[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]Just as the Panama Canal’s connectivity we would see in 24 hours, the Au Bon Pain of Miami International served as a joining together spot. All 17 of us met up and successfully began our journey together in front of this airport bakery. After making it through security and checking into our flight, we spent some time getting to know each other and talking through our first steps as a group. Arriving into Panama City, we eventually met up with our driver Alan in his spiffy white van and bag of cold water. It was super late when we made it to the Panama House Bed and Breakfast, so we all said goodnight, cranked the AC in our rooms, and went to bed. As our first day came to a close, thoughts ranged from excitement about the adventure ahead, concern about the unknown, and good feelings about this amazing group of students.
After pineapple and toast this morning, we were back in the van headed toward the Panama Canal. What would this modern Wonder of the World look like? How does Panama reconcile the wealth of the canal with obvious poverty? What does the old Canal Zone look like today, and do hostilities still exist?
We huddled with all the other tourists and watched in awe as the water level slowly, magically, rose and fell, allowing the huge ship to slide perfectly through the canal. We drove away with admiration of all the engineers, laborers, and designers of the canal, but our list of complicated questions continues to grow.
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