News Bites From Panama
- I had commented before about this country's obsession with festivals. Well, the big festival last week - complete with costumes, floats, bands, a parade and a concert in the park - was La Fiesta del Pollito. That's right, a festival about baby chickens. Go figure. By the way, Panama has a federal agency of festivals.
- And, in case you missed it, July 22nd was " El Día Nacional de la Sirvienta" - The National Day of the Maids. No, I didn't make that up! One of the purposes of the day is to "call upon citizens to assure correct registration of domestic employees in social security." In addition, the government using the occasion to 'remind' everyone about the specifics of the legislation covering adequate compensation and standardized labor hours for domestics.
- A quick review of the newspaper classifieds reveals that new condos in Panama City get pretty pricey. And the price appears to be more a function of location and view than square footage. And, although most of them list maid's quarters as a feature, the really pricey ones feature a separate bathroom in the maid's quarters. Think $500K and up.
- The Hash Harriers are hosting an international 10K race in August to celebrate their 25th anniversary of 'hashing' in Panama. The philosophy of the harriers is to have a good run, try not to get lost en route (lead runners have been known to move, or remove directional signs to divert the runners in the pack), and to slug a lot of beer at the end. A strict requirement of the group is to wear old shoes. Anyone who shows up in new sneakers is subject to any one of various harrier-style punishments - all of which involve a beer bong. The group describes itself as "a drinking club with a running problem." Yee Ha! Sounds like my kind of club. Well, except for the running part.
Considering Overseas Travel? Do Your Homework!
One of the side benefits of staying in this hotel in the center of town, on the town square park, is that I meet a lot of interesting tourists, many of whom are just passing through David as part of their Central/South American travel itineraries. By osmosis I get information about a lot of places in this part of the world from the perspective of tourist, often considerably different than what one would learn from travel articles in your local newspaper or magazines.
However, I am constantly amazed at the number of American tourists who launch off on a trip to foreign countries who obviously have not done even basic research on the destination countries. I'm serious. A few weeks ago, a couple from Baltimore explained that they had changed their plans to visit Columbia over concerns about crime, and went to Argentina instead. They were disappointed that they felt like prisoners in their fancy hotel in Buenas Aires that just happened to be in a part of town where it was not advisable for a tourist to be out walking around. (Buenas Aires has one of the highest crime rates of all major cities in the world. By comparison, since the three-year-old government crackdown on crime, Colombia has one of the lowest crime rates in Latin America.) Likewise, a couple from Montana expressed surprise about the political unrest in Caracas. I am not making this up. (Hello. Does the name Chavez ring a bell?) I can not tell you the number of people I have talked to that show up down here totally unaware that they came during the rainy season. (You mean if we came in the January-July time frame that there would be no rain?) But the topper, was the two spinster-ish sisters from Omaha who were frustrated because they had been here a day and a half and still had not been able to find any place to exchange their U.S. dollars for the local currency. How does one tell these nice ladies tactfully that the U.S. dollar is the national currency? (By the way, they did not believe me until it had been confirmed by others. It is scary to think that they both probably have drivers licenses.)
My point is that 15 minutes on the web can provide a person with all the information they need, both to make travel decision and what to do/not do when they get to their destination. A Google of 'Tourist Information Panama' provides all the information you need just on the first page of the search results. Every source from the Panama Tourist Bureau's official site, to tourist agencies, travel companies, and first-person information on blogs is readily available. You can then go the the U.S. State Department's site and study the 'bad news', if any, about the country. In addition, there are English language newspapers practically everywhere. Their web sites can provide the local flavor. In 30 minutes, I put together the information below on a possible U.S. tourist destination.
The country in question is in a virtual war on illegal drugs. The nation's capital city, long known world-wide as virtually crime free, has watched crime statistics soar off the charts for the last two years. Across the country, there have been 2,400 drug related killings for the year through July, - up from a total of 2,500 for the entire year of 2007. A congressman (and former mayor) has been posted to a government position outside the country after federal officials learned of a plot to assassinate him (he had survived two previous attempts). Drug related assassinations this year include the National Police Chief, the head of the organized crime unit of the Federal Law Enforcement Agency, the top customs official at the international airport, a federal judge presiding over a major drug case, the president's cousin (presumably a warning to the president), and about a dozen mayors and provincial governors. In addition, the top anti-kidnapping government official was kidnapped and presumed dead (his successor in that office met the same fate).
The country in question? Iraq? Pakistan? Nicaragua? Zambia? No, the country is Mexico! And, in the border towns of Tijuana and Juarez, kidnapping of American tourists has become a cottage industry. This has generated so much turmoil that hundreds of residents of those cities are pleading for asylum in the neighboring U.S. border towns. I don't know about you, but for me that takes some of the gloss off of those flashy travel brochures trumpeting the wonders of Cancun!
Russia Attacks Georgia?
I was having lunch in a restaurant when the the news flash about the Russians invading Georgia came across the TV. Since the broadcast was in Spanish, it took a few seconds before my Spanish-challenged mind processed what was said - in fact, it took the announcer repeating it before I understood. My first thought was of my two dear old aunts in Atlanta. Duh! It gave new meaning to a memorable observation by satirist Ambrose Pierce. A few years ago he described "war as God's way of teaching geography."
Ralph Nader for President, Again
Yes, Ralph Nader is running for president again. Even though he only got 0.4% of the popular vote in 2004 (down from 2.74% in 2000), his latest strategy revolves around getting on the ballot in 45 states - he was only on the ballot in 34 states in 2004. Most people probably see his candidacy as little more than a sideshow of some kind. Well, consider this. If you will remember Al Gore lost the 2000 presidential race to George Bush - the final blow, and what decided the race, was Gore losing the state of Florida by 37 votes. Ralph Nader, the then-Green Party candidate, received over 97,000 votes in that Florida race!
You Have To Know What Is Really Dangerous.
The Center for Sports Injury Research at the University of North Carolina just released a report on a 25-year study on injuries in high school athletics. Not surprisingly, football led the pack in total injuries of all types. What was surprising was the statistics on catastrophic injuries - injuries resulting in death, permanent disabilities and serious injuries such as skull fractures. In the catastrophic category there was only a one percentage point difference between the leader (male football players) and female cheerleaders. Of all catastrophic sports-related injuries suffered by female high school students, cheerleaders accounted for over two-thirds of the total.
Chavez Revisited
On Wednesday, August 6, there were massive demonstrations in Caracas as much of the country was reeling from the impact of two dozen radical 'decree-laws' issued by Venezuelan President Chavez. The 26 decree-laws contained many of the elements of the sweeping constitutional reform program that Chavez had proposed earlier that was rejected by referendum vote by the electorate. The decree-laws cover matters as diverse as housing, social security, banking, the armed forces and the national transportation system. The most controversial of these is a substantial modification of property rights. The government now will have the right to seize any private assets it deems strategic without consulting parliament, or any form of due process, or paying fair compensation.
How could Chavez do this by decree? In February 2007 the parliament (which Chavez controls) granted him legislative powers for 18 months. The 26 decrees were enacted on July 31, the last day of the so- called 'enabling laws', but were not publicized until August 5.
Coincidentally (?) on August 5, the supreme court (also controlled by Chavez) ruled that the state auditor was constitutionally empowered to bar politicians accused (accused!) of administrative irregularities from running for elected office. Not surprisingly, the auditor's current blacklist contains over 200 names, mostly opposition leaders, many of whom are leading contenders in crucial state and municipal elections scheduled for November 23. Interestingly the majority of the administrative irregularity suits were just recently filed literally, overwhelming a court system that already had a two year backlog.
Passports Follow-Up
In my very first blog post (Feb '07), I recommended that every one get a passport before you need it (you never know). Since that time, the State Department's passport agency has started issuing tourist cards. The tourist card can be used in lieu of a passport to travel into Mexico and Canada by land, and Caribbean locations by cruise ship. However, you must have a valid passport to enter/exit the U.S. by air. The problem with the tourist card is exactly the same as the scenario I described back when you could enter Canada and Mexico with a only valid government issued photo ID. What happens if you have a bad accident or your car breaks down with a serious mechanical problem on your weekend getaway in Toronto. You are stuck. You can't jump on an airplane and come back home. No passport.
Last week, a couple from Florida relayed a real horror story. About 7-8 times a year they take advantage of their Florida location and jump on a cruise ship for the weekend. On their last outing, he developed a medical problem en route and the ship's doctor admitted him to the hospital in Nassau. It turned out the medical problem was a false alarm and he was discharged from the hospital the next day, about two hours after the ship sailed without them (the ship did have their luggage, however). The cruise line offered to fly them home (which as I understand it, is common procedure), but neither of them had passports. Oops! And the next ship from their cruise line that came into Nassau was full - no vacancies. They finally got back home on Wednesday, two days late. He missed a court date (he is a lawyer), she was supposed to chair a teacher´s conference on Tuesday. Not happy campers.
Till next time. Pura Vida!
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