Panama, Central America

I live here in Panama since June of 2006.  Since then, I learned to adapt to the culture, language, climate, food, language expressions, traffic, and including the risks of living in the city. Learning to drive in another country was my first time experience.  Thank God, as I have been driving already for years in Davao, Cagayan de Oro and of course our Manila.  Driving in Panama is not far from our traffic and driving habits in Manila.  Some friends have called me "taxista" meaning a taxi driver...have adopted the Panamanian way of driving??? hope not.... perhaps or maybe because I have learned the different routes and could drive without accidents, (knock on wood).  The dollar-based commerce boosted up the foreign investments and confidence ranking of Panama in the global performance.  People have benefitted from this but not the majority who live out there in the interior (province) and in the Comarcas (indigeneous territory).  Living in the city would mean driving your own car otherwise the public bus called "diablo rojo" (red devil) seemed to be "true to its name", bus freak accidents are common, it`s like a sardine-packed trip many times. though you only pay 25 cents, it´s not air-conditioned.  It´s the recycled school bus from the USA.  Shopping centers are too many to accommodate the shopping needs of only 3.2 million panamanians including a number of foreigners residing in here (europeans, north americans, asians and latinos).  Panama is called the "crossroad of the universe".  The Panamanian Canal, a project that was initiated by the French government in the late 18th century was later bought by the USA from Colombia when Panama was still a Colombia to become its own "pioneering - gigantic engineering project in the world".  As a crossroad of the universe, Panama canal serves all the nations of the world when luxury cruises, shipping lines and cargo ships pass this Canal to cross over continents. By passing thru the PanamaninaCanal, this shortens the travel time and other costs involved. I would say, you have an easy access to imported commodities (food, clothes, furnitures, building materials, etc).  We got good import policy with US, Argentina, Canada, Europe, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, China among others  and we have also the Zona Libre (Free Zone) in Colon and in the future, at Howard where I lived for 3 years.

What really endeared me about Panama is its beauty.  Everything is green. There is a lot of vegetation.  As a nature lover, my natural tendency is to walk on the grass.  After an hour I was scratching.  This "coloradilla" an invisible bug has gotten on me and left me bite marks that disappeared only after a year.  Could you imagine how my sensitive skin has reacted to this tiny being?  Many french and americans have died here not because of any big and amazing cause... the tiny mosquitoes have killed them... the bites have given them malaria and yellow fever. Funny but this is the history.

Birds and butterflies, they amuse me anywhere.  Thousands or probably millions of butterfflies just freely fly and enjoy their flying when you pass the Pan American Highway.  The bridge after the Lake Gatun onwards to Agua Fria, Darien is a lovely sight for butterfly watching during the summer months (December to May).  In Howard and anywhere here in Panama, the migration of birds, geese and the resident birds are just wonderful sight to behold, at any moment of the day and anytime of the year.

I have worked with Panamanians since I came here, particularly with the children (2 ngos: IDEMI and GNRC- Panama) and on justice and peace issues (Commission of Justice and Peace).

I love Panama, that`s what my heart says and what my walking shorts say when I do walk along the Causeway of Amador on either saturday or sunday.  I had many opportunities seeing ex-President Martin Torrijos during this walk with his bodyguards. It is the area constructed from the dirt of the Canal to connect the 3 small islands.  This Causeway and all the 3 american bases (including Howard) and Canal Zone area were turned over to the Panamanian government in December 2000.  With this I am able to walk and enjoy the breeze of the sea and see the skyline of Panama across the Causeway of Amador and on the other side are the mountains of Howard/Veracruz where I have lived and crossed the famous Bridge of the Las Americas everyday for 3 years.  Now I live under the bridge where from my room when I look up I can see this bridge.  Our place is called La Boca located in Balboa.  The american character of the houses still follow me because this is where the American Canal officials used to reside.  And we are renting an apartment and where butterflies and birds co-exist with us.  I have left Panama June 2012 to live in the United States.