Panama and The Canal Day 2
Panama and The Canal
Day 02 - Monday – December 13, 2010 - Visit Panama City La Vieja-Stroll the Old Quarter-Optional Dinner and Folkloric Show
The sun was trying to peek out of the clouds this morning. The temperature was 79º and the humidity was 84%. After breakfast we had an Orientation Meeting at 8:00 and then we all gathered at the reception portico to meet our driver, Winston.
On our way to the scenic parts of the city, Gustavo told us a bit about Panama and the growing country of 3.2 million people. Panama City is a very diverse and culturally mixed city with one common thread; they all worship the American dollar.
The country as well as the city has had an interesting past, as Panama was once part of Colombia until their revolution in 1903. Supported by the United States, it is a democracy now after the arrest of Manuel Noriega, their last dictator.
Although unemployment is at 6%, over 40% of the people here live on less than $2 per day. Street vendors and laborers get work when and where they can to support their families.
Because of the torrential rains and flooding, many sections of the country of Panama are truly suffering. Gustavo took us to Rey, a large grocery store chain to buy items that some people needed.
While we were there many of us bought food stuff for the flood victims. Gennie was practical and bought large bags of rice and beans, their staple food.
Our first discovery was Panama La Vieja, the ruins of the original Panama City. Founded in 1519 on the Bahia de Panama, Bay of Panama, it was the center of gold and silver trade from both North and South America.
Cart loads of precious metal were stolen and melted down to take back to Spain. Sir Henry Morgan, a Welsh privateer attacked the city in 1671 and pillaged the gold. The Spanish decided not to defend the city but moved it stone by stone to a safer walled fortress.
We were still able to explore remnants of the original city, the Convent de las Monjas Concepcion and the remainder of the UNESCO site. The site has been only recently restored as it was a play area for neighborhood children in Gustavo’s youth and a training ground for Noriega’s troops in the 1980’s.
We walked to the Mercado Nacional de Artesanias Cultural Center where we were able to browse through the shops of Native Panamanian art work. Many of the items were touristy but they did have incredible weavings, masks, and other local handicrafts.
Winston took us through a very wealthy area of the city so we could see the guarded home of the President of Panama and then on to the abandoned mansion of Noriega a few homes away.
Gustavo told us that Panama has no standing army but they do have a specialized police force trained in jungle warfare which is designated to protect the country from Colombia and the drug trade.
There are still those who support the past dictator and yearn for the years of tight control of guns, drugs, and other areas of absolute power in commerce and financial institutions.
At noon, we drove back to the city center and had lunch at El Trapiche; where there were no other tourists, only Panamanians dining. Gennie and I shared a Plato Típica Panameña a sampler of best loved local cooking.
We started with chicken soup, then tamale casserole, fried manioc, empanadas, carne asada with vegetables, fried plantains, rice and chicken. We left at 1:00 and drove to Casco Viejo, where the old city was relocated, once a wealthy area and now is being restored with trendy shops and popular restaurants.
Even though it was raining we explored the area visiting the colonial houses, the San Jose Cathedral, known for its gold altar, and the water front. We arrived back at the hotel at 3:00 with plenty of time to write the journal, look at our photos and get ready for our dinner show at 6:00.
About 3:30 there was a knock on the door and it was one of our all time favorite OAT Tour Directors, Eddie Recio, who we met in Costa Rica.
Eddie is now a senior director and trainer of not only the new tour directors but also Regional Managers. We had a wonderful reunion and agreed to meet again on our last day in Panama as he is located in Panama City until the end of the year.
Tonight we attended an optional dinner at Mira Flores, an observation restaurant that over looks the Mira Flores Lock of the Panama Canal. Before dinner was served we were able to go out on the deck and watch the ships and huge container vessels pass through this lock built in 1913.
After dinner there was a show that featured the costumes, music, and dances of Panama. As usual these optional dinner performances are well worth the money and explained even more of the culture of this country.
We arrived home and after two long days and two short nights we were ready to go to sleep. We organized our bags as tomorrow is a travel day and we have an early departure.
Accommodations: Hotel El Panama - - - Meal: B
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Comments
loved seeing my mom & dad front and center in the dinner picture...Thanks!
watching your every move...see you're behaving and having a great time! enjoying your blog entries...interesting!
Post a Comment!Another interesting trip; I am looking forward to reading about Panama and the canal; interested in what they are now building.
HIghrises of Panama City, Panama
Gustavo and Winston
Convento de las Monjas de la Concepc...
Manuel Noriega Abandoned Home
Miraflores Dinner and Show Group
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