Blog Entry: February 8th, 2017
Hello from Sylvia, Liam, and Marisa! We arrived in Panama City yesterday at about 2:00. We made it to the Magnolia Inn at about 3:30, and got a lunch-dinner at a local buffet-style restaurant! The portions were large and delicious. Later that day, we met and talked about the trip, and then were given time to wander around the area of Panama City we are staying in, for these first
A picture of a part of our neighborhood, Liam 18’
couple days. This area happens to be the tourist and Government district. While we explored in small groups, we all stumbled upon a protest. The group Liam was a part of ran into the protest as the president of Panama walked from his office to address the protesters. Liam does not know why he is writing this in the third person. Anywho, Liam got a video of the president talking to the protestors. Afterwards, the president invited the protesters to his office to discuss reparations. The group asked locals in the area about the protest, and got some mixed responses. Some people said it was about class issues, others said it was about toxins in medicine and buildings, and several people had no idea the protest was going on. The whole group was exhausted at the end of the day, and gladly settled into their beds at the Inn.
The locks of the Panama Canal, Liam 18’
Today was the first full in Panama City and the first full day of the trip as a whole. We woke up relatively early and went out to find ingredients to make breakfast; a LOT of scrambled eggs and fresh fruit. After breakfast we climbed into a bus and drove to the Miraflores canal base. We spent time walking around the museum there and learned about the history of the canal as well as the mechanical side of the canal. We also had the exciting experience of watching two cargo ships from Japan pass through the locks. We had the pleasure of standing for a short eternity of 30 minutes while one of the boats waited for the water levels to even out on both sides of the gates.
Going into the museum at the base we each had individual questions prepared that we were supposed to find the answers to from the information given in the museum. Some of the questions
A Japanese boat is guided through the canal, Liam 18’
included, “Who originally built the canal?”, “How much money does it cost to be able to pass through the canal?”, and “What was the environmental impact of the canal?” After lunch we went to another museum, but this one focused more on the art and culture/background of the canal. After a couple of hours of walking around the city we reconvened as a group to process the information we learned throughout the day as well the experience of being tourists from America.
Another boat is guided through the canal, Liam 18’)
After dinner we spoke to Domingo Villaronga, an old friend of Amber, who works for the U.S. Embassy in Panama as Deputy Economic Chief, about his experience of being a diplomat. We talked about his experience working in Panama, as well as other countries he’s worked in (Botswana, Colombia, and Afghanistan). The students going to ITEC then packed for their early morning flight; they need to have everything ready by 4:30 AM!!
Students with Domingo Villaronga, photo by Chessie
We all cannot wait to continue the adventure!