Wow, check out that devil mask! These masks are known in Panama as “Diablicos Sucios,” or “Dirty Devils.” They are part of Panama’s cultural tradition and folklore. The masks are made from papier-maché, and then painted and decorated with accessories. There are so many different mask designs and colors. Watch out for those devils!
Hi, everyone! Our whole family, not just me and Michael, made a trip to Puerto Rico. There was so much to show our Mom and Dad. We took them nearly everywhere Alana showed us. We also found some new places like the one in this photo.
The statue is called “La Rogativa.” A rogativa is a special religious walk made by a large group of people where they ask for help. 
The story of this statue goes back to a time when San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico, was surrounded by enemy forces. The Bishop led a rogativa that was mostly women and children, but the enemy thought it was more troops arriving and decided to leave! The city was saved by the march!
Have you ever seen a mosaic? A mosaic is a piece of art made by arranging colored tiles. A great place to see mosaic artwork is in Barcelona, Spain. A famous architect named Antoni Gaudi made tons of buildings and sculptures using mosaics. Our favorite is the giant lizard in Park Guell – his name is El Drac (The Dragon in English), and he’s enormous.
Michael and I like to make our own mosaic patterns and pictures out of construction paper. Try your own and see what beautiful things you can make!
My last, but definitely not least, post for Garden Week is Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai. Talk about beautiful! Yuyuan was started way back in 1559 and has huge rocks and even caves. My favorite part is the “Inner Garden,” which has ponds and Chinese-style pavilions. Different sections of the park are separated by walls that look like dragons!
I hope you enjoyed all these gorgeous places during my first theme week. Next week look for another fun surprise theme!
