whew... I´ve seen a lot of Panama in the last four days.
Quick run down:
Friday- woke up at 4:45 to catch my 6:30 flight from Panama City to Bocas del Toro. Tiny plane but overall very smooth. The highligh had to be flying over the Canal and seeing two enormous cargo ships going through the locks. Got to the ambitiously named International Airport of Bocas and checked into this great little hostel/bar called mondo taitú. I joined up with two girls from Princeton who were about to leave on a snorkeling trip and spent the whole day boating between islands, snorkeling and sitting on the beach. Our boat driver finished his six pack of Balboa beer before 11am, but thats not important. He spoke some english and some spanish but mostly just the bizarre, english-bazed creole dialect that all the people on the island speak. Had a great time at the bar that night trading stories with the crazy people who had been traveling for 9 months up through all of South America before getting to Panama. Good stuff.
Saturday: Went with Emily and Claire again to snorkel in the morning. We also went to bird island, which was maybe the most beautiful little island I´ve ever seen. (http://www.aguaazulbocas.com/images/bird_island.jpg) I´m terrible with my camera in Panama, by the way. In the afternoon we hiked through the jungle trails to a few amazing, deserted beaches. I took glorious beach naps, clearly a top 5 thing in life in general. And these were great. The other highlight of the day was getting back to Bocas and seeing a 6 year old boy dancing to ´Hips Don´t Lie.´ Priceless. Overall bocas is a terribly relaxing place and I would love to go back.
Sunday: woke up for the third day in a row before sunrise to catch an early boat back to the mainland and then push on to the mountains. But the boat broke down. And the tuny buss took forever. And it was raining. So I stayed in Davíd, which is kind of a bland industrial city in the west of panama. The bus ride was actually amazing. Sat next to a girl with her pet ducks in her lap. The lady inf ront of me pulled her green parrot out of a cardboard box so it could sit on her shoulder. Reggaeton music blaring the whole time, except for the 45 minutes when the national lottery was being drawn. Panamanians love the lottery to an unhealthy degree. Stayed at the Purple House hostel in, yes, an entirely purple house with almost exclusively purple furnishings. Weird.
Today- Woke up before sunrise (pattern here?) and took 3 different buses all the way across the country and into the heartland of Panama, the Azuero peninsula. Its the folklore center and the place where they hide all the really nice people in Panama. The way I caught my last connecting bus to Chitré is hilarious. I had been waiting near the sign in the terminal for about 45 minutes when a small child came up to me, stole my water bottle, opened it, and chugged the last few sips as I laughed and as his mother looked on horrified. We chatted about Josué for awhile and then she pointed me to where the bus actually would leave. Never trust signs in Panama. but I caught the bus and made a friend. So I get to the peninsula and take anothe rbus over to a small town called Parita that was supposed to look like it did 100 years ago. In an awesome stroke of luck, I got there in the middle of their largest festival of the year. I wandered for a few hours and watched how the men drank seco like water and the young men crashed around unrestrained bulls through the town park next to the church. The rest of the town looked on, laughing and dancing to the traditional music being played nearby. Surreal.
I head back to the city tomorrow after seeing a few more small towns. Should be amazing.
love, d
Monday, August 6, 2007
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
about to say goodbye to Panama
friends,
I have just 8 days left in Panama, so Rice and Beans is coming to an end. But here's what's been up the last few days.
Been interviewing more people and have some cool stuff coming up. On Monday, I had two great meetings at the US Embassy. Brian Naranjo was first; he's the chief political affairs officer and a really smart guy. We talked for about an hour and he helped me understand the trajectory of the campaign and why it took so long for the poll numbers for the Yes side to respond to what everyone figured would happen in the election. He said it was a combination of the Yes side sending out politicians to hold info sessions rather than technocrats who aren't as dynamic, a private group of business leaders who pooled funds and ran a parallel ad campaign that posed the vote as a question of progress or move backwards, and the public support of a number of Panamanian celebrities for the Yes side. Great talk though.
Second was Manny Rubio, who was much more of a character. He made it huge it private equity in NYC and retired when he was 38. Ok. Then he applied for the foreign service after a few friends died in 9/11. Got the job as chief officer for economic affairs and has been in Panama for a few years. He knows vast amounts about the shipping industry and the Panama Canal. And told me great stories and called people out on their bs. He's a little too young to be so disenchanted with the entire world. But thats ok...
Last night I went to the Universidad Latina de Panama with Alejandrino, one of the contacts I'd made. Heard a great presentation by an American who's been here studying corruption fo rthe alst 10 months. Nothing about the Canal or the Canal Authority, which is kinda expected because people see it as something completely set apart and above the normal workings of politics. Others have confirmed that this perception played a key role in how the Yes side won so handily. We grabbed some dinner after at La Tablita, this 45 year old outdoor diner that's still incredibly popular with the politically inclined in Panama. Best grilled chicken I've ever had in my life. Glad I got to go to this Panama City institution.
Tomorrow I'm going to the Electoral Tribunal , the govt branch that runs elections in Panama. Should be good stuff, and once again I got the contact through Alejandrino, who has become an enormous help here. What a guy--
This weekend is my last adventure in Panama. I'm flying on Friday morning to Bocas del Toro, a cool series of islands in the nw of Panama. I'll spend a few days hiring locals to drive me around on their boats and snorkeling, then Sunday or Monday start to meander my way back to Panama City by bus. last chance to see the country!
I have just 8 days left in Panama, so Rice and Beans is coming to an end. But here's what's been up the last few days.
Been interviewing more people and have some cool stuff coming up. On Monday, I had two great meetings at the US Embassy. Brian Naranjo was first; he's the chief political affairs officer and a really smart guy. We talked for about an hour and he helped me understand the trajectory of the campaign and why it took so long for the poll numbers for the Yes side to respond to what everyone figured would happen in the election. He said it was a combination of the Yes side sending out politicians to hold info sessions rather than technocrats who aren't as dynamic, a private group of business leaders who pooled funds and ran a parallel ad campaign that posed the vote as a question of progress or move backwards, and the public support of a number of Panamanian celebrities for the Yes side. Great talk though.
Second was Manny Rubio, who was much more of a character. He made it huge it private equity in NYC and retired when he was 38. Ok. Then he applied for the foreign service after a few friends died in 9/11. Got the job as chief officer for economic affairs and has been in Panama for a few years. He knows vast amounts about the shipping industry and the Panama Canal. And told me great stories and called people out on their bs. He's a little too young to be so disenchanted with the entire world. But thats ok...
Last night I went to the Universidad Latina de Panama with Alejandrino, one of the contacts I'd made. Heard a great presentation by an American who's been here studying corruption fo rthe alst 10 months. Nothing about the Canal or the Canal Authority, which is kinda expected because people see it as something completely set apart and above the normal workings of politics. Others have confirmed that this perception played a key role in how the Yes side won so handily. We grabbed some dinner after at La Tablita, this 45 year old outdoor diner that's still incredibly popular with the politically inclined in Panama. Best grilled chicken I've ever had in my life. Glad I got to go to this Panama City institution.
Tomorrow I'm going to the Electoral Tribunal , the govt branch that runs elections in Panama. Should be good stuff, and once again I got the contact through Alejandrino, who has become an enormous help here. What a guy--
This weekend is my last adventure in Panama. I'm flying on Friday morning to Bocas del Toro, a cool series of islands in the nw of Panama. I'll spend a few days hiring locals to drive me around on their boats and snorkeling, then Sunday or Monday start to meander my way back to Panama City by bus. last chance to see the country!
Saturday, July 28, 2007
2 Months in Latin America
Well, I've been traveling for two months in Latin America. Which kinda makes the little message under the title of the blog seem a little silly. But I'm glad I've kept up with this thing...it's hard to remember two months worth of adventures.
I had lunch on Friday with Alejandrino Jimenez at Manolo's Cafeteria a few blocks away from my apartment. (Whoever this Manolo guy is, he has to be doing ok for himself. There are like 7 Monolo's in Panama City). Alejandrino is amazing. He is a professor at the University of Panama and serves on the legislative advisory board for Canal Affairs to the Panamanian Congress. We sat down at lunch and he pulls out this folder of page after page of official documents about the referendum. Like, transcripts of the President's speech in support of the expansion in front of Congress and the official regulations on how the media must give "equal" time to the Yes and No sides. Stuff I could have NEVER tracked down without him.
Probably the coolest two things he gave me---
A sample ballot handed out in the weeks leading up to the vote. Oh, but it's already marked with a vote for the Yes side. Not too subtle.
And a directions page for how the check-in process works for voting. Only the guy has a cartoon thought bubble over his head that says "I should vote for the Yes side." haha... Panama cracks me up.
He's also setting me up with another professor next week and probably one of the 3 chairs of the Electoral Tribunal for the whole country. Why do these people want to talk to me??
Today I wandered over to Avenida Central, a huge pedestrian shopping street. Very alive on a Saturday afternoon. There were tons of people hawking stuff, not unlike the rest of LA. But the craziest thing is all the traditional Indians who come from their "comarcas"-- more or less completely sovereign territories within Panama. In the middle of a huge city, you'd see ladies like these strolling by:
http://coppermine-gallery.net/demo/cpg14x/albums/userpics/14018/gtb_0091.jpg
Crazy.
I had lunch on Friday with Alejandrino Jimenez at Manolo's Cafeteria a few blocks away from my apartment. (Whoever this Manolo guy is, he has to be doing ok for himself. There are like 7 Monolo's in Panama City). Alejandrino is amazing. He is a professor at the University of Panama and serves on the legislative advisory board for Canal Affairs to the Panamanian Congress. We sat down at lunch and he pulls out this folder of page after page of official documents about the referendum. Like, transcripts of the President's speech in support of the expansion in front of Congress and the official regulations on how the media must give "equal" time to the Yes and No sides. Stuff I could have NEVER tracked down without him.
Probably the coolest two things he gave me---
A sample ballot handed out in the weeks leading up to the vote. Oh, but it's already marked with a vote for the Yes side. Not too subtle.
And a directions page for how the check-in process works for voting. Only the guy has a cartoon thought bubble over his head that says "I should vote for the Yes side." haha... Panama cracks me up.
He's also setting me up with another professor next week and probably one of the 3 chairs of the Electoral Tribunal for the whole country. Why do these people want to talk to me??
Today I wandered over to Avenida Central, a huge pedestrian shopping street. Very alive on a Saturday afternoon. There were tons of people hawking stuff, not unlike the rest of LA. But the craziest thing is all the traditional Indians who come from their "comarcas"-- more or less completely sovereign territories within Panama. In the middle of a huge city, you'd see ladies like these strolling by:
http://coppermine-gallery.net/demo/cpg14x/albums/userpics/14018/gtb_0091.jpg
Crazy.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Two More Interviews
Two more cool interviews the last few days-
First was yesterday with Marco Gandasegui, a sociology professor and director of the Center for Latin American studies at the University of Panama. He was a quiet, older man who spoke to me in Spanish for about 30 minutes, then mid-answer changed and spoke perfect English. It was bizarre. But he had some good things to say, and passed on copies of the Center's journal, Tarea, that covered the referendum extensively.
One of the cool things we got to talking about was this small park on Via Argentina, near where I live and where his office was located. I asked about it because citizen participation seems to have influenced the zoning politics enough to where it won't be surrounded by 50 floor condo buildings. This is good, but Marco seemed much less optimistic. He said that one of the things Panama is known for-- and I've seen this in reading the papers very carefully-- is making bold, this-is-a-new-day announcements, then quietly shifting after public attention is elsewhere. We'll see what happens to the park, but it'll definitely be a new thing to ask people about, especially around the neighborhood.
This morning, I woke up early and ran for the first time since running on the beach in Rio. It was great to explore a little bit before it got too hot. I showered and put on my shirt and tie (I have one. Bad packing). Took a cab to Casco Viejo (French Quarter, but not nearly as nice) and found the Salon Bolivar where the Ministry of Exterior Relations is located. Went through 3 secretaries before I got to my appt with Dr. Nils Castro, basically the 3rd or 4th in command of Panama's foreign affairs. Wow.
No, wow. I didn't appreciate how cool that experience was when I was talking to him because I was focusing on not making myself look like an American clown. But it was great. He gave me a few articles he wrote on the subject, introduced me to a colleague that gave me some more information and promised to have a packet of things for me waiting on Monday. Very friendly guys. Got the appointment through Bill Smith, one of the professors who taught the class I finished a few weeks ago in Argentina, Uruguay and Brasil.
So that's my update. Went to the yacht club last night to meet some people who might get me on their yachts to cross the Canal. That's not looking as good bc its hurricane season. I hate hurricanes. But we'll see.
Davis
First was yesterday with Marco Gandasegui, a sociology professor and director of the Center for Latin American studies at the University of Panama. He was a quiet, older man who spoke to me in Spanish for about 30 minutes, then mid-answer changed and spoke perfect English. It was bizarre. But he had some good things to say, and passed on copies of the Center's journal, Tarea, that covered the referendum extensively.
One of the cool things we got to talking about was this small park on Via Argentina, near where I live and where his office was located. I asked about it because citizen participation seems to have influenced the zoning politics enough to where it won't be surrounded by 50 floor condo buildings. This is good, but Marco seemed much less optimistic. He said that one of the things Panama is known for-- and I've seen this in reading the papers very carefully-- is making bold, this-is-a-new-day announcements, then quietly shifting after public attention is elsewhere. We'll see what happens to the park, but it'll definitely be a new thing to ask people about, especially around the neighborhood.
This morning, I woke up early and ran for the first time since running on the beach in Rio. It was great to explore a little bit before it got too hot. I showered and put on my shirt and tie (I have one. Bad packing). Took a cab to Casco Viejo (French Quarter, but not nearly as nice) and found the Salon Bolivar where the Ministry of Exterior Relations is located. Went through 3 secretaries before I got to my appt with Dr. Nils Castro, basically the 3rd or 4th in command of Panama's foreign affairs. Wow.
No, wow. I didn't appreciate how cool that experience was when I was talking to him because I was focusing on not making myself look like an American clown. But it was great. He gave me a few articles he wrote on the subject, introduced me to a colleague that gave me some more information and promised to have a packet of things for me waiting on Monday. Very friendly guys. Got the appointment through Bill Smith, one of the professors who taught the class I finished a few weeks ago in Argentina, Uruguay and Brasil.
So that's my update. Went to the yacht club last night to meet some people who might get me on their yachts to cross the Canal. That's not looking as good bc its hurricane season. I hate hurricanes. But we'll see.
Davis
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
The Home Stretch
friends,
Big Al took off this morning to return to the land where wearing shorts is socially acceptable and where people drive normally. It´s a sad day in Panama. Well, a sad morning at least. I rode to the airport with him, said our goodbyes, and got into a cab with Juwan, a Dominican guy who drove me through parking lots ¨because they have less traffic.¨ He learned English playing video games.
Today was my first real work day, the first day in the home stretch of my trip. I will be interviewing various political actors and observers in the next few weeks for my research on the Panama Canal expansion referendum last Ocober here in Panama.
My first interview was the father of Michelle Galindo, a Panamanian friend who goes to Uva. Her dad chatted with me for 45 minutes in his sweet office in the banking district. Gave me some really cool things to think about, including to what degree the referendum was a symbolic rubber stamp, how a political system and tradition that encourages strong executives affects direct democracy in Latin America, and why turnout was so low. He said usually Panamanian elections are ¨like a big party. Panamanians love to vote.¨ But didn´t turn out because the outcome wasn´t in doubt, and the usually candidate-driven political machines which provide transportation to the polls weren´t functioning since there weren´t any candidates.
In other news, I think I left my rain jacket in a cab late last week. Which is great during the rainy season when inches of rain can fall in an hour with almost no warning. Old friends and my family will remember that I lose things with shocking frequency, so nothing that strange.
Big Al´s visit was highlighted by renting a car on Sunday and driving over 300 km in the Panamanian interior to El Valle de Anton and Playa Santa Clara. the first is a great town higher in the hills that is a bit cooler, full of flowers, has a great sunday market, a bizarre mini-zoo (with golden frogs, an ocelot, 2 capybiras, and a 3 toed sloth), and a strange boulder covered in pre-Colombian symbols and art. Al and I had a great time exploring, then moved to the beach for a few hours. Cool because it was a fairly deserted beach, not that cool in that it didnt come close to Rio´s beaches. Not even close.
We got lost in Panama City before dropping off the rental car. these things happen when i´m the navigator, right Ross?
love, davis
Big Al took off this morning to return to the land where wearing shorts is socially acceptable and where people drive normally. It´s a sad day in Panama. Well, a sad morning at least. I rode to the airport with him, said our goodbyes, and got into a cab with Juwan, a Dominican guy who drove me through parking lots ¨because they have less traffic.¨ He learned English playing video games.
Today was my first real work day, the first day in the home stretch of my trip. I will be interviewing various political actors and observers in the next few weeks for my research on the Panama Canal expansion referendum last Ocober here in Panama.
My first interview was the father of Michelle Galindo, a Panamanian friend who goes to Uva. Her dad chatted with me for 45 minutes in his sweet office in the banking district. Gave me some really cool things to think about, including to what degree the referendum was a symbolic rubber stamp, how a political system and tradition that encourages strong executives affects direct democracy in Latin America, and why turnout was so low. He said usually Panamanian elections are ¨like a big party. Panamanians love to vote.¨ But didn´t turn out because the outcome wasn´t in doubt, and the usually candidate-driven political machines which provide transportation to the polls weren´t functioning since there weren´t any candidates.
In other news, I think I left my rain jacket in a cab late last week. Which is great during the rainy season when inches of rain can fall in an hour with almost no warning. Old friends and my family will remember that I lose things with shocking frequency, so nothing that strange.
Big Al´s visit was highlighted by renting a car on Sunday and driving over 300 km in the Panamanian interior to El Valle de Anton and Playa Santa Clara. the first is a great town higher in the hills that is a bit cooler, full of flowers, has a great sunday market, a bizarre mini-zoo (with golden frogs, an ocelot, 2 capybiras, and a 3 toed sloth), and a strange boulder covered in pre-Colombian symbols and art. Al and I had a great time exploring, then moved to the beach for a few hours. Cool because it was a fairly deserted beach, not that cool in that it didnt come close to Rio´s beaches. Not even close.
We got lost in Panama City before dropping off the rental car. these things happen when i´m the navigator, right Ross?
love, davis
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Big Al Takes On Panama
The legend has arrived in Panama. My dad got here on a flight from Houston in the middle of a horrible afternoon rainstorm on Thursday at about 1. He's staying with me until Tuesday morning so I have a friend to see the sights of Panama with before my interviews and all that start for my research project.
Thursday we took a walking tour of the neighborhood and then had a short nap. At about 6:30 we took a cab to the old city (think French Quarter like 150 years ago, crumbling paint, moderately dangerous) to Restaurante Las Bovedas, an awesome jazz bar and restaurant built into the dungeon chambers of the seawall at the very tip of the old center. Great atmosphere, questionable decision to order a caipirinha when I wasn't on the beach in Rio. After a quick drink, we headed doen the street to Caracol Manolo, a cool place where you order a drink and they bring you 9-10 mostly seafood tapas to share. Awesome dinner.
Friday we ate breakfast at Manolo's, a neighborhood place famous for its chorros. Big breakfast and we were off to Panama La Vieja, the oldest city center that was burned down by pirates and abandoned in 1672. I made that date up. Cool ruins, though. We moved back to Casco Viejo (where we were the night before) to go to the churches and musuems. Pretty interesting, but my favorite parts was being allowed to wander in front of the Presidential palace that overlooks the water. The herons in the courtyard are a Panama symbol, and rumor is that when Jimmy Carter came to visit in 1977 his security team accidentally sprayed a poisonous cleaner that killed them all. They had to smuggle more back into the palace before the Panamanians revolted. Good day, then we moved to El Cangrejo (where I'm staying) to grab some dinnner. Watched the Truman Show and crashed.
Today we went to the Canal. First to the Cerro Ancon, a huge hill that has great, Rio-style views of the entire city and Canal. Gill, our cab driver, gave me some interesting things to think about for my research, and then dropped us at the Miraflores Locks, one of 3 sets of locks along the 40 mile Canal. We saw a huge ship get lowered down on its way to th Pacific, then had lunch on a balcony overlooking the canal. Very cool.
The plan tomorrow is bold- renting a car and driving to Central Panama to a mountain village and a beach town 2 hours away.
Al is loving Panama; it's great to have him here.
Davis
Thursday we took a walking tour of the neighborhood and then had a short nap. At about 6:30 we took a cab to the old city (think French Quarter like 150 years ago, crumbling paint, moderately dangerous) to Restaurante Las Bovedas, an awesome jazz bar and restaurant built into the dungeon chambers of the seawall at the very tip of the old center. Great atmosphere, questionable decision to order a caipirinha when I wasn't on the beach in Rio. After a quick drink, we headed doen the street to Caracol Manolo, a cool place where you order a drink and they bring you 9-10 mostly seafood tapas to share. Awesome dinner.
Friday we ate breakfast at Manolo's, a neighborhood place famous for its chorros. Big breakfast and we were off to Panama La Vieja, the oldest city center that was burned down by pirates and abandoned in 1672. I made that date up. Cool ruins, though. We moved back to Casco Viejo (where we were the night before) to go to the churches and musuems. Pretty interesting, but my favorite parts was being allowed to wander in front of the Presidential palace that overlooks the water. The herons in the courtyard are a Panama symbol, and rumor is that when Jimmy Carter came to visit in 1977 his security team accidentally sprayed a poisonous cleaner that killed them all. They had to smuggle more back into the palace before the Panamanians revolted. Good day, then we moved to El Cangrejo (where I'm staying) to grab some dinnner. Watched the Truman Show and crashed.
Today we went to the Canal. First to the Cerro Ancon, a huge hill that has great, Rio-style views of the entire city and Canal. Gill, our cab driver, gave me some interesting things to think about for my research, and then dropped us at the Miraflores Locks, one of 3 sets of locks along the 40 mile Canal. We saw a huge ship get lowered down on its way to th Pacific, then had lunch on a balcony overlooking the canal. Very cool.
The plan tomorrow is bold- renting a car and driving to Central Panama to a mountain village and a beach town 2 hours away.
Al is loving Panama; it's great to have him here.
Davis
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
lazy blogging
friends-
I am in Panama, in my apartment in El Cangrejo near the Universidad de Panamá. Wonderful room, great neighborhood. out of Sao Paulo before the horrible plane crash, so I`m safe. My dad is coming to visit tomorrow for the weekend!!!!!!! That deserves that many exclamation points. Also, it looks like the Canal transit as a line handler on a private yatch is going to work out. The lady in whose apartment I`m staying has friends with yatchs and will recommend me. Huge.
hasta luego, d
I am in Panama, in my apartment in El Cangrejo near the Universidad de Panamá. Wonderful room, great neighborhood. out of Sao Paulo before the horrible plane crash, so I`m safe. My dad is coming to visit tomorrow for the weekend!!!!!!! That deserves that many exclamation points. Also, it looks like the Canal transit as a line handler on a private yatch is going to work out. The lady in whose apartment I`m staying has friends with yatchs and will recommend me. Huge.
hasta luego, d
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