Evening star., 1934-10-21
FISHERMAN FINDS
PANAMA PARADISE
Country Offers Much More
Than Thrilling Trip
Through Canal.
This is the fifth OF a series OF
articles on trdueI in Pdn-Amert-
con countries.
BY GUILLERMO A. SURO,
Editorial STAFF, Pap-American Union.

Editorial staff, Pap p-American Union.
Few are the people, indeed, to whom
the idea of a world cruise does not
appeal. But perhaps the traveller has
not that much time at his disposal;
perhaps his vacation budget is too
limited. Then, he can have the world
60 around him! To accomplish this,
all he has to do is visit Panama.
There the unusual from every corner
Of the world is crowded.
A luxurious steamer will take the
traveller from New York to Colon on
the Atlantic side of the Lsthmus in
FIVE to eight days, depending upon the
steamship line selected AS he reaches
this gateway city to the crossroads OF
the world. steamships representing
every maritime country lie alongside
the docks bound to and from every
port on earth. And humping against
them are the native dugout sailing
craft which bring produce to market.
Drive into the city in the latest
model automobile or in jogging
horse drawn carriage and the visitor
will be struck by the cosmopolitanlsm
of its street life, where the strange
commingling of representatives OF
countless races contributes to unique
kaleidoscope effects.
International Bazaar.
Walk along Front street and he will
see shops run by Hindus, Greeks, Chi
nese, Japanese, Turks, dusky West In
dams, Americans, Italians and other
ueople from all the corners OF the
earth, a veritable bazaar of nations
displaying French perfumes, Spanish
shaWls. oriental silks Panama hats
(which come from Ecuador), perfumed
woods, jewelry - almost everything
from gaudy curios to art treasures
and all for sale at elastic prices.
Nor is Panama City, the Pacific ter
minal of the Canal, less cosmopolitan,
vet with its quaint, narrow streets,
red-tiled high roofs, its age-hoary
churches and plaZaS, it does not lose
its half native, halt-Spanlsh charac-
teristics. An early morning VISIT 10
the market and a ride down Central
avenue by night will reveal the throo-
bing life and sharp contrasts Oh the
city. ... 90
There is much for the tourist 10
zee. Portions of the sea Walls pull'
to protect the city from pirates are
still standing. Their broad Top lur-
nishes Panamanians with popular
promefade known as Las BovedaS, un-
derneath which are the old dungeons
The cathedral, facing the nam
plaza. is perhaps the most imposing
x,-I0inh with their tnlck
walls of solid masonry, were designed
to protect the citizens against lnVa-
sion as well as to administer to their
spiritual needs. The Oldest Is tne
Church of San Felipe Neri, built In
1868, put special interest attaches 10
. the ruins OF Santo Domingo Church
because of its famous fiat arch. Tne
golden altar-a carved altar covered
with gold leaf-in San Jose Church
also has a history which stretches back
to the days of the pirates.
Bridge Of Gold.
A few miles from the present city
still stands the ruins OF old Pan
anna. where a few scattered walls,
towers and lovely arches remain to
tell the story of the glory of this once
proud city's pomp and power, and the
horror of its tragedy. In the early
DAYS of the Conquistadors it was the
base from which Pizarro set sail 1ol
Peru to conquer and plunder.
AS a result of his conquest, Panama
became a great center through which
passed the gold wreSted from the
Incas. Even in those days Panama
was ''the bridge of ,the world" and
a gold Trail over the ISthmuS to Nom-
bre de Dios and Porto Bello connected
the two oceans. Over it travelled the
heavily laden mules and fettered
slaves carrying treasure to fill the
Golfers of the Spanish crown. This
old ne-paved highway centuries
later was to serve the 'forty-niners'
on their way to the gold fields OF
California.
The prosperity of Panama soon
excited the cupidity of many pirate
and buccaneer. Drake was the hrst.
He paid with his life, and his body
went to the bottom of Porto Bello
Bay. 1t remained for Morgan and a
motley crew. drawn from the seven
seas, to capture, loot and destroy
TOIlO ocllO AhoANlA WV AeAAAS -
through the jungle to sack and burn
old Panama.
Many mute reminders of this ro-
mantle period in the history of the
Spanish Main still stand The ruins
of Fort San Lorenzo, on hill over
looking the mouth of the ChagreS
River, are perhaps the most interest
ing, Rebuilt after Morgan blew it
up. Americans played part in its
second destruction.
Linked With U. S. History.
An English captain by the name Of
Jenkins was so unfortunate as to lose
an ear in an encounter with Spanish
pirate, So loud were his lamentations,
and so dramatic his presentation OF
the carefully preserved ear as a claim
that England should fight Spain, that
when war was declared in 1879, 1t
was under the pretext Of avenging
jenkins loss.
Admiral Vernon was sent to wage
war on the Spanish Main; he cap
tured Porto Bello and destroyed Fort
San Lorenzo, but after these easy
victories he met with disastrous de-
feat at Cartagena, Colombia. Among
his soldiers were 500 men from Vir-
ginia under the command of Law
renee Washington, who never re-
covered from the illness contracted
during this Inflated campaign. Upon
his death Mount Vernon, which he
named in honor of his commander,
became the property of his half
brother, George Washington.
Few voyages of 46 miles can be
more thrilling, interesting or inspir-
ing than the transit of the Panama
Canal, "the greatest liberty that man
ever took with nature" If the visitor
crosses the isthmus via the Panama
Railroad he finds varying scenes
of picturesque beauty, or he may fly
in less than an hours time over the
route which took Balboa and his men
26 days to cross.
In both terminal cities of this mod