A little bit of Panama

What we did today (March 2nd):

Today our group slowed the pace and enjoyed the tourism of Panama together. The Rotary Club of Panama, established 1919, was our hosts on our trip to the Panama Canal, the Causeway and the Biomuseo (Bio musuem). Joining us on our trip was Ana Luisa Sepulveda. Ana was adimate that we learn as much spanish with her asking "so what was your favourite part of the Canal? In spanish please... Where are you from? In spanish please..." Ana is a guest Rotarian from Chile and she owns a business called Innovateg; she is in Panama as a consultant for building tourism companies.

Curt, Doug, Kim and I (Mark) climb into a van and we are off to see the Canal; we will meet Alcia there. When we arrive, we have a Civil Engineer meet us at the gate. He takes us for a drive on a construction road, passing rock trucks and massive excavations for the new canal. We are taken to the top of a hill with an exclusive view of the Canal locks. We realize that no tourists are aloud where we are. We are giving an informative talk on the history and future of the Canal while enjoying our private view.

We then drive to the locks themselves. We are greeted by a guide and we approach the lock to view the ships with other tourists. But wait, he has a key! He opens a gate in the fence and says "come with me, just dont get too close to the edge, I will show you why."

He leads us across the the lock gates and we dodge the train 'mules' that pull the ships through the locks. Doug crosses the lock gate with a death grip on the railing as Kim and I chat and casually walk across with an 80 ft. drop off one side and gaps in the handrailing.

We head for lunch at 2:00; Curt is not feeling so hot; some food and water should help that. Doug, Alicia and I had the fish:



Nope, the octapus did not help Curt feel better.

We head back down the Causeway and we come the the Construction of the Biomuseum, designed by the famous Canadian Achitect Frank Gehry.  I snap pictures of the complicated structure and I will send them to my old professor at Western, Dr. Bartlett. The Biomuseum is a very interesting concept; we sit in a presentation of the future building and the programs it will host. Curt falls asleep twice: once he made a noise and woke himself up, the other time Kim gave him a jab.

Background: Last night Curt and I were with some of the Rotary members of Norte and Metro and got home at 1:30am. 7:00am we are picked up to go to the Canal.

We finish the day with presenting to the Rotary Club Panama Nordeste and head home at 10:00pm for some well needed rest. Tomorrow morning we will visit Palacio de las Garzas; pick-up: 7:00am.

MC