2nd day–Canal, Church and Local Cuisine!

 

Second day…was a blast.

After studying so extensively about the Panama Canal, today for once, we experienced the canal for ourselves – and immediately get absorbed into its magnificence. Maybe magnificence might even be an understatement. To just see how the Canal, built more than 100 years ago, still standing and operating till today is simply marvelous. Hats off to the engineers who transcended beyond their time, beating all odds – given their then technology and equipment. To see how the application of simple physics of buoyancy – the filling of the locks of the canal to raise the ship to the same sea level so it passes through the locks is simply mind-blowing. The lush greenery that runs parallel to the canal, and the vast pool of water is simply indescribable.

Simply refreshing…breeze brushing through your face, warm Panamaian sunlight (Oops, sorry folks in Columbus, heard it started snowing!) , spread of eat-all-you-can breakfast and lunch on the cruise ship, seeing the President of Panama, savoring some local cuisines. Heading to the Beach tomorrow, stay tuned!

Vocabulary constipated, I’ll leave you with some pictures for you to comprehend for yourself.

Professor Dickstein with some of the ladies

O-H-I-O!

Observation tower on the right and the white tower is the control tower

Mighty "flood” gates

Notice the following pictures – all are taken from the same place, observe carefully how the water level rises in just a few minutes.

Our lunch for the day – delicious is but an understatement.

Group picture with our wonderful tour guide in white, center

After the Canal, we did a little city walk – visited the most important church in Panama, stop at local traditional handicraft stores and went into the Presidential office – the equivalent of the white house in D.C. – and even saw the President himself stepping out of his 4WD into this office. 

I mean, how often could you boast that you actually went into the Presidential Office (Okay, not the office, I admit – but the compound) and that you were actually standing less than 20 meters from a country’s President? Make no mistake – this is the most important man in the whole of Panama, the one that calls the shot, runs the country etc. Everything was somewhat surreal that instant – there were suddenly a handful of armed soldiers showing up from nowhere (one was on the balcony with a sniper), and then three 4WD pulled in – the first and last with fully armed soldiers (the SWOT forces kind) and the 4WD in the center was the president’s.

Us with the city’s skyline as our background

The President's office – where we saw him stepped out of his 4WD and enter the gate

Wasn’t sure if pictures were allowed but that’s the sniper that appeared nowhere moments before the president showed up

Family, as we know is a big part of Latin culture. Lovely clay souvenirs depicting the whole family gathering at a newborn ceremony

That’s Erik, showing a little of his swag.

Missionary of St. Jose

At night, we went to Las Tinajas, a lovely restaurant serving local traditional cuisines. Witnessed some folk dance with the colorful costumes and flamboyant dancers.

Simply refreshing…breeze brushing through your face, warm Panamaian sunlight (Oops, sorry folks in Columbus, heard it started snowing!) , spread of eat-all-you-can breakfast and lunch on the cruise ship, seeing the President of Panama, savoring some local cuisines. Heading to the Beach tomorrow, stay tuned!