Pan, Pots, and Prices

Hello! Its your LDD’s, Jorja and Rilee! Today was based on culture, which means we learned about the history and background of Chitré. We visited many places today like the traditional bakery, pottery studio, and got a mini tour of the city.

At the bakery, Panaderia La Medalla Millagros, we were served a traditional breakfast consisting of fried pork (cerdo), handmade bread (pan), coffee (cafe), cheese (queso), and bollo (mashed corn, similar to a palenta or masa). The breakfast was very filling, and then we were taught how to make our own bread by the bakers, which is shown in the picture above. After, we were given a tour of the facilities, where we saw their handcrafted oven and shop where we could purchase their baked goods.

In the pottery studio, we learned different techniques to make pottery. Everyone painted a pot that was pre-made by the family, and some students opted to throw a pot on the wheel as well. We learned about how the tradition was passed down and kept alive for so many generations, and we listened to the music that Lucrecio (the studio owner) listens to to get inspired.

Finally, we took a mini tour of the area of Chitré, around where we are staying. Everyone in our group noticed the traffic laws were completely different than at home, and the very low prices in shops. We visited an indoor market with vendors that would sell their products and services, as well as a local grocery store (Super 99).

Today we learned a lot about life in Panama, and got closer with one another. We finished the day with dinner and passing the torch to the LDD’s for tomorrow, Isaac and Abraham!