Today I spent a little time going through my guidebook. The main reason that I was going through this was to find out if I needed an adapter for my camera charger, but I read further than that. I have now determined that this guidebook should be called "Panama: A Guide to Freak You the F--- Out" or "Panama: Expect The Worse and Hope For The Best." There was one section of the book, in particular, that I really should not have read. No, this is not the section about women traveling alone, but instead was about insects and arachnids.
Now, I'm already pushing my personal comfort zone by going on this trip in the first place: Third World country, dorm style accommodations, having to get a series of shots/vaccines, not speaking the language, and no Starbucks. To add to this, I read about the abundance of scorpions and tarantulas/other large spiders (to the point where it's advised to shake you shoes and clothing before putting them on), poisonous snakes, "killer" bees, and other insects that cause life threatening diseases. Oh great! Next, the book mentions rabies, which is apparently is commonly spread by dogs, cats, monkeys, and most commonly, vampire bats. Yes, I understand that it's rare and highly unlikely that I'll have to worry, I still find it rather funny (that's the only way I can put it at this point) that a guidebook that I'm reading has to mention that it's advised to sleep under a mosquito net, so that you are not bitten by a vampire bat in the middle of the night...or to go to a hospital if bitten by a monkey (I guess them flinging feces is the least of my worries?). Did I mention Peccaries too? Oh yeah, that's a wild pig that's rather ferocious.
What did I get myself into? I'm just glad that I booked the vacation and paid for it before I read any of this or thought too much about it because I may not be going if I thought about it more than I did.
Other than the whole insect/arachnid/rabid animal thing, I began to worry about my Spanish the other day. I was driving around, preparing for my trip, I thought, "well, at least I can count to 10!" So, I tried it based on my couple months of Spanish class in 6th grade and my trip to Mexico a couple of years ago. I started out strong, with uno, dos, tres, but then things turned sour by 10. I realized that, while I had started in Spanish, I finished my numbers in Italian. I'm screwed! So, so, so screwed! I went and bought a Spanish phrasebook the next day.
Well, I have only 2 more full days until I leave for my trip. That means two more days to freak out, soak my clothes in permethrin (to combat mosquito and other insects), pack, and realize that what I'm about to do is probably going to be the best experience of my life. Ummm, well, that's a definite yes on the first three thing and a maybe on the last one, though I'm sure that'll happen as soon as I get there. Until then, no more reading that damn guidebook!
