Latin America

It's a beautiful country with wonderful people, delicious foods and a rich history dating back to Spanish explorations of the 16th century.

As today is a national day of mourning, the country had many observances. I had never heard of the violent events of January 9-10, 1964 until today and it represents a dark part of the history between the Republic of Panama and the United States. It was quite an history lesson.

This morning, we visited the Miraflores Locks to watch some ships transit the canal. The Visitors' Center was fascinating. They have a marvelous IMAX movie (narrated by Morgan Freeman, of course) about the canal, its history, construction and functions. About midway through the film, President Jimmy Carter was interviewed about the treaties he signed in 1977 turning the Canal Zone over to the Panamanians. When the President appeared on screen, the audience, made up mostly of Americans, broke into applause! It was a remarkable coincidence that this day of mourning fell on the same day as President Carter's national funeral. We felt humbled to be here on this date.