Parque Estadual Soberania
Hoje nosso "tour guide" Daniel Borchhardt, que alias foi fantastico, nos levou para conhecer a Floresta Tropical do Panama - Parque Soberania - no qual a flora e fauna sao exuberantes, existe um zoologico, uma pequena
queda d'agua, varios "senderos" (trilhas) em que se podem apreciar a flora diversificada e local, tentar ver animais tipicos da regiao e a Pipeline Road e famosa por ser o paraiso dos que gostam de passaros com numero recorde de diferentes especies, existe
inclusive um observatorio com 100 pes de altura. Muiiito lindo!!!
Passamos por um complexo chamado "Renacer" onde se encontra recluso o ex Presidente Daniel Ortega apos ser extraditado para o Panama. Visitamos a localidade de Gamboa que era area Americana
quando da Administracao do Zona do Canal pelos EUA e ainda ai existem muitas casa e predios desta epoca - alguns comprados e reformados e sendo usados como casas de moradia ou de veraneio, pois se encontram as margens do rio Chagres.
Aqui tambem visitamos
o Gamboa Resort que e um local de tirar o folego...um predio de 3 andares com hospedagem, restaurante, bar, loja de souvenirs, deck de observacao, 3 piscinas, serpentario, orquidario...tudo isto de frente para o Rio Chagres - que e o maior "fornecedor" de
agua para o Canal. Do deck tivemos a oportunidade de ver um pouco da movimentacao do Chagres em direcao ao canal. Tambem existe mais abaixo uma marina com restaurante e passeios de lazer ou pesca com barcos.
Dai fomos a um bairro chamado de Clayton,
que era outra Base americana e que hoje abriga o que chamam de "Ciudad del Saber" com varias escolas, 2 Universidades Americanas (FSU e LSU), Centro de Treinamento em Simuladores da Copa Airlines, alem de manter muitos dos predios da epoca dos Americanos na
Zona do Canal.
Na volta, passamos pela eclusa de Gatun (no lago de mesmo nome) e pudemos assistir a passagem do Navio de cruzeiro "Norwegian Sun" da Norwegian Cruise Line e e um espetaculo e tanto...
Esqueci de mencionar...antes do Parque passamos
pela parte do canal chamado de "Corte Culebra" para termos uma ideia da grandiosidade e dificuldade que foi o trabalho arduo dos empregados do Canal quando dos primordios da sua construcao e com as ferramentas que tinham na epoca...
E tambem queremos
deixar registrado aqui que temos muito a agradecer ao Daniel, Adriana,as pequenas Beatriz, Daniela e a Glenda por terem aberto as portas de sua casa para nos hospedar e nos sentimos como se em casa estivessemos...E ao Daniel especialmente pela aula de Historia
sobre o Panama, Canal e Cidade do Panama, obrigado por ter nos possibilitado conhecer tudo isto em tua companhia. Valeu...gracias...
Soberania State Park
This morning our "tour guide" Daniel Borchhardt, who was really amazing, took us to view
the rain forest of Ciudad de Panama - Soberania State Park - in which animals and plants are a spectacle on its own...there is a zoo, a small water fall, several "senderos"(trails), in which one can enjoy the gorgeous trees and plants in the area,try to spot
some of the animals of the region, including turtles and alligators...and there's the Pipeline Road which is a bird watcher's paradise, with a record number of different species and there's also a 100 feet observatory...really nice!
We went by a complex
called "Renacer" where the former President Daniel Ortega is secluded after being sent back to Panama. We visited the township of Gamboa which belonged to the Americans during the time the Canal was under USA administration and there still are buildinds and
homes from that time which have been bought, restored and used as regular homes or as vacation homes since they are by the Chagres River.
Here we visited the Gamboa Resort which is a breathtaking hotel - a three story building with rooms, restaurant
and bar overlooking the river, souvenier store, observation deck, serpentary, orchids green house, all of this in front of the Chagres River - the biggest supplier for the Panama Canal. From the observation deck we had the chance to watch some traffic going
towards the Canal. Going down the resort there is also a restaurant and a marina with tour and fishing boats.
After this we visited a section called Clayton - which was another American Base - and presently houses the so-called "Ciudad del Saber"
- a section with several schools and two US Universities (FSU and LSU), Copa Airlines Simulator Training Center, and still maintains several of the buildings from the time the Americans were here.
On returning we went by the Gatun Locks (at Lake Gatun)
and had the opportunity to watch the cruise ship Norwegian Sun - from Norwegian Cruise Line - going through the locks...quite a spectacle!!!
I forgot to mention that before going through the Park we went to a section of the Canal called "Culebra Cut"
so that we could have a slight idea of the hard work and gigantic job those workers had to perform at that time, bearing in mind the tools and technology of the time.
And we would also like to mention here how grateful we are to Daniel, Adriana, their
little girls Beatriz and Daniela, and Glenda...for opening up their home to host us and make us feel at home...and specially to Daniel...thanks for the History lessons on Panama, the Canal and Ciudad de Panama, thanks for giving us the opportunity to visit
all these places with you...Thanks a lot!