Site Announcement!!!

Drum roll please…. I’m going to Bocas del Toro for the next two years!!! I couldn’t be happier. My group of EH volunteers found out our site placements this past Wednesday. We have 9 out of 17 volunteers going to the Bocas del Toro and NoKribo (formerly part of Bocas, but has since been incorporated into the Comarca Ngobe-Bugle despite cultural similarities to the Bocas) regions of Panama. Four volunteers are going to the mountains of the Comarca Ngobe-Bugle, which border Chiriqui. Another three are going to Latino sites in Cocle, and finally one person is going to Panama Este to live in another indigenous community of Embera.

My community is called Valle Escondido on Isla San Cristobal in the province of Bocas del Toro. Very, very, very far from Panama City, Valle Escondido is very close to the town of Bocas del Toro on Isla Colon, a major tourist destination for scuba divers, surfers, backpackers, and, in general, beach seekers. I consider myself very lucky, and in all actuality, a bit spoiled because I will have the benefit of living in an indigenous community and having access to the amenities that so many PCVs crave, like internet, electricity, flush toilets, and anything gringo. In other words, Bocas del Toro is only a 30-minute boat ride away from my community and I can make it a day trip instead of having to pay for a hostel each time I want to use the internet. To top everything off, a composting latrine project is already underway because the previous two volunteers in my site had been working on it. This existing project and similar projects in nearby communities will greatly facilitate my thesis research. From what I’ve heard, you pass through a mangrove to get to my community’s dock and I am a 30-minute hike from the other volunteer on the island in the community called San Cristobal. Furthermore, a house, or what some might call a hut, is already built and I even have the keys! I look forward to visiting my community in one week, and I will be sure to let you know how it goes.

As a side note, if you are considering visiting me, look into flights to San Jose, Costa Rica, because they are cheaper and closer than Panama City. Additionally, there is an airport in Bocas del Toro if you so choose to avoid a 15-hour-ish bus ride from Panama City or a 8-hour-ish bus ride from San Jose. Finally, while I have not received any mail since getting to Panama because of customs or just really slow mail, I am including my new mailing address here:

Patricia Wilbur

Cuerpo de Paz – Panama

Entrega General

Bocas del Toro, Bocas del Toro

Republica de Panama

P.S. My door will always be open to visitors! One of my first purchases will be an air mattress, and if two hammocks can fit on my patio, there will be two hammocks as well.