A Building With a Gracious Dome in Casco Viejo

Snapshot of an edifice with an eye-catching dome in the old shell of Panama City. This area is called “Las Bóvedas” beside the Pacific Ocean at the entrance of the Panama Canal. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Incidently I’m presently enjoying a book—Brunelleschi’s Dome: The Story of the Great Cathedral in Florence, authored by Ross King—about the construction of a cavernous dome in Florence for the cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore built by Filippo Brunelleschi in 1436.  A replacement for the ancient and dilapidated church of Santa Reparata, the new cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore was intended to be one of the largest in Christendom.

The foundation stone for the new cathedral had been laid in 1296.  The designer and original architect was a master mason named Arnolfo di Cambio, the builder of both the Palazzo Vecchio and the city’s massive new fortifications.  The designer of the large dome was the Capomaestri Neri di Fioravanti who refused to use flying buttresses to support the walls of the cathedral for political reasons.  He hated French and German architects who commonly used these supporting structures.

The decision to adopt Neri di Fioravanti’s design represents a remarkable leap of faith.  No dome approaching this span had been built since Antiquity, and with a mean diameter of 143 feet and 6 inches, it would exceed that of even the Roman Pantheon, which for over a thousand years had been the world’s largest dome by far.  And the cupola of Santa Maria del Fiore would not only be the widest vault ever built: it would also be the highest.

Of course our building pales in comparison with the great cathedral of Florence, but still it is an aesthetic edifice built during the early days of our nation.  It represents the elegance of our colonial Spanish architecture as depicted in the picture above.  Good Day.

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Habanera

Snapshot of a building with gravitas which houses the Ministry of Public Security in the old section of Panama City, commonly known as “Casco Viejo” which translate to Old Shell in English. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

I decided to process this snapshot in black and white since it reminded me of Habana, Cuba; thus the title of the blog post. The city is the center of the Cuban Government, and home to various ministries, headquarters of businesses and over 90 diplomatic offices.

The name Habana could be based upon the name of a local Taíno chief Habaguanex. An alternate theory is that Habana is derived from the Middle Dutch word havene, referring to a harbor.

The hands of the clock stopped on January 1, 1959 when bearded soldiers rolled down into the city from the Sierra Maestra.   On January 8, 1959, Castro’s army entered Habana; proclaiming himself Representative of the Rebel Armed Forces of the Presidency, Castro—along with close aides and family members—set up home and office in the penthouse of the Havana Hilton Hotel, meeting with journalists, foreign visitors and government ministers.  The rest is history.

Since then, nothing has changed. We can still see 1950s Fords, Studebakers, Chevys, or DeSotos cruising through the streets of Havana.  It’s like looking at a MGM movie studio in Hollywood and stumbling into Al Pacino while he was working on the motion picture The Godfather.  Time is frozen in Cuba as well as in the old section of Panama City, Panama as these pictures eloquently express.

An invisible wall was erected by Fidel Castro and his cronies to hold Freedom hostage.  I know someday this wall will crumble down following the path of the Berlin wall in 1989.  You can bet your bird that this day will come and Cuba will again be a free country as it was meant to be.

I can almost see the gleefulness radiating on José Martí and Yoani Sánchez’s face, author of the blog Generación Y, as well as on the faces of millions and millions of free Cubans when this day finally arrives.  Free at Last! Viva Cuba Libre!  Good Day.

Original version of the photograph shown above in black and white. I’m sure you will agree me that the nostalgic spirit of Havana hovers above this scene. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

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El Tribunal Electoral

After a long winter of 21 years under a military regime that almost destroyed our democratic system, we are currently blooming under a new and modern representative democracy.  Since the toppling of General Noriega in 1989, we have had three free elections, all supervised and organized by the Panama Tribunal Electoral.  All three events were true examples of democracy in action.

We are getting ready for our next national elections to be held on May 4, 2014.  The Tribunal Electoral is also planning to move to a new building before the political event takes place.  I was recently at the construction site and took a few shots of this large and elegant building.  It was designed to blend perfectly with the American built edifices in the late Panama Canal Zone.

The official creation of el Tribunal Electoral is October 24, 1956, even though it has been involved in political elections since January 5, 1904 with the birth of the republic.  El Tribunal Electoral has three magistrates (all lawyers) which will serve for a term of ten years.  We depend of this significant institution to guarantee fair and free democratic elections every five years.

Our current three magistrates appointed for a period of ten years are:

1. Erasmo Pinilla Castillero
2. Eduardo Valdés Escoffery
3. Heriberto Arazúz Sánchez

As you can see in the pictures below, the building is still under construction.  It is scheduled to be ready before May 2014, just in time for our next national elections.

Notice of the building which will house el Tribunal de Elecciones of Panama sometime in 2014. It follows the architectural design of the Administration Building built by the Panama Canal Commission for the operation of the Panama Canal. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

I love the six impressive columns at the entrance of the regal building. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

The way I see it, this building will last at least a thousand years. It looks rock solid. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

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Panama Supreme Court

Sunday, April 14, 2013, dawned dark, sticky, and warm; not a very good day for picture-taking.  But everything was planned for a foray into the former Canal Zone in search of subjects to capture for our blog.  Postponement was out of the question. I had ran out of pictures and that was a grave problem, since I’m not very good with words.  I started my white Corolla, accompanied with my wife, and hoped for the best. (Vaya con Diós)

It was a tricky trip, since many of the highways in this area have been modified as a result of the modernization program of Panama City.  It’s an absolute  nightmare driving in the city with all these “cambios” taking place at once.  Even with a talkative Garmin GPS, driving in the city is still a dangerous adventure.  A wrong turn could be the difference between life and death.  Panamanians are not the best drivers in the world.  It’s amazing how well-educated and most polite persons, turn into irresponsible kamikaze drivers once they sit behind a wheel.  The transformation is difficult to describe in printed words.

Trying to be cautious, I selected an early Sunday morning for my photo walk.  Few if no cars on the streets.  The only problem was the overcast day, but I was willing to take my chances.  One of the subjects was the magnificent edifice that houses the Panama Supreme Court.  As you probably know, the rulings of the Supreme Court are final; there are no appeals regarding their legal decisions.  The nine Magistrates of the Supreme Court (Justices of the Supreme Court) are chosen by the President of the Republic for ten years.

The nine magistrates of the Panama Supreme Court are:

1. Oyden Ortega Durán
2. Hernán Antonio De León Batista
3. Harley James Mitchell Dale
4. José Ayú Prado
5. Harry Alberto Díaz González de Mendoza
6. Jerónimo Emilio Mejía Edward
7. Alejandro Moncada Luna
8. Luis Ramón Fábrega Sánchez
9. Víctor Leonel Benavides Pinilla

It’s interesting to point out that there is not a single woman  in our Supreme Court at this moment.  We still have a long way to go to break the glass ceiling in our Judicial Branch.  The “macho” idiosyncrasy still prevails in Latin America—and that is wrong.

Below are the pictures taken during an overcast lazy day in a sleepy city in Middle America.  Here we go.

Snapshot of the edifice that houses the Panama Supreme Court. This building was turned over by the United States to Panama as a result of the Torrijos-Carter Treaty of September 7, 1977. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

In this black and white picture you can clearly notice the formal name of the building: Palacio de Justicia Gil Ponce. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

This structure is in Balboa on the Pacific Side of the former Panama Canal Zone beside the late Gorgas Hospital. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

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Exhibition of Paul Gauguin’s Paintings in Panama

Snapshot of a street promotion poster announcing an art exhibition of Paul Gauguin’s paintings, “The Dream of Panama”, at Museo del Canal Interoceánico de Panamá during December 7, 2012-March 10, 2013. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (1848–1903) was a leading French Post-Impressionist artist who was not well appreciated until after his death.  His work was influential to the French avant-garde and many modern artists, such as Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. Gauguin’s art became popular after his death and many of his paintings were in the possession of Russian collector Sergei Shchukin.

Paul Gauguin experienced many bouts of depression and at one time attempted suicide. He traveled to Martinique in search of an idyllic landscape and worked as a laborer on the Panama Canal construction; he was dismissed from his job after only two weeks.  He also stayed in Taboga Island on the Pacific side of Panama where he painted for a short time. In 1891, Gauguin sailed to French Polynesia to escape European civilization and “everything that is artificial and conventional”.

Paul Gauguin lived on Taboga Island twice when he was out of money working for the French attempt of the Panama Canal. When Gauguin moved on to French Martinique and then Tahiti, most feel that his work was a result of his time spent on Taboga.  Painter Charles Laval lived in Taboga (the island of flowers) as well.

Photograph of El Museo del Canal Interoceánico de Panamá located inside the Old Shell of Panama City (Casco Antiguo, San Felipe). Photograph courtesy of http://www.viajes.net.

The Inter-Oceanic Panama Canal Museum is housed in a fine antique building that was once the Gran Hotel and later the French canal headquarters. This is the best museum in Panama City and a mandatory stop for every traveler. The museum is a study of the Panama isthmus—from pre-Columbian times, to the arrival of the Spanish, to the French and the American canal-building efforts, through the present day.

The museum gives you a good understanding of the Isthmus of Panama as the center of world trade.  It also provides (somewhat subjectively) an explanation of the effect of the isthmus and the canal on the Panamanian idiosyncrasy. Historical documents here include the Torrijos-Carter Treaty that turned over control of the international waterway to Panama, multimedia and interactive exhibits, mock-household exhibits of everyday life during the history of the canal, a register of the U.S. Senate votes approving the canal, and a floor of old coins and stamps, including the famous Nicaragua stamp with an erupting volcano that was sent to senators to sway them from choosing that country to build a canal. There are no earthquakes in this area of the country.

This is an impeccable museum, with interpretive information in both Spanish and English and on-site guides who provide excellent bilingual tours. The museum is wheelchair accessible. You can easily spend a full hour here.

• Visiting Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.
• Location:     Avenida Central at Plaza Independencia, Casco Viejo, San Felipe
• Phone:  228-6231
• Web site:     http://www.sinfo.net/pcmuseum
• Admission Prices:  $2.00 (£1.00) for adults
• Closed:     Closed on national holidays

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Hotel El Panama

When I first came to Panama City in 1962, the best hotel in town was the Panama Hilton.  It was an impressive snow-white structure nestled on a knoll surrounded by lush tropical gardens.  The hotel was operated by Hilton Hotels & Resorts, the most recognized name in the industry.  Later, the glamorous hotel was sold by Conrad Hilton and that started the down slide of the prestige of the once Panama icon.  Its lush tropical gardens were lost when real estate was sold to investors interested in building shabby-looking malls and other mediocre buildings.

The former luster is now gone, even though the hotel keeps operating, trying to attract tourists using the famous brand name of Hotel El Panama.

Below are several pictures of this regal hotel which was once the crown jewel of the hotel industry in Panama.

Snapshot of Hotel El Panama taken on February 13, 2009 and digitally edited by Michael Moore, a professional photographer from Dallas, Texas.

Photograph of the exterior of the Panama Hilton Hotel designed by Edward D. Stone in 1951. Photo taken by Ralph Crane.

Snapshot of Hotel El Panama taken on the morning of March 29, 2013 (Good Friday) while exploring the city for interesting shots. The picture was edited with PicMonkey suggested to me by blogger Linda Leinen author of the blog “The Task at Hand”. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

With the tourist boom taking place in Panama even as we speak, I hope the hotel will shape up and return to its former glory.  This is an icon we should keep as part of the personality of our metropolis.  The mojo is still there; it only requires a few touches of class.  Good Day.

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Afro-Caribbbean Architecture

Snapshot of the delicate architectural style of Afro-Caribbean architecture depicted in a display house at Mi Pueblito on the slopes of Ancon Hill in Panama City, Panama. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

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An Afro-Caribbean Church

Snapshot of a replica of a picturesque wooden Afro-Caribbean church at Mi Pueblito in Panama City. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

The original building of this church is in the neighborhood of Calidonia in Panama City.  It is now a museum depicting the Afro-Caribbean culture.

Afro-Caribbean people played a critical role in the construction of the Panama Canal at turn of the 20th century.  Without their contribution the international waterway would not have been accomplished.  They were strong, hard-working people who challenged the harsh condition of the steaming rainforest of Panama.

They came mainly from  Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Barbados, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia, Dominica, Montserrat, Anguilla, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Guyana (which although on the South American mainland is culturally similar to the Caribbean and was historically considered to be part of the British West Indies), and Belize.

Their knowledge of the English language was highly beneficial for the American authorities who wanted a workforce that understood the English language.  They were having communicating problems with people from other nationalities like Portuguese, Italian, Chinese, Spanish, Polish and other European countries.

Afro-Panamanians played a significant role in the creation of the Panama. Some historians have estimated that up to 50 percent of the population of Panama has some African ancestry. The descendants of the Africans who arrived during the colonial era are intermixed in the general population or live in small Afro-Panamanian communities along the Atlantic Coast and in villages within the Darién jungle.

Most of the Panamanian population of West Indian descent owe their presence in the country to the monumental efforts to build the Panama Canal in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Three-quarters of the 50,000 workers who built the canal were Afro-Caribbean migrants from the British West Indies. Thousands of Afro-Caribbean workers were recruited from Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad.

It is estimated that about ten percent of the Panamanian population are Black (West Indian).  Their music, art, traditions, and lifestyle, constitute a significant part of the culture of the Panamanian melting pot.  Good Day.

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La Casa Miller

Snapshot of a replica of the old Miller House of Calidonia—now extinct—located at Mi Pueblito. It was a historic icon that should never have been demolished. This is only what is left of this magnificent edifice built during the construction of the Panama Canal at the turn of the century.  Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

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Supermarkets in Panama

There several supermarket chains in Panama loaded with all kinds of goodies from every corner of the world.  Being Panama an international commercial hub, you can find just about anything here.

The largest supermarket chains in the country are:  El Machetazo, Super 99, El Rey and El Super Xtra.  The latter was considered the ugly duckling of the group.  However, in recent years the Harari family, owners of the chain, have invested heavily to augment its competitive edge.

During my last photo hunting trip to El Dorado, I stopped at El Super Extra which was recently inaugurated just a few block from our house.  It is a beautiful structure with an impressive light blue tainted glass entrance supported by a sophisticated steel frame.  We tested the supermarket searching for competitive prices, but returned disappointed.  We prefer to buy at El Machetazo, which has cheaper prices and relatively modern installations.  We have been buying in this place ever since we moved to El Bosque in 1980.

Below are several pictures of El Super Xtra supermarket which reflects the good taste of our architects in Panama.  Here we go.

Snapshot of the main entrance of El Super Xtra Supermarket with its impressive glass wall and steel support. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

In this picture you can clearly see the name of the edifice: El Super Xtra in bright red and green colors. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

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