Day 2 - Panama Canal and City Tour

Hola!!!
Well Jason did an excellent job at filling everyone in on our arrival, so i decided to take this opportunity and talk about our experience during day two. As scheduled, all 14 girls, Jason, and our two instructors Ms.Gottel and Dr. Johnson-Mallard were ready to go bright and early at 9am for our journey through the city and to the Panama Canal. Our adventure started off with a stop at the Panama Canal. This is one thing I decided to research prior to traveling here just to simply understand the basic concept of traveling a ship from the Pacific to the Caribbean and vice versa, and it was absolutely everything I looked up and so much more. Our entire group took tons and tons of pictures, it was simply overwhelming. The one thing that stands out in my mind from the trip to the Panama Canal is the fact that our group was fortunate enough to get up close and personal to the Miraflores Lock. We were the only tourist who had the opportunity to get exclusive access to the locks, escorted by our new nurse companion from the Panama Canal Clinic. This experience was a once in a life time event and I am so fortunate enough that myself and fellow nursing students were able to experience.

p.s. wear tennis shoes to the Canal, 4 of us decided to wear flip flops, myself included, and we had to borrow a fellow nursing students shoes to have this opportunity.

Hours passed and many memories were captured at the Panama Canal, but it was time to say goodbye and travel on to have a historical and city tour, thanks to the help of Bianca, our tour guide, whom everyone adored. On our way to the old city of Panama to begin our tour, we stopped to grab a bit to eat at a restaurant off the causeway, called Mi Ranchito Restaurante. The food was excellent, I had fried shrimp and french fries, very American I know, but it was delicious. Other students ate either chicken, shrimp, or fish and chose from sides of french fries, fried plantain's, and white rice. Congrats to Shadae who ordered a whole fried fish and loved it!

Now the time had come, it was time to depart to begin our city tour. Bianca guided us through the Old City of Panama, a place that like any other had very run down apartments and buildings as well as newly restored ones. From this bus ride through the city, I felt as though many of my fellow students were in shock over the condition of some of the buildings and homes. Its especially hard to express in words just how run down and dilapidated these buildings were, but I can truly say it was an eye opening experience many realized how grateful we all should be to live in the United States. From the city tour the one point that stands out in my mind was being able to see the presidents home, aka "white house", his quarters, and his families residence. The gates were guarded by individuals I'm assuming were the Presidents security and our group had the opportunity to enter through and take pictures in front of the presidents house with the guards, and see inside his quarters through the front door, where there hung a huge Chandelier.
Moving on in the tour we walked the streets, enter shops and many of us purchased souvenirs to take home.
Overall, this was a very memorable day and filled with amazing opportunities many individuals never get to experience. This should fill everyone in on our time in Panama thus far, theres so much more to come. I know I can say for myself and I'm sure everyone else, We miss all our family and friends and hope all is well.

Buenas Noches (good night) - Lindsay

Pictures posted include: 1. Departure of the Panama Canal. 2. Group shot upon entrance to the Panama Canal. 3. Picture in front of Presidents House with guards. 4. Bridge that connects North America to South America. 5. Lock at Canal.