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Panama Is Becoming A Major Tourist Center And Retirement
Retreat
by Bob
Lowe
August 4, 2005
A country where the official currency is the American dollar.
A Spanish-speaking country where English is widely spoken.
A country where there is little seasonal change in the
climate and the temperatures average about 85 degrees.
A
country where American culture – from McDonald’s
and KFC to MTV, Hollywood movies and pop music – is
prevalent.
This
is Panama, a nation of 2.5 million people in the heart of
Central America best known for the Panama Canal. But Panama
is more than just a country with a waterway that transports
ships to and from the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
Since taking over canal operations from the Americans more
than five years ago, Panama has emerged as a major tourist
center, becoming increasingly attractive for retirees looking
for an inexpensive tropical paradise.
The
isthmus offers something for everyone – rainforests,
mountains, beaches, water sports, fishing, duty-free shopping,
native handicrafts, skyscrapers, malls, bazaars, nightclubs,
international restaurants, resort retreats such as Decamaron
and Playa Blanca and casinos that offer everything from slot
machines to poker.
I
recently returned from my fourth trip to Panama in the
past five years. I traveled quite a bit, focusing on the
former communities in the canal area, places that were
undergoing the most rapid development and the central business
district of Panama City, the nation’s capital.
Signs of progress are evident from the time you land at
Tocumen International Airport, which currently is undergoing
a multimillion renovation. I can only marvel at how much
the country has changed.
The
Americans, who had jurisdiction of that 50-mile-long, 10-mile
wide strip of land called "the Canal Zone," have
relinquished territorial control over the area. All Canal
Zone properties that were under their jurisdiction have been
turned over to the Panamanian Government under terms of the
1997 Carter-Torrijos Treaty. The country is now headed by
Martin Torrijos, son of the former charismatic military leader,
Gen. Omar Torrijos, who negotiated the canal treaty with
former U.S.
President Jimmy Carter.
There
have been dramatic developments since the turnover in December
1999. These include the construction of large scale infrastructure
facilities, major transportation hubs, port expansion facilities,
housing projects, malls and other commercial shopping centers,
hotels, condominiums and tourist sites. Traffic on the
roads has increased tremendously, requiring the construction
of several "corredores" (freeways)
and expanded highways, some supported by toll booths.
The $103 million Puente Centenario ( Centenary Bridge)
over the canal is nearly complete. This visually magnificent
structure supports two tapering planes of cables and will
carry six lanes of traffic. It will be especially attractive
at night, illuminated with aesthetic lighting in an otherwise
dark rainforest setting.
It is the fourth bridge that provided a road crossing over
the Panama Canal. Before the Puente de Las Americas (Bridge
of the Americas) opened in 1962, traffic crossed over the
canal via the Miraflores and Gatun bridges.
The Bridge of the Americas transported 9,500 vehicles per
day when it opened. Last year, that number reached 35,000,
preventing the efficient flow of traffic. The Centenary Bridge,
along with new freeway sections connecting Araijan on the
west to Cerro Patacon on the east, is expected to remove
half of the traffic from the old structure.
The Puente Centenario Bridge is being funded by the Panamanian
government. It was designed by TY Lin International and the
Louis Berger Group Inc. Bilfinger Berger AG from Germany,
working with Australian subsidiary Baulderstone Hornibrook,
were the building contractors who completed the project in
just 27 months.
Property values in the surrounding area are expected to
soar, as people continue to build and remodel their homes
and initiate other improvement projects. In time, gas stations,
shopping centers, restaurants, retail shops and grocery stores
will be built to accommodate the increased human and vehicular
traffic that the new bridge will generate.
The residential community of Gamboa has already undergone
a huge transformation with the construction of the Gamboa
Rainforest Resort.
This
luxurious getaway destination overlooks the Chagres River
and Soberania National Park that showcases the area’s
diverse tropical flora and fauna. The accommodations include
38 one- and two-bedroom, air-conditioned renovated villas
and a new 107-room luxury hotel with riverfront rooms. The
villas were originally built in the 1930s and 1940s to house
Panama Canal administrators and their families and have been
completely refurbished to capture the ambiance of the original
buildings.
Panama
is a country with a rich and varied history mirrored in
its people as well as its attractions. Originally inhabited
by native Indians, Panama developed into a melting pop for
various nationalities and races (70 percent of the population
is "mestizo," a mixture of Indian, white and black).
Many Panamanians trace their origin back to the Spanish conquistadores
from Europe, the Chinese, the West Indian brought in to build
the railroad and the canal, the French, the original canal
builders and Americans, who completed the project in 1914
at a cost of $387 million.
This blending of different cultures gives Panama a truly
international flavor that is reflected in its food, its architecture
and its culture.
Within
easy access of the city are Panama’s beaches – 475
miles of Caribbean coastline and 765 miles of Pacific coastline.
Among the more notable islands are the San Blas on the Caribbean,
inhabited by the Cuna Indians known for the multi-colored-applique
cloth designs they create called molas; the Pearl Islands,
a haven for fishing, swimming, diving and water skiing; Contadora,
which offers luxurious hotels, casinos, tennis, golf and
convention facilities and Taboga, the "island of flowers," where
you can indulge in everything from canoeing to parasailing.
No visit to Panama would be complete, however, without
a tour of the canal, which transports more than 12,000 ships
a year via a system of three sets of locks. The locks raise
or lower the water level for vessels 85 feet. This remarkable
engineering feat is an inspiring example of turn-of-the-century
ingenuity and unswerving dedication.
Panama
is about a five-hour flight from Chicago or two and a half
hours from Miami International Airport. Air fares range
from $400 to $800, depending on the time of the year and
port of departure.
For comments
or questions, contact boblowe@juno.com or by phone at (920)-731-4603.
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