All Over the World: November 2014

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Panama Canal: Path Between the Seas

It wouldn't have been a Panama vacation without a trip on the Panama Canal. On Saturday, Chase, Heather, Shelly and David did a partial transit of the Canal, going from the Pacific Ocean entrance at Panama City through the Miraflores Locks, the Pedro Miguel Locks, and the Culebra Cut to the entrance of Gatun Lake. We learned much about this engineering marvel, and how it changed world commerce. We also saw the construction for the Panama Canal expansion which will once again positively impact world trade when it is completed next year. A great day in an amazing place!

Container ships too wide for the Canal
are unloaded and containers taken by train on "dry land transit"

Reading up on the history of the Canal

Architect Frank Gehry's Biodiversity Museum on the Canal

Tankers making the Panama Canal transit

Pilot boats help all ships

Gates closing on the Miraflores Locks

PanaMA and Daughter

Following the tanker into the locks

Centennial Bridge crosses the Canal

Happy Travelers Shelly, Heather and Chase

Container Ships making the transit

Panama City's skyline from the Canal

See the levels of the locks: we went up over 85 feet in 3 locks

Going from the Pacific to the East

Friday, November 28, 2014

Black Friday All Over the World

One of our biggest surprises has been to learn that so-called Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is observed in South America. Ecuador was full of advertising and anticipation of the shopping holiday, and here in Panama, it is crazy. Merchants expect 40,000 shoppers coming from Venezuela, Colombia and other countries to descend on Panama City for shopping and sales. Another successful U.S. export!!!

Heather and Chase brought T-Giving ingredients
from the USA!

Oh, and a Happy Thanksgiving to all! We are so grateful for the joys and wonders of family and friends, near and far. Spending the weekend with Heather and Chase . . . no shopping on Black Friday, headed to the jungle for monkey business!

All the newspapers advertise Black Friday

Panama City: an urban oasis

Our view to the pool and the Pacific
from Floor 36 of the Trump Ocean Tower

Shop til you Caer (Drop)

Downtown Panama City

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Hiking at High Heights

Hiking above the clouds

Hiking in the Andes can be breathtaking! Not only does the beauty take your breath away, but in places, you are so high above sea level that you are gasping for air! I had such an experience hiking in Ecuador's El Cajas National Park last weekend. Shelly wisely stayed home, while a friend and I took off hiking the 13,000 foot high hills about 3 hours from our house, near the beautiful city of Cuenca. Lakes, waterfalls, great vistas and lovely vegetation. The views were spectacular, and the hike was just what I needed after a tough week. Take a look!

Good advice in bad English, but you get the idea

Ready to hike the Cajas

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Talking Immigraton High in the Andes

Gualaceo (wala SEY yo) and Chordeleg are small towns high in the Ecuadorian Andes.These are very tight knit communities filled with people who make a living mostly in agriculture and ranching. They are also communities from which many young people have emigrated (mostly as undocumented persons) to the United States. Parents and other family members are very interested in the immigration process and how to obtain visas to visit or live in the US. It was against this backdrop that my colleagues and me recently presented a Town Hall on the visa and immigration process in Gualaceo. I met with the town's Mayor and we discussed how important immigration and immigrants are to the town and its citizens. Much of the town's economic development relies on the remittances from their sons and daughters in the US. According to the Mayor, over 6,000 of the town's 48,000 residents now live in the United States. Following last week's announcement by President Obama about changes to our immigration regulations, this is a very dynamic and interesting time to be serving on the front lines of the immigration issue. Stay tuned!

Gualaceo's marketplace

Chordeleg's Cathedral

A packed house for the Visa Town Hall

Answering Question about immigration and visas

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Ecuador's National Brewery

Brewing the product

So, to honor Veterans on their day, our Consulate colleagues organized a tour . . . what else, but a tour of the National Brewery! A subsidiary of the SABMiller Group of companies, Cerveceria Nacional is where Ecuador's favorite beverages are brewed. A great tour, hops, barley, pure water and clean bottles. What more could you want? Perhaps a tasting room at the tour's end . . . and a talk from the general manager. Whooopppeee! A great day in Guayaquil!

Ingredients: water, hops, grains

Happy tourists on holiday

Brewery General Manager welcomes us to sip responsibly

Our Lady of Holy Spirits on the Brewery Grounds

Bottling Plant

Hops to it!

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Quito's Old Town

Quito Ecuador has some beautiful areas . . . we spent the day in the Old Town, enjoying great architecture, ornate cathedrals, great food, and a terrific walk through a well preserved historic area. Highlights were lunch at the Cafe del Fraile, gorgeous gilded altars at the Jesuit built La Compania de Jesus Church, and the city views from El Panecillo hill. Topping it all off was a beautiful sunny day with views of the distant volcanoes and hillsides. Quito's right up there with the best of South America . . we'll be back, and often!