Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Our transition to the expat lifestyle

Having been back in California now, even for just a few short days, you realize the pros and cons of living abroad. For six months we've been traveling the world and during the seventh month we started to experience what the expat lifestyle is all about. Some people may think this way of life to be out of the question, while others may be searching for that new job to take them abroad.
The hopes for this blog are to give people an idea of the pros and cons we have come across so far in our ventures.

Having traveled for the past six months we were very used to living on a budget and with very little 'stuff'. This greatly helped us adapt to our new 'island way of living'. Bocas del Toro is a great spot for vacationing and living, but the standards are much different than in places such as Los Angeles or New York City.
The first thing to get used to is always being sweaty and slightly dirty. There is very little city water and the rest is collected from the rain. Having long hot showers or multiple showers a day is simply not acceptable here. If you are going to move to any island or even country that has a water system such as this, keep that in mind. The next aspect is attire. You can look nice, but having the latest designer fashion is pretty much laughed at and you may not get it back from the laundromat anyway! The basic essentials are all you need. It is quite acceptable to show up for a business meeting in shorts and a tee-shirt or simple sundress. For those in major cities, the attire may be different. Just be sure to read ahead on what's acceptable and what's not.
From a business standpoint one of the major no-nos we've discovered is that you don't go into town trying to 'change' the way business or life is 'done'. Take your time, learn the ways of the culture, and establish how you can make improvements for your own business.  After spending a month in Bocas, one thing we discovered is that people really appreciate if you take the time to understand why things are done in certain ways. You may be at the top of your industry in the States, Europe, or Canada, but if you don't take the time to understand your new surroundings there could be a great deal of resistance from the local community. 
Some of the best advice we can give is to take a little time and talk to the locals! They are the individuals who could become your best friends or worst enemies. 
Good luck!


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Monday, April 18, 2016

Sloths *The most adorable creature on the planet!*

I decided to write this blog because over the past year I have fallen in love with these little creatures and wanted to become more informed. Lately, sloths have gotten a bad rap in movies and on t-shirts, so wanted others to become more informed as well!

There are two main types of sloths, the three-toed, as seen in the above photo, and the two-toed sloth. The three-toed sloths are smaller with the pygmy sloth being the smallest. The two-toed sloths are larger, tend to have slightly fluffier fur, and longer noses.


Defense:
The claws! One of the greatest assets for a sloth are their claws. They don't only look super cool, but they are what help them cling onto branches and are their main defense mechanism. I once heard a story that a sloth became agitated over a wild dog barking so slit its' throat. It's sad, but it also shows how careful you need to be around them!

Hanging on tight!
Handling:
In Columbia we had the wonderful experience of being able to hang out with a baby sloth. While we had a blast, we did learn you have to be careful with the adult sloths. If they have not been raised around human contact, being held can raise their heartbeat, which can become harmful for their health. Some are also much feistier than others so be aware! In the above picture, because the three sloths were raised around humans, they were very comfortable being held.  


Habitat: 
In the above picture to the left is the baby Colombian sloth climbing back up to his perch in the trees. He was originally found in a papaya tree by the owner who was getting the fruit for our morning snack. The sloth on the right is a little guy from Costa Rica who put a on a show for us by climbing down the mangroves to take an afternoon drink! You will often see sloths closer to the water as they are better swimmers (the breaststroke I've read:-) than walkers due to their front arms being stronger than their back thighs. On land their long claws also give them difficulty, making them very slow and leaving them much more vulnerable to attack by other predators. 

From the picture on the above right you can also notice the hints of green in the fur. This is algae that grows on them due to their slow nature.  As they live in the high branches of trees for most of their life, it actually acts as an extra element of camouflage to protect against preying vultures and predators. 

Breeding:
Above are two little babies, the one from Colombia and the other we saw in Bocas del Toro behind the Smithsonian's fence. They are both probably a little older than six months old which is when the mother will start to leave them. A mother can only give birth to one sloth and the pregnancy is usually between 5-6 months for the three-toed sloth and as long as 11.5 for the larger two-toed sloths. While I couldn't see for sure, I believe the sloth on the right was a two toed-sloth. The fur is a little fluffier and the nose a little longer. 


To wrap things up, a few fun facts about these funny little creatures!

- sloths only have 25% muscle in their bodies so they are unable to shiver
- they can climb at the rate of about 6-8 feet per minute
- their stomach consists of four compartments and it can take up to a month to digest one leafy meal
- both mating and giving birth happens in the trees
- sloths only sleep about nine hours a day 
- they are not social creatures 
- according to the San Diego Zoo one species of sloth could initially grow up to the size of an elephant but they became extinct about 10,000 years ago




*All photographs were personally taken in Colombia, Panama, and Costa Rica*


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Thursday, February 11, 2016

Snakes

As I recently had my first snake encounter here in Bocas, I thought it fitting to learn more about these reptiles and inform the average tourist. My first sighting was a baby Boa who was taking a nap, wrapped around some empty Panama Beer bottles. One of the workers who knew how to handle the boa was able to pinch it below the head where it simply coiled itself around his wrist like a bracelet. Not my idea of the latest fashion trend, but…! That did get me thinking that I should be a little more informed and be able to identify some of the main snakes here on the islands.
 
Before I go into each snake, here are a few basic tips. Here in Bocas most bites occur in the months of September and October during the height of rainy season. Snakes are also nocturnal reptiles so you have a greater chance of spotting one in the evening or night time hours and beware of the babies because their venom is actually much more lethal than the adults. With this said, it's still more likely that someone working in the overgrown fields or dense jungle areas will get bit opposed to your average trail walker. Snakes tend not to like the shorter grassy areas and are much easier to spot in the cleared jungle areas.
 
The Boa Constrictor
 

  • Not a poisonous snake!
  • Mature female adults can grow up to twelve feet long
  • They are brown, grey, or cream colored with reddish- brown patches
  • Found in hollowed out logs or abandoned animal burrows
  • They are excellent swimmers so don't rule out surrounding water areas
 
The Bushmaster
 

  • One of the most dangerous snakes in the area
  • Classified as a pit viper
  • This aspect of the snakes is what they use to smell their prey
  • They will stay coiled in one spot for several days waiting for their prey
  • Will coil near fallen limbs, the butt of trees, or even trails
  • Can grow up to twelve feet long
  • Can survive on fewer than ten large meals per year
  • Venom is poisonous!
 
The Fer de Lance
 
  • Member of the pit viper family
  • An aggressive reptile
  • They will attack anything that is warm blooded
  • Will lie in wait for its prey
  • They have a crossing pattern on their back
  • Can grow to approximately six feet long
  • Prey includes frogs, rodents, and lizards
  • Many bites happen from people stepping on them
 
The Eyelash Viper
 
  • Member of the pit viper family
  • Poisonous venom
  • Fairly docile in nature
  • To identify, look for scales that almost look like eyelashes over the eyes
  • Tend to be green, red, and white or bright yellow
  • Usually only two to three feet in length
  • Will usually be a couple meters off the ground in the vegetation or mossy, leafy areas

The Coral Snake

  • Highly poisonous
  • Simply leave it alone!
  • Usually feed on other species of snakes
  • They have rings of black, red, and yellow along their bodies
  • Approximately two feet long
 
**A couple more!**
 
The Cat Eyed Snake
 
  • Mildly dangerous due to slight poisonous nature of its' venom
  • Pupils are vertically slit (like a cat which gives them their name)
  • They are usually two to three feet long
  • Brown or yellow in color with brownish/black spots that go along the back

The Tiger Rat Snake

  • Mainly seen near rivers or agricultural areas
  • Can grow over seven feet long
  • Prey on birds, small mammals, reptiles, and frogs
  • They swallow their prey alive
  • Can be very fast and aggressive
  • Yellow/orange in color with slight black in patterning
  • They can rattle their tails and flair their necks to look twice their normal size
  • Their venom is not poisonous to humans
 
While there are many other species and sub-species throughout Bocas and the rest of Panama, these seemed to be the main reptiles to speak of. When doing any sort of jungle trekking please go with a trained guide who knows what they’re looking for and in the worst case scenario, who will know where to go if you are bitten. Also, ask your guide before heading out what type of attire should be worn. When we went trekking in the high jungle in the Amazon of Colombia we were in knee high boots, long pants, and a long sleeve shirt. While this attire may not be the most comfortable in a hot and humid climate, it may save your life!
 
Happy trailing and be careful!!
 
In the comment section below I'd love to hear other people’s snake experiences in the Bocas islands and any other additional information that may be helpful!



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