Pana-Blogs Report · Global Voices
Melissa De León

#1: From Chiriqui Chatter: El Desfile de los Bomberos en David , a very colorful report on a traditional  firemen parade that takes place in most large cities in Panama to commemorate the  independence festivities of the country. In this case Don shares a collection of photos and even a video which will make you feel you were there.
Besides being the Independence from Spain Holiday, it is also the day that recognizes the firemen of David. This could be true all over Panama, but I do not know that. I heard yesterday that there was going to be the annual Parade of the Firemen in the evening. Since I had never seen it, I decided to head down to the center of town. Read the complete post!
#2: Antonio Checa shares with the world his thought about "Om Prakash, proof that there still hope"
Om is a 14 year old boy from India who has just been awarded the International Children’s Peace Prize for leading a campaign against child labour and child slavery. Om’s story is a sad one but one where there is hope and inspiration for others.
At an early age he was taken away from his parents and for 3 years worked in the fields and was regularly beaten and never paid. Continue reading…
#3: Rob Rivera "meditates" about "Panamanians and Thanksgiving"
…the reason why I’m giving you this history lesson is to illustrate a point that many people here overlook and I believe this needs to be adressed… much like Halloween, Thanksgiving shares the common characteristic that Panama is nowhere to be found in the holiday’s history. We don’t even have a cameo. The only reason I can think of is that we think of ourselves as a small U.S and in order to complete the American template we feel compelled to celebrate yet another holiday that’s not inherently ours. The similarites between Halloween and Thanksgiving end there though, since Hallow’s Eve comes from Europe and it’s the motherland or whatever you want to call it; Thanksgiving was created by a bunch of pilgrims who wanted to thank this one Native American guy called Quanto for him not taking off their scalps and use them for their stew. Read more...
#4: Al Aire Libre, a blog dedicated to all things outdoors, exposes a fantastic idea for when you are hiking, traveling light: La Estufa de Heineken (ES) The Heineken Stove.
Por algo cercano a una onza se puede tener una estufa que hierve dos tazas de agua en cinco minutos. ¡Eso no pesa nada! Las estufas tradicionales son más apropiadas para grupos grandes, pero las de lata son aptas para parejas que quieren ir liviano. Cuando se divide el peso de la estufa tradicional entre varios, el resultado es equiparable en el peso por persona.
El diseño de la estufa, y el concepto, ya tiene más de cien años de haberse patentado. Uno de los beneficios de esta diminuta estufa es que usa alcohol, que se consigue fácilmente en todos lados. Otra ventaja de esta estufa es que no tiene ninguna parte movible y es prácticamente infalible. El combustible se lleva aparte, en una botella plástica reciclada después de tomarte el contenido (creo que no venden cerveza en botellas plásticas). Read more…
Its weight is close to one ounce and it could help you boil 16 ounces of water in five minutes. It's really light! The traditional stoves are more appropriate for larger groups, but the can-stoves are ideal for couples that want to travel light.
The design and concept of the can-stove has been a trademark for over one hundred years. One of the benefits from this tiny stove is that it uses alcohol, and that can be found everywhere. Another advantage for using this stove is that it is composed of only one piece, what makes it almost error- proof. You've got to carry the alcohol in a separate container, in an empty plastic bottle after you have drunk it's content. Too bad they do not sell beer in plastic bottles!
#5: Heidibella in the Tropics on "Holiday Baking Begins"
I ended up making pumpkin pie on the Friday after Thanksgiving. I had to make something, and pumpkin pie is pretty much the #2 Thanksgiving staple after turkey. I always have a little bit of pie filling leftover and I usually throw it out but this time I made little mini pies. Read the complete post!
#6: Roman Sainz on  a very special  tree climbing adventure at the Metropolitan Park in Panama City: Tree Climbing. The photography is outstanding: so vivid and colorful!
Supposedly we where going to go to Cerro Gaital this weekend, however a tree climbing opportunity showed up and the plans changed in a snap.
So we made it to the Metropolitan park, we had a special permission to get to a Ceiba tree (which is in an area not permitted to the general public). We had Milton and Jorge, expert tree climbers and guides to de Smithsonian scientist's…Read the complete post.