Ñeque

John McCain has probably never eaten ñeque, but he has probably seen them here in Panama, perhaps near his home in the Zone. Here they say a ñeque is like a rabbit, but it is a rather sweet rodent of another kind.

Patacones are grilled plantains which to my pallet are very tasty.

Espiritu Santo is the national flower of Panama. I suspect that it is an orchid. I is a fairly large plant with a small, pretty, white flower with a somewhat dove like aspect.
Its dovelikeness is from whence comes the reference to the Holy Spirit.

Still possible to find a new house here for $40,000 in an okay area.

Most homes here have a variety of fruits and spices growing in their gardens. Still I was surprised to find black pepper growing in many yards. Reminded me of South East Asia. Green is its color as it grows, of course. Green it is eaten in salads and many other dishes. I really like it.

Calidonia

In Panama City.

Looks like lots of foreginers are here to protect assets.

Richard Halliburton, the love of a lady history professor of mine, swam the length of the Canal and paid 36 1928 cents to do so.

Many Panamians belive that John McCain could, legally, become president of Panama. Seems he was born in the Canal Zone.

Work on the 'new canal' is well begun. It is inended to be much larger than the present Canal and not just the old canal enlarged.

Was walking through the Casco colonial area and thinking that it looked a lot like colonial Havana, accept for the fact that it was well on its way to being gutted and renewed beneath the historic walls. As I thought, A Venozuelan gentleman said that he had just come from holidays in Cuba and that where we were did look just like old Havana including the renewal. Seems the Europeans are very busy in Cuba.

Canal 'factoid:' Freight to and from rhe US, China, Japan, and Chile is greter than to and from other countries.

I´m pleased to be feeling well and have not formed plans for leaving Panama.

I have no spellcheck available here!

Error note: Seems the tallest building here may be 80 some stoies, not 106 as I said earlier.