CURRENT MISSION

To kick ass in graduate school (although I might be on the receiving end)

ABOUT ME

This is going to be a work in progress. I will gladly give you access to my facebook profile, which has a lot more stuff as of right now.

if you host me, and you're ever in panama, i'll hook you up.

I recently backpacked in Europe, and I absolutely loved it. Went with one of my childhood friends from panama but we stayed mostly at hostels and with friends that live there. she is getting married in july, and so we had to have one last trip before i become a third wheel.

i plan to go to south america in 2009, and south africa in 2010. sounds like a like the southern hemisphere.

i was born and raised in panama, very close to the panama canal. i could literally see the ships "floating" across land from my back yard (its the illusion you get because in certain parts the Canal is so narrow that the boat seems to be driving on land haha)

i went to school in the city where i became well versed in the ways of futbol, mango con vinagre, chicha y empanada, diablos rojos, etc and would come back and play tether ball and american football with my neighbors. it was pretty sweet.

long story short, my dad is american and my mom is panamanian. when they married, my mom was able to convince him to stay in the tropics with the caveat that we (my brothers and sisters) would get an education in the US. i went to TEXAS for my undergrad (by the way, Austin is in texas as much as San Francisco and NYC are in the U.S.) and it was great. like i said, i took a month off before graduate school to get a taste of the Old Continent and i plan to go back sometime in the next 5 years, mainly eastern europe.

ok ok i have to go because my friend really want to go see alcatraz, more updates later. ciao

I'M PASTING THIS FROM A FELLOW PANAMANIAN, ENJOY

ALL ABOUT PANAMA:
The southernmost of the Central American nations, Panama is south of Costa Rica and north of Colombia. The Panama Canal bisects the isthmus at its narrowest and lowest point, allowing passage from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. Panama is slightly smaller than South Carolina. It is marked by a chain of mountains in the west, moderate hills in the interior, and a low range on the east coast. There are extensive forests in the fertile Caribbean area.

Government
Constitutional democracy.

History
Explored by Columbus in 1502 and by Balboa in 1513, Panama was the principal shipping point to and from South and Central America in colonial days. In 1821, when Central America revolted against Spain, Panama joined Colombia, which had already declared its independence. For the next 82 years, Panama attempted unsuccessfully to break away from Colombia. Between 1850 and 1900 Panama had 40 administrations, 50 riots, 5 attempted secessions, and 13 U.S. interventions. After a U.S. proposal for canal rights over the narrow isthmus was rejected by Colombia, Panama proclaimed its independence with U.S. backing in 1903.

For canal rights in perpetuity, the U.S. paid Panama $10 million and agreed to pay $250,000 each year, which was increased to $430,000 in 1933 and to $1,930,000 in 1955. In exchange, the U.S. got the Canal Zone—a 10-mile-wide strip across the isthmus—and considerable influence in Panama's affairs. On Sept. 7, 1977, Gen. Omar Torrijos Herrera and President Jimmy Carter signed treaties giving Panama gradual control of the canal, phasing out U.S. military bases, and guaranteeing the canal's neutrality.

Nicolas Ardito Barletta, Panama's first directly elected president in 16 years, was inaugurated on Oct. 11, 1984, for a five-year term. He was a puppet of strongman Gen. Manuel Noriega, a former CIA operative and head of the secret police. Noriega replaced Barletta with vice president Eric Arturo Delvalle a year later. In 1988, Noriega was indicted in the U.S. for drug trafficking, but when Delvalle attempted to fire him, Noriega forced the national assembly to replace Delvalle with Manuel Solis Palma. In Dec. 1989, the assembly named Noriega “maximum leader” and declared the U.S. and Panama to be in a state of war. In Dec. 1989, 24,000 U.S. troops seized control of Panama City in an attempt to capture Noriega after a U.S. soldier was killed in Panama. On Jan. 3, 1990, Noriega surrendered himself to U.S. custody and was transported to Miami, where he was later convicted of drug trafficking. Guillermo Endara, who probably would have won an election suppressed earlier by Noriega, was installed as president.

On Dec. 31, 1999, the U.S. formally handed over control of the Panama Canal to Panama. Meanwhile, Colombian rebels and paramilitary forces have made periodic incursions into Panamanian territory, raising security concerns. Panama has also faced increased drug and arms smuggling.

In May 2004 presidential elections, Martín Torrijos Herrera, the son of former dictator Omar Torrijos, won 47.5% of the vote. He took office in September.

You need visit Panama Canal, you can take bus 0.35 cents, cover is 5.00 until 8.00 dollars
The Panama Canal And Miraflores locks:
The Panama Canal is one of the most fascinating places in the world, has a length of approximately 80 kilometers. Between 13,000 and 14,000 ships use the Canal yearly, approximately 9,000 workers, working 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, offering transit service to ships of all nations. The Canal uses a locks system that act as water elevators raising the ships from sea-level (Atlantic or Pacific) to 26 meters above sea-level. Each set of locks carries the name of the town where it was built: Gatún (on the Atlantic side), Pedro Miguel and Miraflores (on the Pacific). Miraflores locks are the ideal place to see the Canal operating, has large balconies from which visitors can see the locks open and close as the ships begin or end their transit.

If you like nature i recommend visit too;
Metropolitan Park:
In Panama, your ecotour can actually begin right on the outskirts of the city, where there is a large tropical forest reserve called Parque Metropolitano. Along the five trails of this convenient park can be seen a diversity of tropical wildlife, including toucans, parakeets, orioles, trogons, sloths, agoutis and Titi monkeys There is also a collection of native orchids, some of which will be blooming at any time of the year. Plant species are identified by plaques along the self-guided trails. Visitors can also arrange a guided tour with a ranger at the visitor's center.

The Amador Causeway:
The Amador Causeway itself connects three small islands, Noas, Perico and Flamenco, with the mainland. Visited by both foreigners and locals alike, the Causeway has enormous tourist potential. The Causeway is located at the southeastern most tip of the Panama canal, with spectacular views of Panama City and the Bridge of the Americas. While there, visitors can observe the numerous vessels that enter or depart the Panama Canal throughout the day, passing directly beneath the Bridge of the Americas.

More info from Panama...
Exotic, unspoiled, and fascinating. The thousand colors of Panama await you at this dream destination. Internationally recognized for its canal, in recent years Panama's reputation has extended as one of the best kept secrets in the region, offering travellers an authentic experience of natural settings, rich culture, uncrowded beaches and world class infrastructures and services. Enjoy the perfect climate year round, venture into the many different activities and attractions offered, and embrace the warmth of Panamanian people and their welcoming nature.

General Information on Panama
• Panama has over 10 daily direct flights from 6 different gateways from the U.S. (Miami, New York, Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, Orlando) and daily direct flights to almost every major city in Latin America.
• Panama is just 2.5 hours away from Miami. 5 Hours from New York.
• Local currency US Dollars
• Temperatures are warm and enjoyable year round, varying between 80 and 95 F. Dry season runs from late November to April and Green season runs from May through early November.
• Voltage 110 W.
• Spanish is Panama's office language, although English is widely spoken
• Time GMT -5. United States Eastern Standard Time
• Americans, Canadians, European Union citizens and most Latin American citizens do not need visas to enter Panama. VERY IMPORTANT: All time when you go out bring you passport is very important,because is you personal identification here, so not show passport copy or you can go jail...
Panama is safe:
Panama has the highest rating for tourist safety from the prestigious Pinkerton Intelligence Agency.

Panama is tourist friendly:
English is spoken as a second language and the Panamanian people are among the friendliest in the world.

Panama is world class for adventure:
Canopy, trekking, rappelling, sea kayaking, kitesurfing, windsurfing and surfing are world-class experiences for the hard and soft adventure seeker. International experts rave about river running in Panama, including rafting and kayaking. There are rivers where you can ride 20 sets of rapids in one afternoon.

Panama is the best place for ecotourism:
Panama has the most accesible pristine rainforests on the world. As a narrow land bridge connecting two continents it has some of the world’s most biodiverse rainforests. National parks cover five million acres. And a key indicator of its bio-diversity is that Panama has 1,000 recorded bird species-more than the US and Canada combined.

Panama has a wide selection of beaches and islands:
With two coasts and more than a thousand islands, there is much to choose from for beach vacations from full service resorts to exotic island retreats.

Panama has a great variety of attractions all in close proximity:
Easy-to-get-to exotic tropical rainforests, beautiful mountain refuges, caribbean style beaches, seven living indian cultures, a Miami-style capital city, historical sites, diving, rafting, golf, sportfishing not to mention that 8th wonder of the world and engineering marvel, the Panama Canal.

PHILOSOPHY

Live and let live.

there's a good Garth Brooks song called we shall be free

the last verse goes like this:

And when money talks for the very last time
And nobody walks a step behind
When there's only one race and that's mankind
Then we shall be free

it's a good song..

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I'm new to this, actually, I heard about this site from fellow backpackers and they had nothing but good things to say. I'm looking for a place to stay until my future landlord does a background check and allows me to formally move in with my other housemates. As of right now, all (most of) my stuff is at the house because I don't have where to put it :)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I'm a newbie. Niente, nada, cero, nothing.

Interests

Swimming, air drums, learning random facts, listening to good unplugged music.

• wildlife
• culture
• flamenco
• education
• running
• boating
• music
• drums
• kayaking
• windsurfing
• surfing
• scuba diving
• american football
• soccer
• swimming
• golf
• teaching
• emergency services
• engineering
• history
• military science
• ecotourism
• historic sites
• beaches
• parks
• rivers
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: 100 Años de Soledad -- Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Movies:
Music:
DMB - Two Step, #41, When the World Ends
Juan Luis Guerra - Estrellitas y Duendes, La Hormiguita
Counting Crows - Mr. Jones (Acoustic version )
Silvio Rodriguez - La Maza, Ojala (to dedicate to ex-girlfriends)
Gipsy Kings - Gipsy Flame

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

i was at the Panama Canal Comission building when the canal passed from U.S. hands to being 100% Panamanian. people went nuts and charged up the hills of the building waving flags, cheering, and just plainly creating one of those moments that gives you goosebumps. very proud day for my country. it was at the turn of the century too

Teach, Learn, Share

if you're not sure if a water bottle contains fizzy water, test the firmness of the container. if it's carbonated, it will be difficult to press in the plastic.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Monaco, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Panama, United States

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