Whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should..

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I have lived out o a ruck sack for 5 weeks now and yet it takes me longer to decide what to wear on a daily basis than it does when I stand in front of my closet full of clothes back home complaining “I have nothing to wear”.



Granted being able to wash your clothes at least once every 2 weeks is a luxury. My host mom does her wash by hand. She uses a metal washboard like the ones I have see in old western films. It takes her 2 days to complete the wash and her whites are brilliant! I do not think my washing machine gets them that clean. She thinks it is funny that I take my wash elsewhere.

My minimalist lifestyle and having less "STUFF" offers a new state of tranquility and calm. It is amazing how much stuff one accumulates over the years that just takes up space in your life and offers a false sense of security. Back to basics is is a mind set I will try to maintain upon my return to the states.

With a morning of nothing to do besides a ton of homework,a couple of us went exploring down a new road and followed signs to a place called EXPLORADORA. So it took us an hour and a hlaf to find the place but that is mostly because the signs kept pointing UP and we kept climbing steeper and steeper hills vat slower and slower paces. At one point we were not even sure this place existed. Onto a dirt road that got narrower as we went, we came across the entrance. As we did not know what to expect, we were surprised when we we told we had to pay to enter. But after sweating in the heat and climbing hill after hill ,we agreed to pay the tourist fee of $5. If you are Panamanian or live here full time, the cost is $3. An interesting place and worth the money.

Once we entered through the tunnel of bamboo with a roof of delicalte flowers, the property opened up onto 2 acres of lushious green plants, blossoms of strange colors, smells of herbs and citrus on the wind. And there was an essance of strange mixed in as well. I cannot put into words exactly the experience and suggest you go for yourself. I kept expecting to see the Cheshire cat basking in the sun or a rabbiit with a pocket watch. Skip the garden Mi Jardin Su Jardin on the opposite side of town and enter the warped landscape of Exploradora.

The paths go on for what seems like forever. There are inspirational signs hidden in the flowers and gardens, there is recycled items turned into displays using plants, there are trees with faces, hand carved mini stone gardens, a sitting area, a play ground, bridges and tunnels made of wood and flora; a mixture of magnificant and eerie. Towards the end of our walk we met the owner crouched and working in her gardens. She showed us the hidden koi pond and herb garden, the magnificant eucalyptus trees and the outside of her home which looked like the house from Hansel and Gretal. We slowly backed away as we all had the same negative thought at the same time. It is only on rare occasions when traveling abroad that you realize "huh at this moment no one really knows where I am so if I should disappear......"

We meandered for hours more when I finally looked at my watch and realized we were now late for classes. We sprinted back to town....

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Photos

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