June 1

It's been a busy few days here!  The lab that I'm part of has two major research focuses- Azteca ants and their impact on nutrient cycling in the tropical forest, and how antibiotics or other compounds impact invertebrates in the leaf litter.  I've spent several days catching millipedes and isopods for an antibiotic experiment, which means lots of hours digging through fallen leaves near the trail.  There have been some interesting sightings, including the poison dart frog pictured below, lots of types of ants and spiders, and a tiny scorpion!  Unfortunately, chiggers (tiny biting insects) also enjoy the leaf litter- I have 72 bites on my ankles at the moment.  But the experiment is going well!

I got a chance to go into Panama City yesterday, which was wonderful!  I spent the first few hours working out issues with my insurance paperwork (I had a good deal of paperwork for the American and Panamanian governments, so I suppose that I shouldn't be surprised that there was a problem somewhere).  Afterwards, I got to explore the city with some other students.  We were in Casco Viejo, Panama City's historic district.  It's beautiful- lots of old buildings and carts set up along the street.  I'll try to bring my camera along next time!  Getting to the city involves half an hour on a boat and 45 minutes on a bus.  It's a cool trip- you get to see a lot of the mountains and tropical forest, and lots of the big container ships on the Panama Canal!