Yankees en Diablos Rojos

Right now I am a trainee, but today was the day we’ve all been waiting for; site assignments. After I am officially sworn in on October 25, I will be a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Herrera province. I'll be in a big town of about 8,000 people, near the provincial capital of Chitre and 4 hours from Panama city. I'll have all the comforts I asked for and its less than a half hour from the ocean. The best carnaval celebrations take place in the nearby area of Las Tablas, and the Azuero peninsula is supposed to be rich with culture in general. I don't think I could have asked for a better placement.

A little more about the feel of Panama. It’s hot… and humid. I don’t think I’ve stopped sweating since I got here. This however means cold showers are a welcome relief, rather than a painful necessity. It cools down at night enough to sleep comfortably and the rains that come almost every afternoon help. The dry season, which runs from January to April is less humid, but without the rain to cool things down. We’ll see which is the lesser of two evils. The air here is also often tainted with the smell of burning trash. I don’t think I’ve seen a garbage can in this country and hence no regular collection. Most Panamanians simply torch their waste in a pile in their backyards. Hmmm, what else? There are lots of stray dogs, or that’s to say few people keep their dogs indoors and well fed. I think they’re in heat because lately there have been packs of dogs rolling through the streets trying to hump each other. Yesterday I saw two dogs attack and practically tear a smaller dog in two before someone broke it up. My señora’s daughter and son-in-law however have two beautiful & healthy black labs they keep fenced in their yard as guard dogs.

On Sunday I got the chance to go into Panama City and watch American football at the sportsbook in Casino Veneto. It’s the nicest hotel/casino in the city and was a fun escape. The buses in and around Panama City are called “Diablos Rojos” (Red Devils). They are old yellow school buses from the USA that are just as uncomfortable as when I rode them in elementary school. They are usually painted inside and out with various air-brush designs of lions, scantily clad women, bible scenes, or cartoon characters like Yosemite Sam and the Tasmanian Devil. Many have big speakers systems, feather boas, pom-poms, and various other tacky yet amazing pieces of flair. Dorsal fins on top, black or red lights inside they look like party buses, but are usually crowded with tired Panamanians heading to or from work. There is a competition every year for the most pimped out bus, which would definitely be a site to see.

Being a Mets fan it’s tough to admit that the New York Yankees really are America and overall the worlds most popular team. Here in Panama every game is broadcast on public television because Mariano Rivera, one of the best closers in baseball is Panamanian. Almedo Sainz of the Dodgers and Carlos Lee of the Houston Astros are also big leaguers from Panama but no one gets as much love down here as Mariano.