PANAMA - THE CROSSROADS OF THE WORLDStory and Photos by Sandy Katz Travelin' Sandy Katz is a freelance writer based in South Carolina.She has visited over 250 destinations and writes for many USA publications. Sandy who has a degree in psychology resides on the Ashley River with her husband. HISTORY Panama is the youngest republic in the Western Hemisphere, founded in 1903, when the country broke away from Colombia. Located in the southern most region of Central America, Panama is landscaped by low mountain ranges, thick jungle and fertile green valleys and plains. The country was discovered 1n 1501 by Rodrigo de Bastidas, a captain who sailed with Columbus on his second voyage to America. The republic of Panama is only a little smaller than South Carolina, but the locals think of their nation as "the crossroads of the world." It lies on trade routes between North and South America, and on the route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The Panama Canal runs through the Canal Zone, a strip of land that lies across the center of the country. The Panama Canal ranks as one of man's greatest engineering achievements of the 20th Century. Before the canal was built, a ship sailing from New York to San Francisco had to travel more than 13,000 miles around the tip of South America. The U.S. built canal ($380 million) shortened the journey by more than half the distance, some 5,200 miles. The first ship sailed through the canal on August 15, 1914. American dominion over the canal zone and the canal itself were continuing sources of conflict between Panama and the U.S. After years of negotiations that foundered in a series of stalemates, both sides finally signed a new treaty in 1977. The canal remained under U.S. control and over the years a phasing out process allowed Panama to finally achieve complete ownership and control on December 31, 1999. THE PANAMA CANAL The canal has assumed the most popularity in all of Panama. I was highly impressed on my visit to the 'Eight Wonder of the World' by the sight of the canal's innovative system of locks as they raise and lower massive ships over 80 feet, the height of a seven-story building.
Of the three groups of locks in the canal zone, the Miraflores locks are the most interesting. A special area has been developed above the locks from which visitors have an unobstructed view of the operations. As the ships pass, commentaries are conducted on loudspeakers in Spanish and English. The sight of a huge ship moving a few meters away is awesome. Electric locomotives move alongside ships that dwarf them, guiding and stabilizing vessels by means of steel cables. If you are interested in passing through the locks and sailing on the canal, contact Argo Tours (228-6069) or Servitar (264-3014). THE CANAL AND ITS ECOLOGY Due to the vital importance of water for the canal's operation and the direct inter-relationship between the rainy, tropical forest and the fluvial waste, the canal is surrounded by wooded areas that were converted into national parks and biological reserves and administered by the state. In addition to ensuring the water supply, these protected areas are also used for eco-tourism as well as scientific investigation. The Chagres National Park covers 129,000 acres of humid woods that provide 40 per cent of the fresh water that goes into the inter-oceanic waterway. The Soberania National Park covers 22,014 acres, and is a perfect example of tropical forest that boasts an amazing bio-diversity. More than 150 species of birds frequent the area and the forest contains over 200 species of trees. Another well-known feature of the park is the Las Cruces Trail, also called 'the Jungle Road' or 'Madden Road.' It was the main commercial and passenger traffic route from 1530 to 1855. Fortune seekers who traversed the Isthmus during the 1849-1850 California Gold Rush used the trail. Today only a six-mile trail remains through the tropical forest and it's an easy walk especially during the dry season. In the largest section of the canal (Gatun Lake) the Barro Colorado was declared a biological reserve in 1923. It also offers a great variety of plant and animal life, especially monkeys, and has become a worldwide-recognized site for scientific research. Since 1946 it has been under the administration of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Most members of my group braved the elements and visited this interesting reserve, returning with fantastic photographs of the five species of monkeys that travel through the treetops - howlers, spider monkeys, marmosets, capuchins and night monkeys. The area is a haven for nearly 400 species of birds, 30 species of frogs, 22 species of lizards and 40 species of snakes. A diversity of plant species is also located here. The instructions on visiting the island are quite comforting - "If you get lost and spend the night in the forest, the worst fate will probably be mosquito bites. You can drink the lake or stream water in an emergency. Keep in mind that no one has been lost for long or seriously hurt on the island." You can reach the island of Barro Colorado and the Smithsonian Scientific Institute from the harbor at the village of Gamboa. You will need authorization to visit the island from the Smithsonian (advance requests recommended) telephone 227-6021 or 227-6022, or write to Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 2072, Balboa, Panama. In the U.S. you can seek authorization from the Research Institute at Unit 0948.APO AA, 34002-0948, Miami, Florida. PANAMA CITY MUSEUMS Panama City has several museums, all established to bring the rich past closer. All are open from Tuesdays through Sundays (except holidays) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Religious Colonial Art Museum was built in 1756; it is located in one old chapel of the Church and Convent of Santo Domingo in the heart of the colonial part of town. It has an impressive collection of paintings made on cloth and leather and polychrome carvings from Latin America and from local artists. There are also sacred artifacts made of silver and bone, a beautiful gold altar and a colonial spiral staircase. A visit to the chapel is complemented by a visit to the Church and Convent where you can see the interior patio and the cloister. The convent, recently restored, has a small museum with artifacts of archaeological digs and historical engravings. Natural Science Museum is located in the Old National Museum. It has exhibits of the natural geology, paleontology, mammals, reptiles and other flora and fauna. There is a room dedicated to African and Asian fauna, especially to the tiger, lion and antelope. Special outdoor museums include Mi Pueblito, West Indies Town Pueblito and Indigenous Villages. Through many years, the cultural and ethical aspects of Panama have been enriched with the contribution of different people forming what is now known as Panamanians. On the slopes of Ancon Hill, you can see the "trilogy" of the cultures, one besides the other with all their manifestations. Mi Pueblito is a replica of a little town of the countryside. It was created to show the most native style of Panamanian countryman. Their national costume "La Pollera" was inspired by their Spanish cultural legacy. West Indies Town Pueblito puts together outstanding aspects of the Caribbean cultures. Their people arrived in Panama because of the construction of the canal. Its architecture is basically made of wood. Indigenous Villages is a perfect copy of the way of life of the principal tribes of the country, Kuna, Guaimie and Chocoe. OUT AND ABOUT
Typical mola designs are inspired from nature - plants, flowers, birds and animals - as well as the artist's imagination. Some molas depict traditional Kama customs, while others are made from simple geometric cutouts. The sale of molas provides a major source of income for the Kuma Indians, who are well off compared to other indigenous people. My eyeglass case is a mola and it gives me much pleasure every time I use it. While in Panama there is an excellent
opportunity to take day trips to other parts of the country. We dined on their wooden floor, which was a wooden house on stilts. The mean was mainly bird and we drank coconut milk straight from the coconut. This adventure was one of the highlights of my Panamanian experience. We were entertained with singing and dancing, tribal style. Then it was audience participation time - dancing and covering our bodies with tribal designs using a berry paste that makes the designs darker each day before it eventually fades away. The Indians appeared bare-breasted with lots of their handcrafted jewelry and discreet markings. WHAT'S NEW IN PANAMA Near the small town of Gamboa, a $25 million eco-tourism project over 91 acres, the Gamboa Tropical Rainforest Resort, is expected to open this year. The development is on the banks of the Chagres River, about 45 minutes from Panama City by car. It will include a 100-room hotel and marina in a natural setting that offers rainforest trails, birdwatching and fishing. Already completed is the privately run Canopy Tower Hotel in a former military radar tower. It is a five-story, six-room eco-lodge with a 360-degree view of treetops full of exotic birds and howler monkeys.
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Visitors
are welcome at Miraflores Locks, about half an hour from the capital, Panama
City, where we stayed (Hotel El Panama). Bilingual staff is on duty from 9 a.m.
to 5 p.m. to provide details and information about the canal's operation. A
topographical model of the canal is located in the theater annex.
Shopping
in Panama was a treat. I particularly zeroed in on Molas, the art of the Kuna
Indians. The molas are colorful souvenirs, works of art. The molas originated
among the Kuna Indians of San Blas archipelago around the middle of the 18th
Century, and today molas have achieved world recognition as an art form as well
as a native craft. Mola designs are hand-woven in a reverse applique technique
using several layers of different colored cloth, and are then sewn onto blouses
that Kuna women wear as part of their daily attire. In fact, mola collectors
believe that the most valuable pieces are those that have actually been worn by
Kuna women.
One
day I enjoyed a two-hour dugout canoe trip to have lunch in the jungle with the
Chocoes Indians in the Chagres area.