Panama, 2nd

by Woods, Sarah

• ISBN13: 9781841622606
• ISBN10: 1841622605
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-11-24
• Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides

Summary

Dictators, cigars and the world's most famous short-cut? There's more to Panama than its clich_s. More than a third of Panama's land is protected; it's home to 940 bird species and some of the world's most important turtle nesting grounds. Here puma prowl, the drumming of riotous festivals fills the air - and visitor numbers are soaring by more than 10% year on year. It's also a land where timetables are unpredictable and public holidays occur without notice, where places have three names spelt four different ways and roads terminate unannounced. The Bradt guide is the most thorough on the market. Visitors to Panama will need it.Sarah Woods is an award-winning travel writer. She first discovered Panama in the wake of the canal handover and has since explored the length and breadth of the isthmus. Sarah sponsors a children's home in the city of David.

Author Biography

Sarah Woods is an award-winning travel writer. She first discovered Panama in the wake of the canal handover and has since explored the length and breadth of the isthmus. Sarah sponsors a children’s home in the city of David.

Table of Contents

General Information

Background Information

Practical Information?

The Guide

Panama City

Panama Province

Cocle Province

Herrera province

Los Santos Province

Veraguas Province

Chiriqui Province

Bocas del Toro Province

Colon Province

Kuna Yala

Darien Province

Further Information

Finding a home in Panama

Index

Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

1) Today’s interminable number of sub-communities and mini-cultures in Bocas brings a unique mix of gastronomy, music and language to the province. More English speakers are found on the archipelago than anywhere else in Panama, while the indigenous Indians use Ngabere, Spanish or Guari-Guari. An influx of holiday-homers has brought a new era of internationalism to Bocas and 50 different resident nationalities were tallied by the locals in 2008 alone. Such a trans-national character can be a surprise to travellers fresh from the eastern provinces that step from ancient customs into a funky laidback tourist haven, complete with tropical rum shacks and a take-us-as-we-are culture.

 

2) El Hombre del Avión

He is rarely seen during daylight and is known simply as ‘the aeroplane guy’ but this resident of Isla Colón doesn’t fly planes, he makes them, entirely out of rubbish. Models range in size but can be as big as 2m. Each is painstakingly crafted from salvaged scrap paper, food packaging and tin cans and incorporates intricate operational parts. He favours Panamanian aircraft above all others and most models are replicas of Aeroperlas aeroplanes, usually a Short 360. They are not made for sale and the owner refuses to part with them, although visitors often attempt to persuade him otherwise. A few rather elderly examples of his work are suspended from the roof struts in the bar at the Hotel Angela. Visitors keen to view more recent works stand a good chance by being on Main Street at dusk. This is when the aeroplane guy ‘road tests’ his latest triumph, attaching a piece of string before dragging it along the centre of the road at speed to check moving parts.

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Excerpted from Panama, 2nd by Sarah Woods
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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