PANAMA AFTER NORIEGA

                         Some of Panama's Changes 

            How can Panama be only 13 years old if Columbus discovered it in 1502, and Old Town was established in 1519?

            I learned on a recent trip to this Latin American country that Panamanians consider the country wholly free and  independent only from the time when the canal was turned over to them in December 1999. Being such a young country many say the population is searching for a national identity.

            In 1997, soon after Noriega was deposed and arrested, Panama City had 1400 hotel rooms. Today there are over 15,000 rooms and many more on the drawing board.  National and global chains started building hotels a couple of years ago. International visitors increase every year and are approaching a million annually.

            The economy has not only expanded, it has exploded. The canal is undergoing a 5 billion dollar expansion that will double its capacity. Wealthy Americans and South Americans are buying second and retirement homes. Some things are moving a little more slowly. Slums are slowly being removed and replaced with high-rise apartment buildings. People are buying old buildings and renovating them for affordable housing, often getting youth off the streets to fill jobs while teaching them skills.

            Proper addresses are still difficult to find; people still refer to the old XYZ building on the corner, then turn right for a block and a half and at the big tree turn left. You get the picture. There are almost no street signs.

            Traffic grid-lock is a 24/7 problem, although a new two-billion dollar subway system is due to open soon and should alleviate some of that problem. In contrast sidewalk disrepair is common and reminded me a lot of a similar situation in Cuba. It is wise to watch your step!

            Old 16^th century ruins, the result of Henry Morgan’s rampage, are still visible and visitable, standing in contrast to a forest of green, blue, yellow skyscrapers. In Panama City a hundred skyscrapers are completed and another 150 are under construction with still more on the drawing board.

            A new museum has opened. The first international film festival took place last year, and the 10-year old Panama Jazz Festival is going strong. The first micro-brewery is a year old.

            Petty crime and poverty still exist and probably always will to some degree, as it does in most large cities. Old Spanish Colonial Casco Viejo is quaint with its newly cobbled streets, plazas and rum bars. Within its 40 blocks, on the far end of Panama City, there are 7 squares, 6 churches, including the San Jose Church with its golden altar, and a multitude of new restaurants. The area is becoming a popular tourist draw.

            Panama is not a culture built around the dining table. But the old adage of the food being starchy, fried and basic is slowly changing, and will continue to get better as chefs have better access to better ingredients.

            The canal has been the attraction in the past. It is a long full day transit all the way through the canal. Today many large ships enter on the Atlantic side, go through two locks into Lake Gatun and then turn around to exit as they entered. If you want to make the full transit read the literature carefully!

            Today Panama is trying to change and make the once ho-hum destination into a world class metropolis and a major leisure destination, and it appears to be well on its way of reaching that goal.

This is a general overview of Panama City so more detailed posts will follow in the weeks ahead.

GHENT, BELGIUM

                                              A Really Old City 

            Ghent is also spelled Gent. Ghent is a Celtic word meaning confluence of two rivers. We met our local guide at St. James Church which is made of limestone and dates to the 1200s. Before 1400, stone was imported.

      Ghent is a charming Flemish city where winters are mild and the streets aren't overrun with tourists. Belgium’s fourth largest city is one of the country’s oldest. City PR information says: Ghent is often over-shadowed by Bruges and Antwerp, but it actually combines the best elements of both its brasher neighbors  with more historic sites than Antwerp, and better eating and drinking options than Bruges. We didn’t really agree with this statement as we loved Bruges and certainly did not find it brash!

Known as the Jewel of Flanders, the city has a rich history with many medieval and renaissance buildings. From the 11^th century the city reigned as the textile capitol of the world and  was more populous and wealthier than London for several centuries.

            Under Spanish rule the people rebelled against Charles V protesting against taxes. He punished the city by making the nobles parade in front of him wearing a noose, called a stroppendrager, around their necks. 

The city's medieval core is cradled within a loop of the River Leie, which surrounds old town like a moat. The restored area is made for strolling and biking. To the north is Patershol where many of Ghent's best restaurants are located. To the south is the Kunstenkwartier, the cultural quarter and congregating area for most of Ghent's 50,000 college students. The hub of this area is the Boekentoren, the stark art deco tower of the university library. To the east, the red light district around Brabantdam has been renovated, now containing some stylish bars and cafés, though it's still a bit seedy after dark.

Ghent has managed to preserve its medieval power while keeping up with the times. The city center alone is a showcase of medieval Flemish wealth and commercial success. Modern Ghent certainly cannot be overlooked. The city has an important harbor, thanks to the Ghent-Terneuzen canal which allows sea-going vessels to bring their products to the city and its industrial hinterland.

The city has many small squares and two large ones. Southern French monks arrived in the 600s and were the source of the written word.

The Romanesque architecture is 1000 years old. The political center is at a large 1000-year-old square where Friday markets were and still are held. There was a large statue in the center of the square which  is surrounded by guild houses.

Ghent is also the flower city of Belgium. Flower growers from the region around Ghent sell beautiful begonias and azaleas all over the world.

The best views across the city are from the battlements of Gravensteen at Sint-Veerleplein. Built in 1180, this knights-in-armor castle has been used as a mint, cotton mill, courthouse and jail. Restored in the 19th century, its museum, chronicles the city’s checkered past, and even has a gruesome torture chamber. The counts of Flanders wielded their power from Ghent's 12th-century castle in the centre of town. Rising up out of the water, its square-cut towers and ramparts are the makings of storybooks.