stupid bug FINALLY died. The picture I put up is the poor guy on his deathbed. ADIOS SUCKA!
Not too much changing down here. I have been teaching too much English and am getting worn out. I still love it here. Although there are no sick days in the Peace Corps this truly is a 24 hour 7 days a week gig. I was on my deathbed (karma anyone?) the other day with the worst head cold I have had since high school. People still visited me and proceeded to hang around for hours at a time. My two twin all-stars were my favorites of the day because we just played cards and cracked open coconuts in my yard for snacks. These little kids know how to handle a machete let me tell you! Unbelievable.

Other than that it has been raining a dangerous amount and our "road" is non-existent right now. So I am reading too much and making way tooooo many bracelets!