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PANAMA CITY

  The end of Day 15 was dinner.

Only walked 2729 steps today.
Day 16, and we are in Panama City.
I think this is the Viking Mars, also in port.  After we arrive in Southampton, we fly to Amsterdam to catch The Viking Vali on a Christmas River Cruise to Budapest.
Lunch today was another bowl of noodles, with a Margarita and glass of Merlot.
Ending with a flan.
As my blog from way back in 2013 indicated, I know a couple who once lived in Hawaii.  Judy and John Collins might be the most famous people I know.  They founded the Ironman Triathlon.  I found a Coronado article on 2021 which provided a lot of information, and how the family was still active in the triathlon, or smaller versions of them.

John was a Navy Seal and true athlete.  Judy might have been more competitive, for she was the first female to ever swim between two Hawaiian islands.  It was on Mother's Day in 1977 when she swam from Lanai to Maui.  Judy worked for me on a National Science Foundation program, Science for Citizens.
I remember the first Hawaiian Iron Man Triathlon held on 18February1978.  Months earlier she indicated to me that with their Navy friends, they were thinking about combining the Waikiki Roughwater Swim, Honolulu Marathon and Oahu Bike Ride into one event.  Judy did not compete, but John finished in ninth pace with a finishing time of 17 hours and 3 seconds, which is just about now the cut-off for being allowed to compete.  They said they that the Triathlon was designed for regular people, not athletes.  
In time, the event was moved to the Kona side of the Big Island, and become professional.  38-year old German Patrick Lange this weekend in Kona broke the course record to win his third championship, and the second-oldest man to win the title.  His time was 7 hours, 35 minutes and 53 seconds over the 140.6 mile race (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run).
Starting last year, organizers split the men's and women's races, with one in Nice and the other in Kona.  37-year old German Laura Philipp on September won the Ironwomen world championship in Nice. She also was the second oldest female to do so, in her first win.  They could change the schedule in 2026.
But back to today, Panama City is the capital and largest city of Panama with a population of about a million, and an urban area of 2.1 million.  It is located at the Pacific entrance on the Panama Canal.
  • Founded in 1519 by Spanish conquistador Pedro Aria Davilla.  From here, he went on to conquer Peru.
  • Most of the gold and silver returning to Spain passed through this city.
  • In 1671, Henry Morgan and his band of 1400 men attacked, looted and burnt the city.  350 years, the ruins still remain as a popular tourist attraction known as Old Panama.
  • The official currency is the balboa, but it is tied to the U.S. dollar, one for one, and they don't bother to print the currency, using those of the U.S.  There are Panamanian coins.
  • As mentioned yesterday, the USA helped Panama gain independence from Colombia in 1903, leading to the building of the canal.  Partly because of the canal (one-third of all revenues come from the Panama Canal) and association with the U.S., Panama is a relatively rich country, #30 in the Penn World Table of 114 countries at $29,879 GDP/capita. 
  • Popular names are boxer Roberto Duran and baseball player Rod Carew.

  • Panama City is twinned with:[56]

  • The cost of living is reasonable, and the best hotels rarely going above $200 for two/night.
  • Tipping is low and taxi drivers do not expect it.
  • A few fun facts.
    • In 1989 the U.S. attacked Panama to depose of leader, General Manuel Noriega.
    • In 2006 Panamanians approved a $5.3 billion plan, doubling the Canal's capacity.
    • Has the second largest rainforest in the Western Hemisphere, and Panama City is the only capital in the world to have a rainforest within city limits.
    • Most citizens are bilingual, Spanish and English.
    • That strange looking building, the F&F Tower (once known as the Revolution Tower), is nicknamed the Corkscrew or Screw, is 796 feet tall with 52 stories, and was completed in 2011.
Tomorrow we transit the Panama Canal.

There is a dangerous typhoon heading towards Taiwan.  Kong-Rey just became a typhoon and will strengthen into a Category 3.
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