These two pictures show just how diverse panama is in geological terms. The picture above shows the jungle and that green terrain that is all around the interior of the country. There is about 50% of Panama that is simply uninhabited jungle that is too dense to habitat. The picture below shows the calmer more touristic side of Panama. This picture was taken at the Buenaventura resort on the Pacific side of Panama. Since panama is surrounded on both sides by ocean (Atlantic and Pacific) there are many beaches that vary in shape and styles.
Panama was an amazing experience where I did a lot and learned even more. The transition from Northwest Arkansas was not all that difficult mainly for the fact that they were in the same time zones. That helped keep our sleeping patterns in check and maintained some form of normalcy. As soon as we arrived we felt the humidity cling to us and surround us. There were very little times where we were able to escape it. Arkansas is known as the natural state but it does not compare to the level of wilderness that is Panama. The main city that we were located was in Panama City and even though it was the most populated city in the country, it had jungles and greenery all around.
Due to Panama being the bridge between the North America and South America the Flora and Fauna are a massive array of mixed plants and greenery that came from both sides of the Americas and clashed in the middle. Everywhere we turned there were different plants and all kinds of animals that I personally had never seen before. Also all around us were wild animals that were peacefully living with the locals.
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| A sloth hanging from a tree a few feet from a very busy street in the heart of Panama City. |
One of the creatures I would have been happy not witnessing were the mosquitos that make the ones in Arkansas seem not as a problem as they were in Panama.
Overall Arkansas and Panama are similar in the fact that they are both naturally rich but the similarities really stop there. Panama has so many different inputs that have affected its ecology and geology in ways that would have been impossible in Arkansas. The two oceans washing away parts of its coasts of the land bridge that it became and allowed the Americas to interact in a way that would not have been possible. Overall I really enjoyed my study abroad experience and would like to one day explore other parts that I was not able to visit during my stay.
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Pablo spent the Summer 2018 term in Panama with our U of A Faculty-Led: International Business Seminar in Panama.
For more information about study abroad & internship opportunities within Walton College, visit http://walton.uark.edu/global/index.php
Pablo spent the Summer 2018 term in Panama with our U of A Faculty-Led: International Business Seminar in Panama.
For more information about study abroad & internship opportunities within Walton College, visit http://walton.uark.edu/global/index.php
