The Sidney herald., 1958-11-26

made for a trip to South Ameri-
ca. Through American EXPIRES,
Travel Service, we made fligh'
reservations, also all hotel reser.
vations. Armed with passports
permits, photographs, vaccination
certificates and reinforced with
a little silver and a few travel
ers cheques, we yer at the air
port in Miami October 2 ready
to take the plane headed fol
Panama. We rode in Pan Am DC
II Clipper with IS passengers
aboard. Left Miami z p. m. and
arrived in Panama City 1880
Next day we took a tour of city
| (pop. 3/4 mill.) and the ruins OF
Old Panama, founded 1879 and
to the Canal Zone, where we
watched a large ship from Eng
land entering the canal through
the locks. Description and history
If the canal make very interest
ing reading, but too lengthy. Will
give a few points: Approximate
distance from ocean to ocean is
about so miles and runs almost
north and south. AS the level of
the two oceans is not the same,
il requires the raising and low
ering of the vessels which require
the huge gates or locks. An ever
age of one boat per hour during
every "a hours passes through
the lock, taking 8 hours to make
the trip. Through the excavated
part of the canal the boats are
pulled by donkey engines each
side of canal. AS canal is a single
file system, the boats pass each
other in the lake between the
oceans.
Next morning at 9 a. m, we
took a plane bound for Lima,
Peru with the first stop at Cali,
Colombia, next was Quito, Ecua-
dor, a few minutes south of the
Equator. From then on we learn
ed to look up, or north, to see
the sun at noon, and also that
the shade was on the south side
of a building. Had a short stop
at Trujillo and then arrived in
Lima, Peru, (pop. 1,200,000).
Took sightseeing tour of the city.
Visited country club, bullfight-
ing ring and a race track where
races are held every Sunday, and
is considered finest in S. A. Uni
versity of Lima has claimed en-
rollment of 10000 students. An
all day tour to the mountain city
of Metacan, so miles of beauti-
full mountain scenery and more
or less primitive life of the ma
tives. The Inca ruins was at one
time a city of 10000.
Next day took plane for San
tiago, Chile, with a short stop
at Cuso. Flying at $1,000 feet,
we passed over beautiful Lake
Ticaca, 10000 feet above sea
level, the highest lake IN the
world. Landed at LaPaz, Bolivia
for refueling at highest CONNER
cial airport in the world, 1858
feet. Arriving in Santiago (pop.
2 million) we took a sightseeing
trip of the city. Took a station
wagon trip covering 240 miles to
Valparaiso through the beauti-
full Casablanca Valley and mile
long tunnel blasted through SOL
idrock, requiring no reinforcing.
Passed road work crews working
by hand. Wages were $4,000 per
AS it was springtime, farm
ing was in progress. Saw quite
few OK teams at work. Such
steep hillsides are farmed; it
would be impossible to operate
a tractor. Seeing wires strung
from high in the hills to level
we inquired their purpose
and learned that at harvest time
grain is cut by hand and tied in
bundles and then placed on the
wire to travel down hill by grav-
ity. Valparaiso is a very rugged
looking city as it is built on II
small mountains and not too much
level ground. Visited various
of interest; were impress
ed by the open-air market 4
blocks long. Most anything could
be bought. A great casino, the Las
Vegas of S. A. is there. Returned
to Santiago and went shopping
for copper goods as Chile is a
great copper country. We're to
leave at 4 p. m. but were delay
ed by engine trouble until 7 a. m.
with Pan American paying our
hotel for the extra night. Was
not too r%eassuring to have engine
trouble just before starting over
the Andes mountains as they dc
not offer ideal landing spots in
case of forced landing. But were
glad we could make the trip in
daylight. The sun was shining
above the clouds and the
mountains reminded one of giant
fingers reaching up after you.
Were flying at $4,000 feet; was
wonderful to see the snow-cov-
cred peaks, the highest in the
Western Hemisphere, with white
clouds below. We managed to
take quite a few pictures, both
slides and movies.
Arriving at Buenos Aires air
pot, we learned we were thirty
miles from the city. No traffic
and a population of 6 mil
lion. Pairs of mounted policemen
IN corners, a few busloads OF
armed soldiers, some broken win
lows. a hole in a buildinp where