A short blog post tonight as we spent a good portion of our day traveling by bus. We had a lazy start to our day and didn't have to leave our hotel to till 10:30 am.
Here are a few highlights from the day in no particular order.
- Empanadas - Gabe took us to his favorite restaurant for a empanada snack.
- Sleeping in is a rare treat on an EF trip.
- Panama Canal. So cool. It lived up to expectations for me. With our EF admission we were able to get a private tour and get on the floor of the locks as a ship was passing through the lock.
- As a special treat Gabe surprised us with a dance show at the Panama Viejo ruins.
- Getting a jumping picture at the canal. I have jumping pictures from all over the world; Great Pyramids, Equator, Machu Picchu, Washington DC and now the Panama Canal.
Tomorrow is our last full day in Panama which is sad. However I am excited to go see the monkeys. For the parents all the students are requesting chicken and rice for their first dinner back in the States. We wanted to give you advanced notice so you had time to go to the store.
Mr. T
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Alex Hickson (Thursday, 22 March 2018 23:42)
Wow! another awesome day. To see the Canal up close in action with giant huge ships passing through what a sight!!
Leilani--- Enjoy your last day can't wait to hear all of your adventures and to see all the cool pictures and to share your memories.
Really chicken and rice, No problem this I can do : )
Hugs and Love
Dad
Monica Aden (Thursday, 22 March 2018 23:50)
Chicken and rice it is!!! (With a side of pumpkin/bacon soup, right Noelle????) ��
Seriously, we should make empanadas. Mmmmm!!!
Tina Spiliotis (Friday, 23 March 2018 00:05)
What another exciting day! I’m still amazed at all that you have seen this past week. These memories will be something you always cherish. Wish I was on the trip- all my years as a flight attendant, I never made it to Panama. I’ll have the chicken and rice ready for anyone who is hungry- funny thing is that I thought Christina had requested chocolate chip pancakes and bacon for dinner. I must have heard wrong. Enjoy the monkeys tomorrow!
Melissa Lundgaard (Friday, 23 March 2018 00:25)
Chicken and Rice on Saturday night...since you enjoy cooking so much Kelsey, shall I wait for you to help me make dinner that night? I bet you will be exhausted and I am guessing all of the teachers really need an additional week or spring break to recover from this well planned, very adventurous trip! We love you! Mom and Dad
jennie and eric olson (Friday, 23 March 2018 01:39)
Another amazing day! What a great trip this has been- we have enjoyed hearing about it each day and loved seeing your smiling face inn facetime each night! We will be waiting with open arms! Can’t wait to see you!!!! Love you so much! Mom and Dad XOXO
David Gross aka Tyler's Big Papa (Friday, 23 March 2018 01:43)
All of you young adults have had such an amazing experience and I especially hope you have a fantastic Friday as it's your last full day! Take a step back and really take in this last full day of this journey and have the best day ever!! As I tell my most amazing son in the world...#PLC
Love you Dad and can't wait to see you and hear about these awesome moments!! Love you Biggs!
P.S. We are going to have you cook you favorite meal you've had there minus the chips and sweets
Vandehaar family (Friday, 23 March 2018 08:05)
Shout out to Riggs and Regan from the Vandehaar cousins in Iowa! Really neat to hear that you visited the Panama Canal. For us farmers in Iowa, the canal is really important for exporting our corn and soybeans to other countries to feed the world. We are jealous you got to see how it works. Looks like fun.
Brad & Heather Swisher (Friday, 23 March 2018 08:06)
Rice and chicken...Chipotle it is! Enjoy this last day, take it slow, absorb all the sounds, smells and sights. We have so enjoyed all the update and pictures and cant wait to hear more from Jack. Knute is going to be jealous of the monkeys and please don't come home with one on your back;) Hugs & Kisses Mom, Dad & Knute
P.S. Great job Sam & Riggs!
Michael Covard (Friday, 23 March 2018 08:24)
Very good, got to see the locks work with a ship passing through. I bet that was awesome to watch. Hugs and kisses Marina! :)
Beth Huffman (Friday, 23 March 2018 08:34)
Hello all! Awesome pictures from the canal. We, too, can hardly believe it's your last day, and I hope it doesn't go by too fast. But just think about all the adventures that await you now that you are truly international travelers! This is just the beginning, not the end. Hugs to Otto from all of us back home!
Lisa & Brandon Conner (Friday, 23 March 2018 09:00)
I can’t believe it’s already been a week. Time just flies by so make sure you enjoy your last day! We will have chicken and rice waiting... Hugs and kisses to Belle. Can’t wait to see you! XO
Brad Swisher (Friday, 23 March 2018 09:01)
Chicken and rice is my favorite, I’ll run to the store today and pick up six chickens so we can have it every night through next weekend. Enjoy your last day and cherish the memories you’ll always remember. Love you buddy, can’t wait to see you Saturday!
Sarah, Dan and Riley Rottinghaus (Friday, 23 March 2018 10:47)
That sound like so much fun! We hope that you all will have a great last day, and a great flight back! We can't wait to see all the photos you took and all the stories to go with it! We love you Logan, and we will see you soon :)
Mom & Dad McDougalle (Friday, 23 March 2018 13:32)
A long way from home
With many an awesome chaperone
On an adventure led by Gabe the Great
Making a lifetime of memories with your school mates
After a delay and long overnight flight
The rainforest hike brought a toucan, sloth and city into sight
Walking a runway where pirates plundered
Out in the heat, temperatures nearing a hundred
Saw a cathedral made of gold
In a city that is historic and very old
Met the locals and watched them play
Shopped the vendors - what a wonderful day
Off to the island for too much sun
Kayaking and snorkeling were so FUN
Boarding a bus for a four hour ride
Out to Las Cabras farm in the countryside
Traditional food was made and consumed
Milking a cow, the day really zoomed
The people of Chitre were intrigued with all
Trying to communicate was really a ball
A day full of artisans sharing their skill
Learning traditional craftsmanship was such a thrill
Later that evening, gave rhythm a chance
Locals and Ms. Hernandez taught spicy Latin dance
A trip to Panama must include the canal
A private tour of the locks was especially...WOW
The last day of fun on this school retreat
Monkeys jumping in boats couldn't be beat
After seven days of chicken and rice
A home-cooked meal sure sounds nice
Emotions in limbo with wanting to stay
Yet missing family at the end of the day
An awesome adventure remembered for all time
We hope you enjoyed our attempt at this rhyme!
XOXO
Maurizio and Lynn Howard (Friday, 23 March 2018 14:03)
Wow, we finally got to see more of the pictures from the trip. They are amazing. It looks like you guys are having so much fun and learning so much. I'm especially jealous of your private up close tour of the locks! I love seeing those giant container ships coming through. So cool.
Enjoy your last day and the monkeys!
xoxo Mom, Dad and Maya
Brooklyn Childers (Friday, 23 March 2018 18:53)
looks like so much fun, I wish I was there. I miss you so much Tyler!!
Schulz Family (Saturday, 24 March 2018 17:31)
Mom missed the chicken & rice reference, Sam. You’ll have to suffer with a cheeseburger & fries. Or maybe hot wings? �. We have missed you & can’t wait to see your smiling face!