Philanthropy

Week-long meetings tend to burn me out. Not to mention ones when lots of new things are coming down... like some new additions to software to learn, facilitating training, giving a presentation to my colleagues, meetings about how my job is going to change (we're expanding), etc, etc. The cool thing we did last week was VTI Day. This day used to be reserved for head office employees only until about 2 years ago when they started having our national meeting in April and we got to join in the festivities with the rest of the company. Each year is different and this time they set up the biggest tent I've ever seen in the parking lot of the office - apparently it took about 5 days to set it up. They gathered us together at the lunch hour and sent us all off in groups on different buses to places we'd chosen ahead of time to do community service. I went to the YMCA daycamp with 40-50 of my closest friends to set up the camp for the new season. We painted picnic tables, the pavilion, cleaned out the offices, the shed, set up the canoes, and cleaned up the walking paths, etc. of debris and garbage. After returning to the big huge tent at HO we all sat down to a very nice dinner and they presented employees with awards of recognition (for which they were nominated by their peers). The MC was a Canadian comedian (I don't know who - I don't pay attention to those things). Then Tom Cochrane came out and gave us our own private concert! Crazy night. Crazy day. It was a lot of fun.

After the trip to Panama, I started feeling a little burnt out from traveling. When I've thought about it I still get that feeling of longing to see the world. But with all of the work travel in the last year, and everything else I do, I haven't been able to imagine physically going anywhere. I started thinking about just sticking around town for a while - at least this summer. Ride my bike, do some tours that are within driving distance, etc. For the first time in several years I don't have any idea of where I might travel to next. I'd like to do an overseas bike trip with some of the people I cycle with, but I'm not sure if that will come to fruition. I guess part of me is waiting to see what might happen there. And then this week after participating in the volunteer day at work I started to think about visiting places that I want to see and experience and while I'm there, give back to that community. So I started looking into that kind of thing. My next trip might be quite the departure from what I've been doing up until now. And with that, I have started to think about where I might go next! But that would be next year, and first I have to see how work goes since next year will be a pivotal one for the area in which I work. I'm not sure what time of year I might travel. For now, I'll keep you posted on the small bike trips. Those should be fun as well. You don't have to go far to have an adventure!

Pill Hill

So this is me procrastinating (or maybe just multi-tasking as per my usual behaviour) on finishing up some work for a presentation I'm doing Friday here in the Meadowvale area of the Big Smoke (ref in title). Maybe I should explain for those of you not 'in the know': this area is called Pill Hill because there are a ton of medical and pharma companies' HQs located in and around this neighbourhood. And as much as I like go-carting (and I'm not joking - I've only done it once and it was a blast), my leg is still much too sore to be bumping around in one of those, so I ducked out early from the Playdium with a few other colleagues so I could come back to the hotel, get some work done, and get to bed early. They actually have a fantastic gym here and I got up a little after 6 AM today and got a workout in and plan to do the same tomorrow. I'm missing far too many rides this week as a result of being away. Everybody better not get too much of a head start on me... I want to be able to keep up to you! Even though the weekend is looking pretty jammed, I'm going to try to get out to both rides with the gang. Wish me luck!

Let the interesting tan lines begin!

This is called procrastinating on getting ready for the meeting I'm leaving for tomorrow. I was out for a really nice ride today and one of my friends mentioned I should write about my crash last week. I'll be brief, as I don't feel like re-hashing it a million times over and I want to try to forget about it now... in short: a real a-hole of a cyclist came up behind me as I made a left hand turn (thankfully at the end of my totally amazing ride), and clipped me. I think it was my back tire. And I went flying across the oncoming lane. I got road rash on my leg, arm, and hand, and some scrapes on my knee, but otherwise I'm ok.

What I'd really rather write about is the amazing weather we've been having and as a result, some great riding. So, my first time out was last Saturday in some colder weather. Then this week I got out Thursday, then only an hour yesterday to make sure my bike was in working order and I got some of my jitters out before heading out with 4 others today. We only went to Manotick and back, but it was really good. And it was challenging in the end because the wind was fierce today! On the way back it ended up being Ruth and I on our own with a tailwind doing 38kph down the airport parkway. :) So I hope to get more km's on this year than last, and I also hope not to zero out my second odometer by accident again. But just in case, I'm going to log my km's so I can keep track. I've seen how other people log their yearly km's and see their progress over the years. I want to do that. Last year I got in just a little under 4000 km. This year I have a lot more tours planned, so I should easily surpass that.

Random Photos #2

Coming home from a long day on the job. Portobelo.

I love this photo.

The view from our cabin at the B&B near Isla Grande.

I was literally standing on our porch when I took this.

The largest size of ship allowed through the canal. At the Gatun Locks. This is the one that paid $195K to cross the canal. I guess it's cheaper than going around a whole continent.

The market in El Valle d'Anton.

El Valle d'Anton

Random Photos

Panama City skyline from Casco Viejo (from the Presidential Palace, in fact - the guards let us wander around on the grounds). The water there is toxic because they dump all of the sewage into the ocean. That's the Pacific Ocean there, btw.

In Casco Viejo: one of those building with all of the guts torn out like I told you about in an earlier post.

These are the ruins of the Spanish fortification on the Caribbean Sea, San Lorenzo (near Portobelo). Pretty nice eh? They built them to defend against the pirates.

Examples of the typical public buses that transport you everywhere. They were old school buses brought in from the US. Each bus driver commissions a 'bus artist' to paint their bus with symbols, pictures, quotes, sayings, etc (quite a lot of it religious), so they are each very unique. In the city, most of the buses blare loud music. I had the privilege of riding on one in Panama City. It costs 25 cents.

I'll post more pictures on the weekend. Between this and crackbook I'm spending way too much time on this computer. I've got to go to bed.

San Blas

8 AM flight meant waking up at 5:30 AM... most mornings during this past trip were quite early, in fact. We had a bit of a problem at the airport: the woman at the desk didn't want to serve us because we are white. So, after she told us that the flight had already left (6:45 AM, and as I said, it was an 8 AM flight, plus she hadn't even asked which of the 4 flights we were intending on taking), and Lisa yelled at her for a bit in Spanish, we finally got checked in.

We flew there on Aeroperlas (you have the choice of Aeroperlas or Air Panama - AP was sold out) on a small , 15-seater prop. I was scared sh#$less on the way there, since we decided to sit at the back, beside the doors - where I could actually see through the holes, and feel the air from outside through the less-than-well-maintained seals. And I've flown on "Scareskin" (Bearskin, for those who aren't so acquainted) on a much smaller plane before, so that says something. This is what was going through my head:

Is this plane pressurized?
Oh, no, I guess we don't fly high enough for that.
S#*t, am I going to get sucked out of the door?
I'm not ready to die.
Ok, I'm not going to die. Have faith. The pilot is good. He's good. Nothing's going to happen.
Is this plane pressurized? No. I think I've already established that, considering the fact that I can feel the air coming in that we're not. It's ok.
People skydive out of planes and the door is open then. Yes, that means that we do not need to be pressurized. Yes, that's the kind of height we're at. Yes, I can see skydiving at this altitude. Ok. We're good. We're not going to die.
OMG! The lady beside us is sleeping away through all of the crazy dips and huge bumps we're taking. She seems to be used to this. Ok. that means this is normal and all is well in the world.
If I die, I hope it's quick.

We had some bumpy weather, so the back was not the ideal spot. Found out later, from Marilyne's bf (who works for Costa airlines) that Aeroperlas has the worst rep for crashes - nice. Glad we made it in one piece. Here is our plane:



If you look through the windshield, you'll see the airstrip upon which we landed:
And here is the 'airport'- an airstrip on the edge of the mainland and a dock for the very small boats that the Kuna use to ferry travelers and goods:

But when we arrived, the bumpy plane ride, followed by the moderately bumpy boat ride in questionable boats was all worth it:

I've uploaded all of my trip photos - you can also use the link on the right as usual (Photos). I may post some of my faves here and explain some l8tr...

I had a really, really wonderful time. I had to sleep a lot the past few days to recover though, and I'm super glad, as usual, to be home. :)

Teaser

I'd been laying in the sand on our little island in San Blas, letting the waves wash over me again and again, cooling me off, watching this scene, and I started thinking: "I've got to capture that, if there is any possible way to." So I got up, went to our little grass house and fished out my camera, laid back down in the sand, careful not to let the water get my camera wet, and snapped this picture. Returned my camera back to our lodgings, and went back to my position of relaxation and serenity in the water and sand...

Final Leg

As per usual, I will be returning home from vacation tomorrow tired. I rarely take the type of vacation that allows true R&R. Luckily, I have the remainder of the week off! But enough of that, you are probably all wondering what I've been up to... and the answer is: a lot!

Our travel plans had to be rearranged at the last minute, as we were awaiting confirmation of a few different reservations to get to San Blas. The flights were all sold out, and we had to scramble to get our flight booked and our lodging arrangements rescheduled. So, instead of spending time in the Caribbean islands at the end of the week, we went on the weekend and just returned this morning. So, maybe I'll start there and go backward. San Blas... what can I say? If you ever dare to venture down this way, do not miss it! All of the beautiful tropical island postcards out there - this place is it. It's an archipelago of islands on the Caribbean coast, primarily inhabited by the Kuna indigenous people of Panama. The island we stayed on was very small - we walked around it in no time. There are only 4 families living on our little island and one of them is in charge of this little 'hotel' consisting of 2 huts (sorry to Lisa - they are houses, but nobody back home will get the picture if I do not call them that), and a little kitchen house where they prepare food for us. There is no electricity, no running water. We lived on the beach for a day and slept by the ocean. You will see the pictures when I get back... oh my god!!! Amazing. I'll also write more on the experience when I'm back, as I don't have enough time today.

At the end of last week we took a trip to the mountains and a village called El Valle d'Anton. I was happy to be there and get some relief from the heat and pollution of Panama City. We spent two days there, had a great dinner at the hotel and restaurant that Lisa's soon-to-be former landlord owns and operates (the place is renouned and for good reason). We lazed around in the hammocks at the hotel we stayed at, went to the zoo and saw some pretty cool animals, and shopped at their famed market for local artisans' wares. The town is full of retired Americans, and is good at welcoming the tourists. It's really beautiful too. We ate a traditional Panamanian meal for lunch the day we left: corvina (sea bass), fried plantains, and rice. Awesome food! My first time eating fried plantian. Upon our return on Saturday, Lisa's roommate had taken posession of her new car, so we got to take it out and had dinner together.

I'll be back soon...