Much to Learn

Lots of things aren't necessary in Boquete.  The temperatures stay between 60 and 80F, so there is no need for heating and cooling.  You can walk or take public transportation to all of your needs.  And no alarm clocks are needed, since the roosters rouse us around 5 am.  The rooster in our yard and the rooster down the street face off each morning. 

 

¡¿Cuál es tu nombre?!

¿Qué?

¡¿Cuál es tu nombre?!

Diego

¡Suenas como un gorrión, Diego!

And on and on for an hour or two.

Don't mess with Sr. Robert

The hens are all "Suzanna."

Hot water is also unnecesary, and is not available in our Boquete home.  After being awoken by Sr. Robert, we take a shower that jolts us to full attention.  Initially, there was a  'culture shock' to the 60F shower, but by day two, we have adjusted and find it refreshing.

After washing up, Myrian serves us the best coffee in the world, and breakfast.  This morning's included locally grown pineapple.  Delicious!

The mornings in Boquete tend to be very pleasant, and the rain starts up in the afternoon.  That means we get to study Spanish with blue skies and pleasant breezes, and our free time is quite rainy.  Boquete gets around 16 inches of rain in the month of July (as compared to 3.5" in Glens Falls).  We preferred to study in the rainy afternoon, but our teacher has to be home when her children get out of school.  This isn't ideal, but our teacher is excellent and the sacrifice is worth it.

Speaking of rain... We went for a walk and a worker we chatted it up with said, "Welcome to the jungle!"  Any image you have of jungle deluges accurately depicts the afternoon rain here.  It doesn't drizzle all afternoon, it comes down in buckets...for what seems hours.  And then clears out and is gone. We have learned that we can still run, as long as we don't start happy hour too early.

Time for homework and dinner and bed!