Going to the RODEO

So, we attended a rodeo about an hour outside of Panama in the small town of Santa Rita. There was one big arena (about 20 yards x 100 yards) and apparently only one event - a guy on a horse chases a calf, reaches out and grabs its tail, twists the tail until the calf falls down. You get 20 points if the calf has all four feet in the air, 10 points for two feet in the air, and 0 points for a miserable failure. We ran out of steam after about an hour and a half of this particular event and drove another 30 minutes down the road to check out Gatun Lake. When we drove back a couple of hours later, they were still twisting calf tails.

Little Cowboy

How cute is this little cowboy? Notice the Panama hats instead of cowboy hats.

Find the Gringo

Can you find the gringo in this picture?

For once he's not in a suit and tie.

Crab on Rock

Vista from Ancon Hill

JimB Standing in Casco Antiguo with Panama City in Background

The Real Panama Hat

The famed Panama hats, like the one Teddy Roosevelt wore when he visited Panama, are not the real thing. The "Panama hats" were made in Ecuador and shipped to Panama for further shipment around the world. But the Panamanians do have a hat, worn by old men in the rural areas. They are not woven on one piece, but sewn together in the back, and usually have a few black stripes. They MUST be worn with the front brim turned upward - (one wonders why you wear a hat, if it doesn't cover your eyes, but nobody asked me). These photos are from the MEDRETE in Chitre.