I think the word "chillaxin' " is insanely stupid but for some reason it comes to mind here.
A couple of weeks ago, I went to Panama, which is a beautiful country, on business. We had time to sneak away to the Miraflores locks on the Panama Canal. It was hard to take pictures because I wasn't up on the railing, so I had to hold my camera over someone's shoulder. So this is as good as it gets. What I would like to point out, though, is how narrow this thing is. I was a little disappointed, honestly. I thought it was going to be wide, like the Columbia River. I know that the real interest lies in the engineering marvel and how it was done so long ago with rudimentary equipment and the way they manufactured the locks and how 30,000 people died (nice work, France) etc, but still. Of COURSE a ton of boats have to go around Argentina instead of through the Canal. IT'S TINY! I did learn that they are in the process of building a new, wider one which will allow larger ships through. So that will be good.
Other points about Panama:
1. Here, there are slums, and there is waterfront property, and the two seldom meet. There, you would see a super nice, beach front high rise condo complex, and at the foot of it - the Panamanian version of Slumdog Millionaire. It was bizarre.
2. You know how on your commute home every night, there's always that one crazy a$$hole who speeds, cuts people off, runs lights, and generally just drives like a jerk? That's how everyone drives in Panama City. It was awesome.
3. They take the American dollar. They call their currency the Balboa. It isn't. It's all about the Benjamins there, just like here.
4. The hospital we visited was called Complejo Hospitalario Metropolitano Dr. Arnulfo Arias Madrid. Take that, Kadlec Medical Center.
5. I drank the water and did not die.
6. Also, I ate crocodile. Tasted like chicken.
Ryanne got to go first. She gave Santa a big hug, then sat on his lap and said, "Santa, I want two purple presents for Christmas." Last week she told me, "Mom, I MIGHT get TWO (holding up two fingers, in case I wasn't clear on what that meant) presents for Christmas." That has recently changed into what she has been telling all of us, including Santa: that she wants two "purple" presents. Finally today I had to ask what that meant: does the present itself have to be purple, or just the wrapping paper? "Ummmm...just the wrapping paper," she said. 
