A-Team Wedding!

This weekend, two former ISP teachers (Ashley and Austin, aka the A-Team) got married, and the rest of us used their wedding as a lovely excuse for a reunion.  We all flew to North Carolina for a weekend of great food, bikes, and awesome friends.

from left:  Kim, Rob, Austin (groom), Ashley (bride), Laura, Carolyn, Leo (who was with us in-utero in Panama), and Nick

It was a great time, but made me remember how much I miss all of them. *sigh*

Lake Bayano Caving Adventure

Julia, Tammi, Laura, Morgan

We drove 2 hours into the Darien Gap (with a car accident on the way there, but that's a story for another time).  The Darien is the untouched land b/t Panama and Colombia.  It's all rainforests and caves and wildlife.

After a 30 minute boat ride on Lake Bayano, we passed the indigenous K-12 school house (only accessible by boat), and started hiking into the caves.

There were underground rivers with hundreds of bats squeaking and flying above, there were snakes and dart frogs and huge spiders, there were lovely open spaces full of sunshine, and spots so dark you couldn't see six inches in front of your face.

It was an awesome Panama adventure.   We even got to swim in a natural swimmin' hole at the end of the hike.

tiny little dart frog- black body with lime green dots.  About the size of my thumbnail. 

like a booby trap just waiting for Indiana Jones

Pinned!

When Lulu wants her spot on the couch, she takes it, regardless of whomever may be there.  And apparently, when she talks, she is a Russian spy...

"Vot, you seenk I eez cute fatso?
 No!  I eez taagh-as-nails bozz-lady.
Vere is de vodka?"