travel

"Panama is more than just a canal", proclaims the billboard above Panama City, and it's true. Panama is a country on the verge of discovery. Paul McBride of Panama Travel Experts in Napa explains, "Panama is only a short flight from the USA, you can drink the water and eat the food, watch the sunrise in the Caribbean and sunset in the Pacific in the same day, and, best yet, they use the dollar!"

(Of course, you can watch the sun come up over the Pacific, and go down over the Caribbean, as well. Don't believe it? Peruse a map of Panama with the proper east-west orientation.)

As a researcher for the website Survivor Maps and a contributor to The Panama News, I spent a month in Panama this past year. Most of my time was spent on the Pacific side of the isthmus, the filming location of Survivor: The Pearl Islands. I also ventured to Bocas del Toro in the Caribbean, toured the canal and rainforest with Ancon Expeditions and explored Panama's Spanish and pirate history with historian and nature guide, Iann Sanchez.

I learned that Panama's crystal clear water is affectionately known as "The Champagne of Panama --- la champaña de Panama." It's abundance and purity have long been a matter of national pride. But on my travels, several individuals expressed concern.

For seven years, Jason's glass bottom boat has given tourists an undersea view of Isla Contadora's reefs. The reefs and their inhabitants are his daily companions and the source of his income. Therefore, his fury is understandable. According to Jason, the owners of the local hotel dropped slabs of concrete onto the delicate coral reef to anchor Survivor's boats.

Contadora's fishermen gestured towards nearby Isla Pericos with looks of disgust. Earlier this year, the hotel built twelve pine casitas on this tiny island. Survivor secreted their "bootees" there, far away from the inquiring eyes of paparazzi. The fishermen pointed out the white PVC pipes and told me that the "black water" is already hurting the fish and the coral in the area.

Tour guide Iann Sanchez is also worried about the future of "The Champagne of Panama." Iann knows about water. His father runs Chiriqui River Rafting; Iann grew up wet. As we drove along the isthmus highway, Iann pointed out the new houses and bemoaned the lack of proper waste disposal. He explained that during the rains, bacteria enters the rivers and eventually, Panama's soul.

People say, "What can we do? Panama is just a little country." For this reason every citizen of Panama has the power to make a difference. Maybe this article will help too.

What do I know about water? Very little. It's a subject I rarely think about unless I'm thirsty. As a housewife living amid California's tomato fields, I know that the water from my faucet is drinkable. Or is it?



Also in this section:
The champagne of Panama
The new Bridge of the Americas lights
A topographical orientation
Panama City's Executive Hotel