the beach and some rambling thoughts on the day

On Sunday we went to the beach. It was hot and sunny and perfect. The beach was predictably busy for a summer long weekend.  And traffic out of the city on Sunday morning was unpleasant and slow. But despite traffic, and crowds (and searching for parking in our usually quiet spot) it was lovely and relaxing the way the ocean always is. Toes buried in hot sand, watching my husband and kids goof around in the water is is pretty much the most soothing activity I can imagine. I didn't even read, I was mostly just still, half watching and half sleeping. It was hard to leave such perfect, drowsy, contentment and we dragged our feet (and the cooler) back up to the car.

The traffic was predictably bad on the way home. Thankfully we didn't see any accidents and it was slow but steady. We listened to the radio, to a program about January 9th. January 9th is Día de los Mártires (Martyrs' Day) in Panama. It commemorates the 1964 riot. Until I heard this radio program, I hadn't actually known it was a riot. I knew there had been an incident with the Panamanian flag in the Canal Zone and some students had been killed, but I'd never heard the details before. It was shocking frankly and it made for a very thoughtful ride home (here's a god summary of the events).

So while it was a slow drive home it was informative. It's certainly not the first time I contemplated Panama before 1999 (when the canal was reverted to Panama). But the image of students climbing a wall to plant their flag, and the chilly arrogance of the Americans in the Canal Zone (and yes I am aware that institutional racism and segregation were status quo in 1964) was compelling. I would love to see this story told from a few angles; including: the presidents (Chiari and Johnson), the diplomats and the American students and their families. Oh, and the military... Is there a movie? I don't think so. There should be a movie.

It would be interesting to see the American Colonial period in Latin America depicted in film. I used to think about this when we lived in Costa Rica. The dilapidated luxury of the Zona Americana (the former enclave of the United Fruit Company) in Quepos used to fascinate me (the country club splendor of the old tennis courts and swimming pool seemed so at odds with the grubby town at the foot of that hill).  Has anyone made a film about this, or set a novel in  a "zona Americana" of the 1950s and early 60s? I know that there are so many stories that don't get told but this seems like a gaping hole.

Panama Viejo

Four-hundred and ninety-two years ago today, Panama was founded by Pedro Arias Dávila.  I know this well because I helped my second grader prepare a little speech on the subject last week.  He was known as Pedrarias the Cruel; he had Balboa charged with treason and executed.  It seems like he was a pretty ruthless and jealous guy responsible for all kinds of brutality and slavery, but he will be remembered forever for founding Panama City.

Of course in 1671 Henry Morgan sacked the city of Panama and after that the Spanish relocated it to what is now Casco Viejo.  The ruins of the old city are a tourist attraction.  No one can resist a good pirate story.  Pedro Arias founded it, but Henry Morgan is the name every tourist associates with the place.

I am fascinated by the history of this country.  I love that the stories of conquistadors and pirates are just a few blocks away.  I have been inspired into all kinds reading about the Spanish colonization of Latin America.  That is not to say I have romantic notions about the colonial period; the Spanish conquistadors were gold-crazy slavers who committed some  unbelievable atrocities in the name crown and church.  And I think it's important that we contemplate that, and that our kids contemplate that.  As much as I hated studying history as a kid, I encourage my kids to study and think about it.  It's an important part of understanding the world we live in; it's context.

So the kids are off school today in honour of the date.  We talked about Pedro Arias quite a bit this weekend. My children's favourite detail was Balboa's execution (or poor Vasco, as my daughter calls him)  and how Pedro Arias had Balboa's head displayed on a spike.  It is the kind of gruesome detail that kids love but it's also an important reminder of how brutal the colonial period was.