Woodland Park Zoo Blog: Baby gorilla at two months old; curious and strong

Woodland Park Zoo Blog: Baby gorilla at two months old; curious and strong

Departing

Coffee and ban-mi with Mike and Leelu, then off to the airport.

Friday, and maybe saturday night will be staying at a hostel in Cahuita... (recommended by Wes and Jesse who are already there)

http://www.brigittecahuita.com/Brig_home_E.html

Sunday will cross the border into Panama, take the bus to Almirante, and hop on the water taxi to Bocas Town, on Isla Colon. All 15 of us (Professor Heather Heying and 14 undergrads) are meeting in Bocas Town square at 3pm sunday. Then will take some sort of conveyance to the other end of the island, to Bocas Del Drago and to my home for the next two months: ITEC!

Ok, I'm breaking the rules by fiddling with blog when I still have chores (And a dog walk!) ACk!

Au Revoir!!

Pre adventure jitters

It is tuesday in Seattle, 50 degrees.

The sun is blazing away at a slant here on Queen Anne-  okay there ARE some wet fuzzy looking rainclouds lurking on the edges of downtown - and I' m sitting on the porch, blinking. I feel warm for the first time all winter. What on earth is a muggy 76 degrees going to feel like (San Jose, CR today), or a rainy 91 degrees (Bocas Town, Panama) ? I can't quite imagine it right now.

I am making my final pre-departure arrangements for two months in Costa Rica &  Panama. Will be doing field work for my independent research project, staying at ITEC on Isla Colon in Panama. 

Thursday afternoon I fly out, with my travelling buddies Dallas and Whitney. We will fly into San Jose Costa Rica, make a beeline for the bus terminal and head out of the city to to east coast. We are meeting our friends Jesse and Wes in  Cahuita Costa Rica, to do a little unwinding, snorkeling, and perhaps a bit of drinking (and dancing!) before school officially starts (in Panama) for us on march 28th. We are all part of the same program, Tropical Animal Behavior and Zoology, and have been working and studying together since last fall. 

So, here I am in the Pacific Northwest, crossing things off my to-do lists (yes, somehow there are multiple lists going, all w coffee stains and muddy dog prints), running errands, driving Mike generally crazy, hugging my dog and cat a lot,  and trying to stuff all my gear into my backpack. This last week I've had those 'change is coming', 'I can't remember any Spanish', 'my backpack is too heavy', 'augh!',  and 'i am so going to get lost'  nerves, but this afternoon I'm starting to relax.  Am meeting my friends Chad and Candace for a goodbye supper at my favorite restaurant tonight, and will still have tomorrow left to hang out w Mike and Leelu and evil cat, and to cross those last few things off the to-do lists.  

Hopefully I will be checking in at internet cafes every few weeks, with the intent being to update this blogs as I go.  We shall see! Cheers! (map courtesy of Lonely Planet)