Another one playing for OUR team

Even in this age of enlightenment, a professional athlete considering exiting the homosexuality closet must first exorcise demons.

For hulking British rugby star Gareth Thomas, outing himself last week came only after the disintegration of his marriage, thoughts of suicide and an emotional breakdown.

Thomas, billed as the first top British sports figure to declare he is gay, has become the subject of intense media scrutiny following a candid and heartfelt description of his life as a homosexual in one of the world's most macho sports.

On turning 89, Christmas and Human Perseverance

As I mentioned earlier, part of the experience of going to the Canal for me was the celebration of my mother's 89th birthday.

For as long as I can remember, it was of vital importance to distinguish my Mom's birthday on the 23rd of December from the adjacent Christmas celebrations.

As a family, Christmas and the holidays have always included thoughts about my Mom and how special she is to us and the history we have created together. Despite everything, we have never forgotten to make her feel special on her day as the common thread between my siblings and me.

This Christmas tree was in the lobby of the Miraflores Restaurant.

I feel extremely proud to have helped make it possible for my Mom to have an unforgettable experience in the company of her whole family (either in person or by telephone and blog).

Her resilience to be able to get back up after a frightening fall in a strange land, tells me that I too have the capacity to overcome anything I might encounter in this world.

Mom I love you, and I am thrilled to have been able to share your 89th birthday in such a memorable location!

This pic shows my sister and my Mom watching the ships in the Canal.

As the ships go by ...

In the Miraflores Information Centre, a lovely restaurant serves a first-class buffet meal on the open-air terrace overlooking the locks. You can see the restaurant terrace on the left of this picture.

Shrimp, filet mignon, calamari, curried chicken, fresh fish - all were there for the taking, but the excitement of watching the immense cargo and passenger ships passing by was the most delicious.

Whether people were on the ships going through the locks or on land watching them, there was a palpable excitement about this 8th Wonder of the World.

The story of the Canal

On our arrival at the Miraflores Information Centre, we watched a 15-minute film about the history of the Panama Canal followed by a tour of the 4-story museum dedicated to its story.

A fascinating story that involved the greatest aspirations and even greater losses. Many people died during it's construction from Yellow Fever, Malaria, landslides and more.


When you see the Canal for yourself, you will be in awe of the size of the achievement, and the sacrifices made by so many from so many different countries.

The Panama Canal

Last night was a bit stressful. My 88 year old mother, who I brought down here with me, fell in the bathroom and cut her head. We drove her to the Clinica Emergencia which is about 1 mile down the road where a very gentle and efficient doctor put 6 stitches in her scalp!

That seemed like it was going to throw all of our tourista plans out the window for a few days, but when she got up today she felt good and was rarin' to go! Guess I must come from a tough breed! LOL

So, that meant that our plans to go to the Miraflores Locks at the Panama Canal were still on. It was another hot day (are there any that aren't here?!) so an air-conditioned ride in the car was welcomed.

We crossed the Canal a bit further north this time, and were able to catch our first real glimpse of the ships lining up to go through the locks.

Continuing down the Canal to the locks, we all started to feel quite small. The size of the ships and machines we passed was incredible.

Swimming in Paradise

Here is a lovely shot of Playa Coronado (Beach) - today my sister and I went for a swim in the ocean here. The pink tower on the right will be where we will be ushering in New Year's Eve 2010 with a good view of fireworks and friends of friends.

Did I mention that there is a type of rum made from local sugar cane called Seco that sells for about $6 per 750ml bottle?!

Home Base

After about 1.5 hours of driving on windy, unpredictable roads we arrived at my sister's home in Coronado. Populated primarily by wealthy American ex-pats, Coronado boasts some of the driest weather in Panama. Economic disparities between classes here are hard to resolve simply. Much of the poverty in this country is a result of the dictatorial governments that have ruled this nation. Even the United States has left bloodstains here in its fervor to assert control over the Panama Canal. I will try to expound on this a bit more as I try to understand some of the political and social dynamics that have made this country what it is.

Despite it's past, Panama is a beautiful place and Coronado is one of it's prize jewels. On the left is a pic of the place we are staying in - a thoroughly modern Euro-style building that looks out over the Pacific Ocean.

Panama - Day 2

After a comfortable, air-conditioned night's sleep we drove around the city for a while before heading out to our homebase in Coronado - about 1.5 hours west of Panama City.

I was surprised by the incredible amount of high-rise development in the city, but it turns out that many of the skyscraping condos were unfinished or empty - apparently the U.S. economic downturn has had a significant effect on the willingness of Americans to invest down here.

A quick pic of the Panama Canal as we crossed over La Puenta de Los Americas was all I saw of it. We have plans to go see it up close in a few days.

Bienvenidos a Panama !

WE MADE IT! Arrived in Panama City's Tocumen Airport after a bit of a turbulent flight, but walking out of the airport we were greeted with a hot, humid breath of Panamanian air. At night it goes down to about 30 C ! Above is what I saw out our plane window as we approached the runway. Our first stop was at the beautiful Balboa Inn B&B. Run by a Dutch ex-pat family, I found it on several gay-friendly lists on the internet and it had just been decorated with elaborate hand-painted murals throughout which captured the exotic feeling of the city. This lovely mural of a Panamanian street scene was hand-painted over my bed. The palm leaves beside the door were beautifully intricate and others included delicate butterflies and birds. The bed provided welcome relief after the late-night flight and the breakfast the following morning gave us everything we needed to explore the city.

Panama here I come!!!

Most of you already know that I am going away to Panama for a much-needed holiday this season. I am taking my mother down to celebrate her 89th birthday with my sister who lives down there.

As you get this post in your email, we are winging our way to Panama City where we will be staying at this lovely little B&B, The Balboa Inn, that just happens to be at the top of most lists of Gay-Friendly Hotels in Panama!

I will keep you all posted as to my discoveries down there. Wish me luck on a surfboard!

Cheers and Happy Holidays everyone!