On midday December 31, 1999, the Panama Canal Zone was turned over to the Republic of Panama by the United States as a result of the Torrijos-Carter Treaty of September 7, 1977. From this date forward, the Panama Canal Zone would cease to exist and the Panama Canal would be under the administration of the Republic Panama. A new era had begun for this small nation in Central America.
To commemorate this event, the Coca Cola Company released a special Coca Cola bottle with a logo of a ship entering a canal lock and the slogan, “Let’s celebrate together the reversion of the canal.” On the back of the bottle was another picture of the Miraflores locks in black and white. I bought two of these commemorative bottles as a collector’s item. That was almost eleven years ago. When I go upstairs, I plan to donate these collector’s item to the Panama Canal Museum in Panama City, Panama.
Having said this, I saw old bottles while taking shots of Mi Pueblito about a month ago. These aged bottles reminded me of my Coca Cola bottles related to the reversion of the Panama Canal to the Republic of Panama. If you like to collect old bottles, the following pictures might be of your interest. Here we go.
Snapshot of several old bottles on a shelf at a barber shop at Mi Pueblito in Panama City, Panama. Photo ©Omar Upegui R.
A closer look at the old bottles of the barbershop. Notice the old Pepsi Cola bottles. Photo ©Omar Upegui R.
Snapshot of an old Coca Cola bottle detected while taking pictures at Mi Pueblito in Panama City, Panama. Photo ©Omar Upegui R.
Snapshot of a collection of old bottles at a showcase barbershop in Panama City, Panama. Photo ©Omar Upegui R.
La primera vez cuando tuvimos la posibilidad de beber Coca Cola fue en 1952. Ese año tuvimos juegos Olímpicos.
¿Usted tiene alguna otra Cola allí? Lo que me gusta más es Inca Cola. Eso es del Peru, pero no podemos bererlo aquí.
Mi hija se llama Inca y es por eso, lo creo.
Hola Sartenada.
En Panamá tenemos Coca Cola un un sinúmero de otras gaseosas, pero la que más se vende es la Coca Cola. Hasta en Rusia toman Coca Cola.
Ah, también tenemos PepsiCola, pero no es tan popular con el público panameño.
La palabra Inca me trae muchos recuerdos cuando estudiaba Historia sobre la conquista del Perú. Desde la Isla Taboga en Panamá, se planeó la conquista del Perú por el conquistador Español Francisco Pizarro.
Saludos,
Omar.-