Our local guide gave us a brief overview of the country of Panama as we headed out of Panama City. It is the size of South Carolina, with half of the population living in Panama City. The Spanish arrived in the 1500’s, followed by immigrants from other countries. Panama’s major exports are bananas and coffee; its economic engine is driven by the Canal, tourism and banking. The construction of new locks has allowed for the passage of larger container ships through the Canal. Panama has not experienced any major earthquakes, fires or hurricanes. Annual rainfall averages 6 ft on the Pacific side and 12 ft on the Atlantic side. The high-rise buildings that currently mark the Panama City skyline did not appear until 2000 when Panama regained control of the Canal. We also learned that the famous “Panama hats” are actually not made in Panama but in Ecuador.
We went to the Gamboa Rainforest Reserve and visited the Sloth Sanctuary and the ecological exhibits which featured a frog habitat and native plants.
Gamboa is the halfway point on the Panama Canal. As the Reserve overlooks the Canal, we could see ships and boats of all kinds as we headed back to Panama City. A black iguana greeted us at our lunch stop.
After lunch, we toured the Biomuseo which is dedicated to the natural history and cultural and biological diversity of Panama.
My day ended with another great dinner at Masi that included prawns cooked in garlic and butter, cocoanut rice and a chocolate dessert.
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