Where in the World: Korea

Location: Asia
Population: 48, 500, 000
Main Cities: Seoul,
Language: Korean, English
Currency: 1 Korean Won=$0.0009 Canadian
Industry: Communications, Technology, TESL

Documents needed to work here:

Canadian Passport

and

Valid Employment Visa

Where in the World: France

Where: Europe
Population: 64 Million
Main Cities: Paris, Lyon, Toulouse
Language: French
Currency: 1 Euro=$1.69 Canadian Dollars
Industry: Tourism, Agriculture, Health Care, Military

Documents Needed to Work Here:

Valid Canadian Passport

and

Temporary Secondment

or

Full Work Permit

Where in the World: United States of America

Location: North America
Population: 303,824,000
Main Cities: New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia
Language: English and Spanish
Currency: 1 US Dollar=$1.24 Canadian
Industry: Manufacturing, Agriculture, Tourism, Transportation, Military

Documents Needed to Work Here:

Valid Canadian Passport

H1B Visa or Company Sponsorship

Panamania: The Way of It

Just want to start off by saying sorry for the big time lapse since my last post. My last 4 days in Panama the Internet was out-at least at the hostel I was staying at and I have been busy playing catch up since I returned on Friday.
I want to take this last blog to talk about some of the realities of my trip to Panama, some things that I definitely needed to be aware of and wasn't.
First, I cannot state enough what an incredible experience this was-to have the opportunity to travel and learn abroad for this length of time was phenomenal.
I think that if any of you have any aspirations to get out and see the world-this is absolutely the best way to do it. Having secure funding makes life a whole lot easier when you're out and about.
I would definitely recommend researching thoroughly the destination you are heading to. I made the mistake of buying the Panama Guide Book and relying on the info in it as gospel-only to realize too late that the book was about five years out of date.
Another thing to be wary of, especially if you're travelling alone, is the culture you are going to be participating in. As a single female traveller with limited Spanish skills, I found myself in several uncomfortable situations along the way. I knew before hand the role of women in Panama but wasn't at all prepared for the treatment I would receive being one. It really takes a toll on your self confidence to be hissed at, honked at and oggled for 4 weeks solid (that was truly the biggest draw back of travelling alone).
I definitely appreciate the fact that I had the opportunity to learn some of the language before really heading out on my own. It made travels infinitely easier and also allowed me to interact with people I otherwise wouldn't have been able to. I will definitely make an effort to learn a few key phrases before I head to any other exotic destinations.
So I guess the big thing I am recommending is RESEARCH. Learn as much about the area as you can before you head out there-it will make things a whole lot easier in the end.
I am going to try to get an album up of my pictures so that you can have some good visuals of what life was like down there (I don't have many because my camera was stolen-another reality of the road).
If anyone has any questions about this trip or how to get in line for an opportunity like this send me an email and I'll hook you up with the right info.
It really was an altering experience-I think everyone should have a chance like this!

Panamania: Bocas Del Toro

Since I have reached Panama, it has become increasingly apparent that no trip here is complete without a pilgrimage to the Caribbean Ocean Side town of Colon, in the Bocas Del Toro Islands.
Practically every person I have met has made the journey by land or air at some point during their travels here. Who am I to go against the masses?
I chose to head to Bocas on a Friday and come back the following Monday. I caught a small bus and sat cramped for the 7 hours it took to cross the divide (mountains) and head down to sea level.
I really wonder why the Panamanian Government bothers to waste money on painting lines on the rode-my driver as well as all subsequent drivers, payed positively no attention to them, even in the face of oncoming traffic!
Pair this with the fact that a month before, huge portions of the rode had been washed away by several hundred mudslides and you have one of the scariest rode trips this side of the Equator!
Seriously, my driver was a maniac-I don't say this lightly. He was driving so fast that at one point he hit a goat which literally flew past my window at top speed-for real-stopped checked out his fender, laughed, hopped back in, cranked up the Reggaetone (Reggae) and kept going.
I was never so happy to reach the bus stop!
I was dropped off in a small coastal town-Almirante-and then took a water taxi for half an hour to the main Island of Colon. From there I took another water taxi to Bastiementos, a smaller island with a population of 1500, no cars and only one paved walkway for travel.
Bastiementos is distinctly different from the rest of Panama. The people here are of West Indies decent and therefore have a much stronger Carribean Culture. They also speak a wonderful form of creole english-sometimes hard to understand but beautiful to listen to.
I booked into a palm thatched Cabina for $18 a night and then hiked to to the local chocolate factory up a seriously muddy trail that wound through the jungle. The 'factory' is home to a Scottish family of Expats who make their living growing cocao and coconuts and making homemade products from them. It was absolutely wonderful to sit on a little terrace high up watching hummingbirds, drinking tea and eating chocolate.
From there I headed back down, only falling in mud once, and took a taxi back over to check out Colon. It is a very dirty, tourist town, but serves as a jump off point for some incredible beaches. My favourite beach would have to be Playa Estrella (starfish beach) where there are hundreds of starfish literally within a few feet of shore.
The rest of my time in Bocas was spent exploring beaches, hiking through the jungle and eating spicy Carribean food.
It was definitely worth the trip-ride from hell aside!

Panamania: Hiking the Divide

So I am not sure if I have mentioned this or not already, but Boquete is a great jump off point for some amazing hiking. I´d like to tell you about my favourite one, le Pianista (or the Continental Divide).
This hike is rated moderate to difficult and takes from 5-6 hours to complete. At the top, hikers are supposed to be able to view both the Pacific and Carribean Oceans at the same time.
On the day that we chose to hike, my friend, Kate-an Australian, and I booked a guide to lead us up the mountain at a cost of $20 per person. The guide´s name was Feliciano, a 45 year old Panamanian, who told me at least 5 times that day how much he LOVED Canadians
Feliciano picked us up at 7am and then went on to pick up 3 more hikers-Radek and Justine from Poland and Yaryi from Israel.
We headed to the trail head and Feliciano gave each of us walking sticks and coffee that he had grown from his own farm.
The trail started out in some farmer fields and we had to walk across (this is scary) a one plank bridge that is lined with loose hydro wires. Definitely not something you would find in Canada.
We gradually made it into the jungle where the path wound through rock cuts and hanging vines. Every so often the guide would stop and point out something that our untrained eyes had missed: a hummingbird perched on a branch, a snake curled between some rocks (ugh!) and numerous plants with medicinal properties.
As the trail started to climb,we began passing small waterfalls and wading through shallow rivers. The trail became very muddy and the rocks that we had to walk across, very slippery.
As we hiked, we all told about where we were from and what it was like back home. It was pretty amazing to have all of those different cultures represented in one small group.
After 3 and a half hours we reached the top and were rewarded with clouds. It was raining-hard- and the wind was intense. We were fully exposed and it was disappointing and exhilerating all at the same time. Feliciano brought cookies and tea for us and we sat for a few minutes to imagine what the view would be like on a clear day
We eventually headed down on shaky legs and were relieved as we came closer to the bottom to see the sunshine through the canopy.
I fell 3 times (I am definitely not known for my co-ordination) and then Feliciano took to trying to hold my hand to prevent¨injurious results¨on his tour. I eventually convinced him that I was ¨fine, really¨ before falling just one more time.
Radek and Justine and I made dinner plans for that evening and then Feliciano dropped us each off at our respective hostels-sopping wet, muddy and tired.
It was a good day.

Where in the World: China

Location: Asia
Population: 1.3 Billion
Main Cities: Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai,
Language: Main languages spoken are Mandarin and Cantonese
Currency: 1 Yuan Reminbi=$0.18 Canadian Dollars
Industry: Industrial, Tourism, Manufacturing, Business, Agriculture

Documents needed to work here:

Valid Canadian Passport

Approved Chinese Visa

Panamania: The Ruiz Coffee Company

Today I'm going to talk about one of the main industries here in Panama: Coffee Growing.

I took a 3 hour tour (which cost $30) and saw everything from start (the planting of the seeds) straight up to finish (the roasting and then brewing of the final product).

I learned a whole lot about coffee on this tour-probably more than one person ever needs to know in a life time (especially one that doesn't drink coffee!).

Some interesting facts (as told by my tour guide,Carlos):

-Coffee is the second most lucrative commodity in the world (next to oil)

-It originated in Africa

-The most expensive coffee in the world is Geisha (which is grown here and trades at peak price for $130 a pound in the USA)

-Coffee can have mucho, mucho (lots, lots) of smells (wet dog, chocolate, fish, soil etc). similar to smells that wine can give off

-There are many different classes of coffee from gourmet to premium etc. (there is even a class for foreign objects-this is where roasters put sticks, rocks- basically anything but coffee into the roasting pot)

-In Costa Rica there is a dark roast coffee that gets much of its colour from cows blood-you gotta wonder who gets up craving a cup of that in the morning!

-coffee farmers plant fruit trees to encourage birds and other small creatures to inhabit their fields in order to lower the amount of insects who can destroy the crop

The company I took a tour with is called Cafe Ruiz and has been going strong for a very long time. The owners have made a conscious decision to treat the workers here with respect and gratitude-they offer free accomodation, health care and have even opened a general store onsite so that families don't have to find their way to town for groceries.

Panama itself has very strict guidelines regarding coffee producing and must adhere to age restrictions (children under the age of 14 cannot be hired), growing standards and processing standards. These values have placed Panama's coffee in first place for the last 8 years in a row at the top Coffee Exposition in the world.