Hola de la Republica de Panama

Hola amigos mios. My first day out in Central America, ever! Landing in Panama late last night, I went straight to my room, relaxed, watched a little spanish cable and quickly collapsed into slumber. I took my time getting up this morning. This included a cold shower (not by choice) followed by a 10:30 lunch. I enjoyed rice and chicken and beans ($1.50). !Que comida tradicional!

Today I explored the Casco Antiguo also known as San Felipe. This is one of the two original (capital) cities, now replaced by the modern version "la Ciudad de Panama" which is located between the two old ones. The big visit of the day was a tour of the Inter-Ocean Canal Musuem (once a French hotel, turned American hotel, turned post office, turned museum). I spent a couple hours in what I thought would be a 45 minute tour... oops. But it was all so fascinating and was instrumental in helping me understand the relations between the US and Panama, as well as the presence of the French in the mid to late 1800´s. Picks, axes, sextants, and colonial tea sets tell the story of labourers and their masters. Of course, post World War One and the industrial revolution hastened the construction and completion of the canal. Aside from the commerce, both technology and health were highlights of this architectural feet. Thousands upon thousands of labourers died over the several decades it took to build the canal, on the average of one per day. More on the Canal once I´ve toured it.
The Republic of Panama continues to celebrate her 100 years of liberation from Columbia. She only recently regained control of the Canal, as the US occupation was phased out after several treaties and peace keeping efforts by President Jimmy Carter and others.

I can hardly believe it, only fifty cents per hour to use the internet cafe! Wow!! That´s great, as I will probably need to take a lot of time to get used to integrating my camera equipment with the computers... a lot of trial and error!

Essentially the day started as a Loney Planet Guide Walking Tour. I followed a seaside walkway taking me along the Bay of Panama into the Casco Antiguo, where I´ve spent the day enjoying churches, a cathedral, two museums. First the History Museum -- sadly(?), made up of only two small (but airconditioned) rooms in which I was left alone to discover artifacts such as the original flags and currency. The three floors of the Canal Museum were full of readings which I found very helpful in understanding the transformations of Panama. I hadn´t realized the French have a history here,too. They tried to build the canal first in the mid to late 1800´s in response to the Gold Rush, as it would be much easier to export and import through the Isthmus of Panama then to go across the then wild US territories. We perhaps illegally bought the rights to build the canal from the French at the turn of the twentieth century (the treaties were "rushed" and heavily in our favour). I was surprised to learn on the plane (from two Brits that are becoming ex-patriots, moving to Boquete, Panama) that the official, national currency of Panama is the US$, often called the Balboa. Thus, it has been very easy to negociate buying things here as well as participating in the venues of this impressive city. Of course, the actual cost of things is on a completely different scale. For example, I bought a banana this afternoon for five cents, and got my shoes shined for about a dollar.
A few particulars, for those wishing to know how I got here.
Before leaving in June for my Biking in Brittany, France Tour, I discovered GAP Adventures (www.gap.ca = The Great Adventures People). The tour company popped up again and again while doing an intensive internet search on touring Central America. Based out of Toronto, Canada, GAP has an impressive track record and is surprisingly affordable (for the backpacker type). This 60 day (longest trip available in Central America) costs $2,500 up front and a $500 local fee is paid to the guide upon arrival. The safety and convenience were my top reasons for modifying my initial plans of being based out of Guatemala and "doing it on my own." In fact, I was so impressed with what GAP had to offer, that I chose the "Full Central America and Mexico" tour--not wanting to miss a single thing! Again, this is a two month tour. I will end in Mexico City where I will stay and study for a month (more on that and how I met my host family at a later time).
I then went on to do an equally intensive internet search for affordable airfare (hey, this sabbatical pays but 1/2 salary--and I´ve got a mortgage and car payment!). I would need a flight into Central America and a separate flight out of Mexico (North America, for those who need a geography reminder). I discovered www.intratours.com, who was happy to book an extremely economical flight on a major carrier. I flew Portland-Atlanta-Panama via Delta Airlines for just $270! My return trip was booked with www.expedia.com, routing thru Mexico-Houston-Boston for just $230! This is a good time to remind you that this blog is meant to be a tool for Falmouth students and the greater community to understand that the world is quite accessible. My trip will likely have extravagant adventures, but it will by no means be exorbitant in the financial sense. Access to the world is yours if you remain open to creative planning and have a willingness to truly let go of your culturally imprinted expectations that may be causing mental and/or physical barriers, in what would otherwise be opportunities for international travel.
It´s getting dark already, so I have to make my way back. Perhaps I´ll take a taxi.
Tomorrow I will meet the members of GAP. I am excited to be meeting my guide for the next two months, in charge of getting the group through all of Central America plus Mexico by mid-November. I know he is already at the hotel (like me, having arrived a couple days before the tour), but I´ve been out exploring all day, so haven´t been introduced as yet. It´s been raining intermittently today and it seems to be humid day and night. I should expect more of this tropical weather for the duration of the trip. I suspect I´ll either tour the Panama Canal tomorrow or go to the ruins of the first of the two old Panama Cities, Panama Viejo.
In closing, please forgive any type-o´s and spelling blunders.
Expression for the day: La vida es tan corta, se tiene que decir "¡como no?" = Life´s too short, you gotta say, "why not?"
Besos a todos,
B-Carv