Good SU karma brought us an UNBELIEVABLE day in Panama! Day 4 started with a tour of the television station RPE, the largest tv, radio, and Internet news outlet in Panama. Many of us thought this would be a calm, rather uneventful venture compared to the native tribe and waterfall from yesterday... Boy were we wrong!! We met our guide, Lily, at the main entrance, and saw the control rooms, digitalization centers, and went to each of the studios. Studio 2 was live with their morning entertainment show, featuring a dance competition and various style and cooking features. The producer came out, talked with Lily, and next thing we know we're walking into the studio and getting on stage with the hosts, dancing alongside them and the other participants!!!! On national television!!!! In front of 3 million people!!! AAAHHHHH!!!! One of the hosts came over to us and started interviewing Blanca, where she told who we were, represented for SU, and told a little about our group. Then he came over to me (Jordan) and started asking me questions in Spanish (none of which I could understand) but then translated to English, asking about how we like panama so far. He also asked Emily if she had learned to dance yet, and she gave a big shout out to SU social dance class!! Woo woo!!! We finished the tour meeting and taking pictures with big name personalities in sports, news, and radio. Mitch even traded SU ball caps with the sports anchor!! Coolest souvenir ever!
If that wasn't awesome enough, we spent the afternoon on a guided tour of the Panama City Metroparks, which is about 400 hectares of land in the middle of the city (the locals call it the lungs of the city, as it provides so much fresh air). During our hike with the lovely Heidi, she told us about all the educational programs and partnerships they have (including one with the Cleveland Metroparks and the Smithsonian!), and we saw sloths, toucans, cranes, turtles, and the elusive Howler monkeys (which Heidi has only seen a handful of times in her career!). We ended the hike at a the top of the city with an amazing view of Panama City and all the gorgeous scenery from the jungle around us. So beautiful!
You would think that we couldn't fit anymore awesomeness into one day, but yes, it's true!! We're spending the evening at the Navarro house at a birthday party for Blanca's older brother Hernan, with Panamanian Mexican food and the entire Navarro clan. It should prove to be another educational and intellectual experience. How awesome is this???
How can we top this day?? Tomorrow we're going to the hospital... Maybe we'll save a life... ;)
Love, Jordan and Team Panama
"When I grow up, I want to be like you, Mary Bruce" -Doris Navarro
"I almost got Markus killed, but he saved my crown!" -Mary Bruce Glaize
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