Aguas Negras

---

Aguas Negras, or black water, is a community located right above the mangroves behind the sewage
treatment plant in Bocas town. Yesterday I went with my friend SOnia to her house. I knew she
lived near the airport and assumed it was the neighborhood bordering the runway. I was suprised
when she said " no por aca" and headed to the gate of the water treatment plant. She ignored the
do not enter sign and opened the unlocked gate. We walked between the treatment ponds and out the
other side. She was really worried I'd fall on the make shift bridge that crosses the mangrove swamp
to the houses on the other side. The boards are pieced together and some are barely nailed down.
I watched where she walked and made it across safely and into her house. I can honeslty say
it's a shack pieced together with salvaged boards, cardboard and tarps. It was not completely
closed in and the roof did not completely cover the house. I asked what happened when it rained
hard. Sonia's brother said they were like a group of wet chickens huddled together this
past weekend. Oh my goodness. There were 13 people living there. So sad. I have not seen
poverty like that in Bocas before. The people on Isla Popa have it much better off.

---