PANAMA COMMISSION - FRENCH SQUARE

Tuesday 16 January 2007

Up at 0600, breakfast (no eggs) at 0700 and an Elderhostel meeting at 0800. Elderhostel follows the same formula everywhere- first an overview of the program and a Q and A session- "Can I wear sandals?" and the like. Then everyone introduces themselves and tells why they picked the trip (with 56 people this took awhile). Then split into 2 vans and visit the Canal Authority built by the US with solid concrete buildings, beautifully landscaped and maintained grounds, the various office building built on the same model- all in all a very impressive place Jimmy Carter. gave to the Panamanians. Gorgas Army Hospital is now a research hospital for Panama and obviously being utilized and well maintained. Got a hilltop view of Albrook AFB and Howard air base where I landed many years ago. The Air Force always names bases for dead or famous pilots- I wonder who Howard and Albrook were. Then down to the French quarter and the old town and Noriega's hangouts. One lady stepped in a hole in the sidewalk, cut her shin and had to get stitches which meant waiting in our van for an hour and finally going to lunch in a very nice seaside restaurant where we were able to see ships headed toward the canal. (Found out this morning that our hotel is right next to the Bridge of the Americas which is the entrance to the Panama Canal. Back downtown for a lightening tour of the canal history museum in the old French quarter and then back to the hotel for a 2 hour lecture on how Panama is doing, economically (there are dozens of new high rise- 20 stories or higher- condos for wealthy retirees of the world), educationally (90% literacy rate-except for the poor indians who live in Darien, the jungle district next to Colombia) and hopes for the future. Was pretty beat up after all that so had a rum drink before buffet dinner (Elderhostel usually provides all meals) Then it's write some postcards and an episode of LOST- The only English channel is CNN.