Biomuseo y Diablicos

Credit must be given where it is due! Ali knew about and asked to go to the Biomuseo in Panama City, and it was AMAZING. I left with my mind well and truly blown. Did you know that, when Panama emerged from the ocean via volcanic activity and connected North and South America, it changed the climate of the literal entire world? The WHOLE. WORLD. I didn’t know that! It’s actually insane to think about how much Panama has affected the lives of billions of people, and yet it’s a country that remains largely overlooked. Thanks for bringing us to the museum, Ali!

Following the museum, we had some down time in the afternoon (I snuck in some miles on the dreadmill— next race is March 15!) and then we got ready for dinner at Diablicos! Los Diablicos have their origin in the Spanish conquest of Panama, when they forced native peoples to convert to Catholicism. Diablicos, of course, means “little devils”. The idea behind them is that, in lieu of using language to convert the native peoples, they used dance to essentially say “these devils will get you if you don’t convert to Catholicism”. Now, the dances are a colorful, lively, and beautiful part of Panamanian culture. It was amazing to see the dances and costumes, as well as listen to the music! 10/10, would recommend.

Buenas noches!
-Cait