PANAMA DAY 2: CHANGUINOLA

PANAMA DAY 2: CHANGUINOLA, a set on Flickr.

Flew from Panama City to Bocas de Toro on my first propellor plane flight.

My first stop was Changuinola a banana plantation community.

Upon my arrival I went directly to the Universidad
Tecnologica de Panama.
Easily the smallest University I've ever visited.

I was the international keynote speaker at an arts conference
sponsored by the APAP (Asociacion Panamena de Artes Plasticas).

I got to meet about 50 great artists from all over Panama and
share my art with them and learn from their experience, culture,
and of course their art.

Since Changuinola is a banana plantation almost everyone
living there (about 3,000 I was told)
work in this industry mostly as laborers/farmers.

It was weird to see so many people up and walking
on their way to work at 5am on a Saturday morning.
Laborers tend to work 7 days a week then 1 day off,
but after 11 months they get 1 month vacation.

Despite the hard working people here, they have a
simple but festive attitude. It's humbling to see how happy
you can be with what we consider to be so little.