Ola, Amigas!

A mind that has been stretched by a new idea (experience) will never return to the same shape again. That fact is one of the main reasons I love to travel.

Freshly returned from a rich adventure in the Republic of Panama, I am brimming with impressions and aware that I could write a book about what I learned. Since you will be getting chapter installments once I have time to write them, I’ll simply start today with some sensory impressions; samples of some of the flavors of the trip.

Awakening before dawn and climbing into the hammock on my balcony to listen to the rainforest come alive. (I took this photo from my balcony my first morning there)
The sharp, rich taste of fresh Columbian coffee awakening the taste buds.

The sound of many languages; primarily Spanish but Portuguese, French, the dialect of the Amberan Indian and many which were unidentifiable to me.

The suffocating humidity that turned to steam in the afternoons when the torrents of rain fell in sheets from the low-hanging clouds.

The smell of decaying organic matter in the rainforest; not an unpleasant smell but the fragrance of accelerated cycles of life.

The holy hush of the deep forest that imparted the sense of being in a magnificent cathedral.

New friends, overflowing with the character of God and walking in grace and integrity. Not an ordinary person among them.

There’s another great thing about traveling; coming home! Life is good.