DAY #8 - Cathedral, Reprosa, & Flowers

Well it is Saturday and I'm not nearly as bored as I was yesterday.  Still coughing a little but there is a huge difference in how I feel now compared to how I felt earlier this week!  It could be that my body has healed itself from the illnesses I had...or maybe it's because orchids are everywhere down here and I love orchids.  I bet it's the orchids!

 

In fact, I learned that the national flower of Panama is the orchid, specifically La Flor del Espiritu Santo (Peristeria elata) or also known as The Holy Spirit Flower. It is best known for its ivory color petals, and beautiful blossoms.  If you look closely, you can see what looks like a dove in the middle of it.  I attached this picture so you can see how beautiful it is (but it was not taken by us).



 

So I heard from a little birdie that people are wondering how my dad and I are getting along.  Well to answer that question - pretty well actually!  We've had our moments here and there (very minor though) as anyone would do if they were together 24/7, but overall he has been a very good support system.  He has been my on-site nurse and has put up with a lot of whining when I haven't felt well.  He even ran to the pharmacy to pick up teething gel for me to put on my awful canker sore on the back of my tongue.  What a nice dad!

Today we did a little sightseeing with Jacob, a local driver we met when we arrived.  He works for the hotel as a driver and agreed to take us around to a few places.  We drove by San Jose church where the famous golden altar is, however the church was closed.  Then we went to the Cathedral in Old Panama.  This church was also closed, but we were able to park and walk around it to get some pictures. 

This cathedral is located in a plaza, sometimes called the Independence Plaza or square, named for the fact that Panama declared independence from Spain in 1821 and independence from Colombia in 1903.  There we saw local artists who set up tents to sell their handmade crafts.  We didn't buy anything there, but we did go to a craft gift store nearby.  The gift store was very unique in that it sold crafts made by local tribes.  They make baskets, jewelry, purses and bags, hats, and figurines made out of tagua.  I bet you are wondering what tagua is.  Well...it is a nut (similar to a coconut only smaller) that can be carved once it dries.  It resembles ivory and can even be painted.  It is really beautiful stuff and makes great souvenirs!

Did you know that the traditional "Panama Hat" is not actually from Panama.  It is from Ecuador and was made famous when President Roosevelt wore it during a trip to the Panama Canal during its construction.  The way to tell if it is a good quality hat is to see if it is tightly woven.  A great quality hat can be rolled up to fit through a wedding ring!  Here's a picture of Theodore Roosevelt wearing the hat (obviously I don't need to say that we didn't take it).

Also as we were walking around, I said, "Wow! Look at those beautiful flowers!"  I was swiftly corrected by Jacob.  I guess the colored parts are leaves before they turn green and look like flowers, but the actual flower is the tiny little white part in the middle.  They are called Veraneras or "Bougainvillea."  You can find more information on wikipedia's page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veranera

 

So cool!!

We also visited Reprosa ("Treasures of Panama"), a place I've been wanting to visit for awhile, since I read about it on the internet.  It is a store that reproduces pre-Colombian artifacts that are turned into jewelry and other items.  They had some beautiful orchid pieces and other ancient symbols that represent things such as strength, etc.  Both dad and I were amazed at the quality of items we saw!  You should read the history behind the store when you get a chance: http://www.reprosa.com/indice_en.html

Looking forward to tomorrow.  We have been communicating via e-mail with my parents' neighbors' friends (Franklin & Luchita), and we are planning to eat a traditional Chinese breakfast with them tomorrow.  Maybe we will even get to do a little more sight-seeing!