http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Central America Caribbean , Panama en-us Sun, 19 May 2013 13:37:08 +0000 Sun, 19 May 2013 13:37:08 +0000 It was another early morning bus for us on February 6th. When we got to our connecting city we rushed to the other bus station where we caught a bus heading to the border just in time. We were not able to sit together but I was just glad we didn39t have to wait hours for a bus. We did however not have time for a meal and just got a drink and bag of chips. Once the bus started to clear out I mo http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Panama/Panama-City/blog-786539.html PANAMA more than just a canalPanama is fast becoming the top spot in Central America with its modern city sky line to the soon to be completed metro system the city is as vibrant as ever... http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Panama/Panama-City/Casco-Viejo/blog-783243.html April 20th 2013 Reflections after the Panama Canal and pictures added Loved every minute of the transit We started at 8 and completed the 50 mile 80km in record time exiting at 2 We were told it would be treacherously hot and should drink non alcoholic liquids cover up and try to stay cool. Well the first 3 locks were HOT but then the rainy season started and a storm blew in with life sav http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/blog-781986.html Day at sea Thursday April 18 2013 Holland America cruise line Tonight is a formal night Terry and I are dressing up and hopefully looking forward to steak and lobster show at 7 dinner at 8 and anniversary bal at 1030. A typical day at sea for moi is as follow 745 glass of freshly squeezed orange juice 8 am tai chi 830 Terry joins me for breakfast I have Muesli and apples with apricot http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/blog-781869.html We are planning a trip to Central America in Sept. 2013. Trying to get some advice on locations. Not 4 or even 3 star accomodations but must have inroom toilet and hot shower. We are middle aged couple looking for beachjungle access and natural wildlife areas local animals. Hoping for simpleeasy arrival access from US. direct flight locations or w minimal travel from airport. http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Bocas-Del-Toro/blog-780908.html ltspangtltspangtltspangtltspangtltspangtltspangtltspangtltspangtDiscover the ltspangtvibrant yet charmingly laidback Azuero Peninsula known for the warmth of its people the pristine beauty of its beaches and the effervescence of its festivalsltspangtltspangtltspangtLong considered the cradle of traditional Panamanian customs and folklore the Azue http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Herrera/Chitre/blog-780677.html A Gallup poll released on December 19 2012 reveals that the people of Panama and Paraguay tie for first place among the nations that are most likely to report being happy and having a positive attitude towards life. In contrast those who live in wellestablished economies such as wealthy businessoriented Singapore are among the least happy people on Earth.In order to carry out their happiness http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Herrera/blog-780556.html To be honest Latin America or at least these particular Panamanians need to shut up and allow their GDP to increase. Anyone who wants to be a subsistence farmer for the rest of his life cannot be helped. Obviously Inmet wants the damn copper. But shouldn39t the Panamanians want education and housing and skilled labor jobs and the opportunity for leisure Because this kind of industrializatio http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Colon/Gamboa/blog-780222.html In the video we watched about Panama we saw another example of a big corporation exploiting a poor country and its economy. In this instance we saw a canadian oil company not only exploiting a population but in fact harming one as well. It is pretty well known that panama is located in a part of the world that is stricken with poverty. I was baffled when I learned that this canadian company was d http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/blog-780112.html Sourcehttpwww.cbc.cathenationalthenewconquistadors I think that the Canadians are going into Panama to gain the resources but to make it fair for the people living there the Canadians are putting in new schools and funding for social needs to make a fair trade off. However the demand for the money has taken away from the farmers so it all comes with pluses and minuses. I think that if m http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/blog-779497.html Moments From the Sky ltol stylemargintop 0in type1 start1gtltli classMsoNormal stylemargin 0in 0in 0pt msolist l0 level1 lfo1 tabstops list .5ingtIntipunku the sun gate. The fourth and final day. Up at 430 to hike in the dark to this particular spot. Where gods once watched Machu Picchu awaken. Our group of travelers once strangers turned friends from days on http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Bocas-Del-Toro/blog-779300.html Panama Natural Resource Curse Panama is a very poor nation that has been exposed to a new system of gold mining. Large gold mines are being constructed throughout Panama to bring in revenue and to bring a new way of life to the society. Within a thirty year period the mines are expected to produce millions of dollars for Panama. At first many of the locals were very happy with the gold mines beca http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Panama/Panama-Canal/blog-779154.html According to the video The New Conquistadors millions of dollars of revenue come from the mines created in countries like Panama by multinational corporations like Inmet but who benefits from those millions of dollars While new jobs are brought in with these mines most of the benefits of these natural resources do not go into supporting the country that it comes from the corporations like http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/blog-779005.html The local people of Panama are fighting for their land as a Canadian mining company plans on creating one of the largest open pits mines in the world. On one side are the native people who say they want to keep their simple way of life and not have their worlds turned upside down by the change the mine will bring. A smaller mine has already been set up and the effects are seen in the small towns. http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Chiriqui/blog-778890.html Panama is being put into poverty thanks to outside corporations. Before Canadians started building mines in panama everyone in panama was living a good life. Families would grow their own food make their own cloths and more. Now that the mines are up people are working in the mines and food has to be brought in from other places. People have started to drink alcohol since bars are opening up. 5 http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/blog-778887.html The CBS video about Canadian mining in Panama is indeed evidence that multinational corporations are responsible for poverty in Third World nations. The Canadian mining companies are taking the natural resources away from the country of which they belong to and that doesn39t seem fair because they are making a profit off of something that isn39t theirs.So the Canadian companies offered Pan http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/blog-778430.html Canada has two mines in Panama. The new one they are building called the Inmet mine which will be one of the larget mines in the world. Panama gets plenty of profit out of these mines however the farmers dislike the population growth social changes drinking and destruction of farm life. Canada39s actions are not violent and they do admit they made mistakes in previous years such as their o http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/blog-778426.html In Panama Multinational corporations are making a direct impact on the poverty of the Panamanian people. By removing natural resources and farmable land the corporations are removing jobs and lives from Panama. Many people in Panama spend their life farming growing crops and eating or selling them for trade for other goods. Without this land they will have less space to grow crops depletin http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/blog-778422.html 1. How does this videodocumentary help to provide additional evidence that MNCs are responsible for poverty in Third World nations Are short or mediumterm economic gains jobs etc worth the longterm risks caused by permanent environmental destruction so that natural resources can be exported for corporate profits in another nation Would you trade longterm environmental destruction for sho http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/blog-778235.html Hello my lovely blogwatchers Time for another update Let39s see last I left off I was headed to Culebra a second time...I went with Erick his wife his son and two nephews again. Let me tell you having kids there makes finding frogs just about a bajillion times easier. They easily caught over half of the 29 frogs that I collected on that trip I had a good time and almost enjoyed the hik http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Chiriqui/Cerro-Punta/blog-776848.html