Today is Tuesday, February 22, 2011. In Panama City it is very hot and humid under a partly cloudy sky. This is a huge metropolis and the American influence is felst everywhere, although it is important to be able to speak Spanish in most places. The amercans took over the buidling of the canal in about 1907, after the French failed and left it bankrupt. They were disseminated with yellow fever and malaria and many died. The canal was finally finished in 1914 and in 2014 new excavations will make it much bigger for much bigger ships. Many of them are the enormous cruise ships that are now navigating the oceans (floating cities). In 1977 after much hardship and many deaths, Jimmy Carter agreed to give the canal to the Panamanians and in 1999 they took full control. It is huge, extending for 80 km. from Pacific to Atlantic Ocean.
We spend another day tomorrow visiting old Panama and then elave for David on Wednesday, traveling by van for about 6 hours. The roads here are in better shape than Costa Rica, another thing left by the US and the United Fruit Company.
I am attaching some photos of our group and the canal
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