Maggie ’26 and Owen ’26, recount the day’s activities which included a challenging hike, a visit to a beautiful waterfall followed by a delicious meal, and an evening talent show.
Mr. Bryant woke us up at 7 in the morning to begin our day. We came to the pavilion and found a breakfast of amazing fried dough and Nutella waiting for us. We were thrilled with the choice since it was our first time experiencing the flavor of artificial sweeteners in five days—we’d been having serious withdrawals.
After breakfast, some of the group learned how to wrap to-go lunches in banana leaves alongside the German and Australian from the volunteers at the reserve. We then started what we naïvely thought would be an easy hike that ended up pushing our mental and physical abilities to the limit.
Climbing literal mountains, crossing multiple streams, the path was difficult and rough and we sweated buckets in the 90° weather and very high humidity. Belting out songs and the Titans’ anthem to distract ourselves, we finally heard the sound of rushing water coming from the waterfall. We stayed there to enjoy the cool, refreshing environment and to eat the mouthwatering combination of rice, chicken, beans, and vegetables that we’d packed.
Rejuvenated by our time at the waterfall, we hiked to a small village about an hour’s drive away from the Mamoní Preserve. With steady conversation and the songs from the first act of Hamilton coming from the back of the line, we enjoyed the mountain views as we made our way to the trucks that drove us back to the pavilion.
Rene, one of the drivers, shared the history of the rivers and streams in the area, talking about the treacherousness of driving during the rainy season and his life in the jungle. Although the hike was hard, being able to experience the new environments and hearing stories from locals provided a learning experience unattainable in the classroom.
After another delicious meal for dinner— rice and chicken soup — we all gathered for DA’s first-ever Panama Talent Show! Edwin showed off his Russian dance moves, and Mr. Bryant and Zach demonstrated a karate display. Our show was so good it went international, drawing in the volunteers at the preserve.
We finished up the day roasting marshmallows and enjoying one another’s company as well as the sounds of the jungle as our penultimate night in Panama drew to a close. We look forward, to starting a new and final chapter of our adventure in Panama City.
Our time in the jungle has really helped connect our group with nature and the simple things in life, especially while being unplugged and connecting with new and exciting people.
