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