Oh for the Taste of a Good Daiquiri

     The Daiquiri is said to have been invented by Jennings Cox, an American mining engineer, living in Cuba at the time of the Spanish-American War. The name “Daiquiri” is from a beach near Santiago de Cuba. The drink was originally served in a tall glass packed with iced cubes, something strong, something weak something sour and something sweet was the recipe.   It was a really easy recipe of fresh lime juice, sugar, rum and ice. This is to this day one of my favorite cocktails when I'm in a bar that really knows how to make them.   El Floridita and Sloppy Joe's in Havana make some of the best I have ever enjoyed.  The drink was available only in Cuba until 1909,  U.S. Navy medical officer, Admiral Lucius W. Johnson, introduced it to the Army and Navy Club in Washington, D.C..  Over the next two decades the cocktail gained popularity here in the states. 

     The Daiquiri has taken many turns over the years, but it was changed by Constante Ribalaigua in the 1930's with the addition of finely shaved ice and stirring with a mixer that resembles on that was found in an American soda shoppe of the time.  This was the advent of the "Frozen Daiquiri" and the beginning of a set of legendary daiquiri's from the El Floridita.  One of the more famous ones was the "Papa Dobles" Constante created for "Papa" Hemingway, where he removed the sugar and doubled the rum to suit Hemingway's taste.

A favorite of President John F. Kennedy and  Earnest Hemingway, the daiquiri became increasingly popular in the 1940′s with wartime rationing of whiskey and vodka made them hard to come by.  Franklin Roosevelt’s “Good Neighbor Policy,” opened up travel, relations and trade with Cuba, Latin America, and the Caribbean, making rum readily available.

     Today there are a lot of "slushie" machine "daiquiri's" out there, but only a few can still create the fine taste and texture of an original daiquiri.   Take the time to mix on at home, it is one of the simplest of cocktails.  Whether you make it frozen, chilled or on the rocks, it is a classic and flavorful rum cocktail that never goes out of favor with people that drink them.  ;o)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Windy and Rainy Evening: Good Sleeping Weather

     The great thing about living on a boat is the easy motion and how it really helps you sleep literally like a baby.   The other night a blustery storm that was more about the wind than the rain blew through and kept the boat rocking all evening long.  I slept like a log and felt so good in the morning that I had to write about it.  ;o)

2014 Miami Rum Renaissance Festival Starts in Two Weeks

  

     The 2014 Rum Renaissance Festival is literally just around the corner.  If you haven't gotten you tickets this is time to get it done.  There is a special BOGO offer happening right now for the VIP tickets.

     The festival will open to the public on Saturday, April 26, and Sunday, April 27, from 3 - 7 p.m. VIP ticket holders can access the festival at noon each day. General admission is $50 each day and VIP admission is $75 per day. In addition, a three-day VIP ticket is $150 per person. The festival is offering a special "friends and family" BOGO special in VIP tickets. Until April 14, use code FFD14MRF when ordering and you'll receive two VIP tickets for the price of one. All tickets are available online at rumrenaissance.com or by calling 877-855-3378.

     No matter which tickets you are looking for, or which days you are going to be there get you tickets now.   I'm still looking forward to meeting many of my readers and answering questions from the "Ask and a RumXP" booth or just circulating around the floor.   The seminars, the rums and all of your question that can be answered by the rum producers, distributors, bartenders and journalists.  This is the largest and most fun rum event, don't you miss it.   ;o)

Why Do Americans Love so Much Sugar in Their Cocktails?

     This is a question that I ponder most days when I am behind the bar.  It bothers me that people that
visit the bar are so hooked on sweetening their drinks to the point that they can not taste the flavors of the liquor that they bought the cocktail for.   I know that I use the diet mixer to avoid the sugar and calories, but retain some of the sweetness for taste.   I guess the ones that leave me wondering are the ones that buy expensive aged spirits and bury them in a sugary cola or other mixer.

     When I started my Weight Watcher program several years ago, I became aware that there was almost no sugar in natural white rums and if I stayed away from sugared mixes I could still enjoy my rum and loose weight.   I came across an article this morning that really put things into perspective as to the amount of sugar that is being added to my cocktails without the customer realizing it.
    

   Rachel Berman, a registered dietitian and director at About.com Health, thinks that even with labels, consumers will still have to be savvy shoppers to understand what they're really getting in their drinks.    "I'm a fan of transparency when it comes to labeling the amount of calories in beverages. However, including nutrients like fat and protein may make it a bit tricky, since the presence of those nutrients may make alcohol look healthful," she told Fox News.

     "Bar drinks can also vary widely in calories and sugar content. For example, a Cosmopolitan (a favorite of any Sex and the City fan) made with a sugar-free mixer and only vodka can have as little as three grams of sugar. But a bartender using triple sec and cranberry juice can craft a Cosmo that contains about 12 grams. A margarita made from standard commercial mix, versus fresh limes, can have as many as 576 calories and 55 grams of sugar. That's like eating three and a half Krispy Kreme glazed donuts."

     "A glass of wine, beer, or a spirit straight-up will be your best bets for a low-sugar beverage. It's typically what's added into your alcohol that contributes excess sugar and calories," she said.

     "Some people are surprised to learn that spirits like vodka, white rum, tequila and whiskey, while high in calories, contain no sugar or carbs. So it's important to pay attention to the choice of mixers. Not surprisingly, a little juice or a splash of sugary soda can really add up."

 

Read more at  http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014/04/08/sugary-cocktails-what-really-in-that-drink/

 

      The next time you order a Naked Turtle, Shellback, flavored spirits, or even Captain and Coke, you might as well be dipping a piece of chocolate frosted cake in the cocktail, there is really that much sugar involved.   Diets don't mean that you have to quit drinking quality spirits, but rather just look at the sugar content of what you are drinking.    Just like quality vodkas and gins, good white rums have virtually no sugar.   There are many of these honest white rums that you can use for mixing with water, soda or diet mixers and maintain an extremely low sugar intake.   Be aware of what all is going into your cocktails, this will allow you to have your cocktails and have the weight keep falling off as well.  ;o)

   

 

 

 

Rum and Tonic?

     So many times I'm asked what do I drink when you are out?  It is very simple really, Ron Llave Blanco Rum and Canada Dry Diet Tonic with Lime.  Then the response, I thought you were a rum connoisseur?  Actually I am, but when I'm out at a bar it is very hard to find quality rums to sip, so I enjoy clean white rum and diet tonic, add a squeeze of lime and turn me loose.
    

     The Gin and Tonic was originally made to prevent and treat malaria. In India and other tropical regions, malaria was (and in some places continues to be) a persistent problem. It was discovered in the 1700′s that quinine (a natural white crystalline alkaloid found in the bark of the cinchona tree and still used today as an ingredient in tonic water) had fever-reducing, antimalarial, painkilling and anti-inflammatory properties, and could be used to prevent and treat the disease.

     The drawback?  Quinine had a very bitter and unpleasant taste. British officers in India in the early 19th century took to adding a mixture of water, sugar, lime and gin to the quinine, thus making the drink more palatable.  Soldiers in India were already given a gin ration, and the sweet concoction inevitably made sense. The Gin and Tonic was born.

 Read More at  http://chilledmagazine.com/Whats_Chilling_Right_Now-detail/delicious-variations-of-gin-tonic-cocktails/

  

     Living like a pirate down here in the Tropics of America, (Key West) I have to be concerned with malaria and scurvy, a good dose of tonic (containing quinine) and some good fresh lime juice and my health is all cared for.   The fact that I like the taste and it has very few calories are the real reasons for my imbibing it. 


Bahama Bob's Daily Prevention Cocktail

• 2 oz. Ron Llave Rum Blanco
• Canada Dry Diet Tonic with Lime
• Juice of 1/4 Lime

Place all ingredients except the lime into a 12 oz. glass filled with ice shake until chilled and squeeze juice from a 1/4 lime into the mix and discard the shell of the lime.  No garnish necessary.

     Sit back of the aft deck or the bar on the dock and relax and enjoy your medicine.  ;o)

Margaritaville Sold

  

  Margaritaville Restaurants are being sold to Brazilian fast food restaurant chain International Meal Company.

     Brazil-based International Meal Co., a franchisee of the Margaritaville casual-dining brand, is buying the 10-unit Margaritaville and two-unit LandShark Bar and Grill chains from Orlando, Fla.-based Margaritaville Enterprises. 

     Sao Paulo-based International Meal Co. Holdings S.A. owns and operates Margaritaville franchise units in the Puerto Rico and Panama airports and has worked with Margaritaville since 2010. IMC also owns 386 casual and quick-service restaurants in Brazil, the Caribbean and Mexico, emphasizing units in airports, shopping malls and along major highways. 

   

    Musician Jimmy Buffett, who initially developed the company around his song "Margaritaville," said in a statement that his relationship with IMC chief executive Javier Gavilan and chairman Juan Carlos Torres over the past several years set the stage for the deal. 

     "I only see good things for our friends, our employees and, most of all, our customers happening as a result of this arrangement," he said. "To paraphrase a song I am a little familiar with, we are taking our attitudes to new latitudes." 

     IMC is purchasing the domestic restaurant assets of Margaritaville, including a notable location in the Flamingo hotel in Las Vegas. Exact terms of the deal were not disclosed, and officials from IMC were not available for an interview by press time.

Read more at http://nrn.com/mergers-acquistions/international-meal-co-buy-margaritaville

 

     International Meal Company (IMC) is a Brazilian holding company in the food service sector operating fast food restaurants.  It was founded in 2006 by Advent International and operates 386 restaurants with approximately 14,000 employees in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, and Dominican Republic.   The company's restaurant brands include: Viena, Franngo Assado, Wraps, Go Fresh, Brunella, Gino"s, and Airport Concepts / Airport Shoppes.

 

     This could spark so additional growth for the famous chain of restaurants and casinos.  Keep an eye out for more Margaritaville restaurants in airports and other places throughout the Caribbean.  ;)

 

 

 

Back again by Popular Demand: Bahama Bob's Painkiller Recipe

Mic, Barman at the Soggy Dollar Bar

  For all of those that were disappointed that I did not include the Painkiller recipe in my book, and missed this article before, here is your chance to get to know about it.   The painkiller is a great drink who's origins go to the Soggy Dollar Bar in White Bay, Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands.        

     According to the Soggy Dollar Bar  web site, here is how it goes.  "Originated and Perfected at Sandcastle's Soggy Dollar Bar in the 1970's, this smooth, full-flavored rum cocktail has become the essence of Caribbean imbibing.

The correct concoction of premium dark Rum, Cream of Coconut, Pineapple and Orange Juice (proportions are secret), topped with fresh grated Grenadian Nutmeg makes the swim (no dock) to the Soggy Dollar Bar worth the effort.

Perhaps it's the setting of White Bay, the thirst from the swim, the perfect blend, or just because of the tradition of the Original Painkiller at the Soggy Dollar… whatever the reason, Welcome and Enjoy"

     Today in the United States, it is a "trademarked cocktail" by Pusser's Rum, there for to be called a "Painkiller" it must be made with Pusser's Rum.  This is not a bad thing, the Pusser's Rum has a unique flavor and is very well suited to the flavor profile of the "Painkiller".

Bahama Bob's Painkiller

• 2oz. Pusser's Rum
• 2oz. Cream of Coconut
• 2 oz. Pineapple Juice
• Splash of Orange Juice

Place all ingredients into a pint glass filled with ice.  Shake until chilled, top with fresh ground nutmeg and garnish with an orange wheel and a cherry.

   I hope this takes care of those who were disappointed that it wasn't in the book or missed it the last time I published it.   Enjoy your fun and flavorful "Painkiller" at home now.  ;o)

 

Communicate the Message: Under 21 No Alcohol Period

MADD Campaign: Parents Should Tell Kids Alcohol Use 'Completely Unacceptable' Before 21

 

     'Do they really believe it is that simple?' asks former Mulberry College president.

 

     Mothers Against Drunk Driving launched a new campaign with Nationwide Insurance on Tuesday, encouraging parents to communicate a "clear no use" message about alcohol to children under age 21. 

     "It's crucial for parents to have ongoing, intentional conversations with their teens about alcohol, but it's also important to make sure the message they're sending is clear - no alcohol before 21," said Bill Windsor, Nationwide Insurance's associate vice president of consumer safety, in a press release. 

     "Our kids are listening; but what parents say and how they say it makes all the difference," added MADD National President Jan Withers. 

     The new campaign is premised on an online survey of 655 high school students - most of them between ages 14 and 18 - by SurveyMonkey. Around 70 percent of respondents said they had never consumed alcohol. 

     Around 59 percent of the respondents said their parents found it "completely unacceptable" for someone their age to drink - 8 percent of whom were active drinkers, according to MADD. The remaining 41 percent said their parents found it either "somewhat unacceptable," "somewhat acceptable" or "completely acceptable" - and 42 percent of that group were active drinkers, MADD said.

 

Read more at  http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/04/01/madd-campaign-parents-should-tell-kids-alcohol-is-completely-unacceptable-before-21 

 

     This is a so very true, communication with your children is so critical to their behavior.  There have been TV ads dealing with alcohol and with drugs being consumed by children, telling how you need to talk to your children.   Believe it or not, children do listen to parents when you take the time to talk to them.  Time spent talking before the problem raises its ugly head is so much more beneficial versus punishment for getting caught.  If you don't let them know your feeling on the subject, they will act on their own curiosity or peer pressure rather that your advice.   Just talk to your kids and make them aware of your feelings on the subject.  ;o)

The Dawning of a New Sunday

     I love the early mornings down here in Key West.  After a stint in North Carolina last week, I'm really happy to be walking down the dock at dawn and enjoying all the beautiful colors and the sun starts to bring light back to the island.  Hope your morning is just as enjoyable and you have a wonderful day.  ;o)

Washington is at it Again

Not Actually, but the same thinking is appearing again

     Here we go again, trying the same old tactics that were tried with a miserable failure during Prohibition. 
 

     "Following the American Revolution, Congress taxed citizens for the first time when it added 25 cents to the cost per gallon of whiskey. Although the public initially refused to pay, to this day Congress continues to tax liquor. So does each state."

     "But Congress is reconsidering its approach to the alcohol excise tax in the form of two bills that, if passed, would reduce the federal tax on beer, which is now 5 cents per bottle."

 

     "In practice, the excise tax on alcohol has been a revenue measure, even though back then Alexander Hamilton said it would not be a bad thing if it encouraged temperance." said Philip Cook, professor of public policy and economics at Duke University. "But if we do take seriously the issue about health ... then there is a very strong case for restoring the tax level . and (making it) higher."

 

     "Doubling alcohol excise taxes for beer, wine and liquor would "be associated with an average reduction of 35 percent in alcohol-related mortality, an 11 percent reduction in traffic crash deaths, a 6 percent reduction in STDs, a 2 percent reduction in violence and a 1.2 percent reduction in crime," the report said."

 

     "By the late 1800s, the alcohol excise tax was the largest domestic revenue source for the federal government. It was replaced during Prohibition by the newly implemented income tax. Since repeal, it has returned and has been raised periodically."

 

Read More at  http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20140329/NEWS01/303290108

 

     I remember the same arguments some years ago about the cigarette industry, the doubled and tripled the tax until cigarettes went from $1.00 a pack to nearly $10.00 a pack and the only real effect is that it is harder for the people of lesser means to buy their cigarettes which they still buy, cutting out other things that should be of more importance.

 

     If the government would spend as much time cutting the pork out of the budget as it does taking the easy route of adding more taxes, the behemoth  we call our government would not cost us like it is.    It is the government's job to be smart and take care of the issues that were set up in the Constitution, but rather they spend their time creating more and more financial problems for the country.   

 

     You are not going to stop people from drinking their beer, wine and spirits by taxing them to death.   Spend your time cutting the fat out of the system.  Congress and the Senate spend more money playing "Politics" than they do actually solving problems.  ie. the latest Supreme Court decision to basically eliminate limits on political fund raising.   Plane and simple people, we need people in office at all levels that will take their job serious for "We the People" and less interest in just lining their pockets.  ;o)

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Mojito According to Bahama Bob

     The Mojito is one of my favorite cocktails and one that is actually very easy to make properly.  But, to many really creative ideas have really ruined it.   This is a cocktail with it origins in Cuba during the days of slaves cutting sugar cane.   The slaves are the ones that have been given credit for it's creation and I feel rightfully so.  The cocktail has come to the forefront in popularity in recent years and still one of the most refreshing cocktails ever.

     The trick to a good Mojito is don't over think it.  It is simply lime, sweetener, mint, rum and club soda, anything else is just there to cover up mistakes.   Two things ruin mojitos, over muddling and lime rind, both release bitter tars that can not be sweetened away.   Follow these simple instructions and you will have yourself a really tasty mojito even at home.

Bahama Bob's Mojito

• Juice of 1/2 Lime
• 1/2 oz. Sugarcane Syrup
• 7 to 10 Mint Leaves
• 2oz. Clean White Rum (not sugared or with flavors added)
• Top up with Club Soda.

Squeeze 1/2 lime into the glass, add sugar cane syrup and mint leaves.  Now muddle gently with a smooth end muddler, mint is an herb and only needs to be bruised to release the flavor.  Fill glass with ice add the rum and shake until chilled.  Top up with Club Soda and garnish with a lime wheel and/or a sprig of mint.

   Follow these simple instructions and you will be enjoying a first class Mojito at home tonight.  ;o)

Bahama Bob's Barrel Juice will be Available in May

     The newest in the line of Bahama Bob's Juices is going on sale in May.  This one is going to be similar to the Bahama Bob's Bark Juice currently being  sold at the Rum Bar in Key West.  Barrel Juice is being made from cut up pieces of old rum barrels from the Cayman Islands.  They have been soaked in Rhine Wine and agave nectar until saturated, then the wine and agave nectar are then dumped out and the bottle refilled with 151 proof rum.   This is allowed to sit for a time aging the rum in the barrel pieces providing a wonderfully flavorful experience.

     This is the third in the lineage of Bahama Bob's Juices, and hopefully just as flavorful as the Bark Juice was before it.   Bahama Bob's Root Juice was the original, followed by Bahama Bob's Bark Juice, and soon to be available the newest of the  juices, Bahama Bob's Barrel Juice.   Both of these juices have been very successful at the Rum Bar in Key West over the past 5 or so years, and I look forward to the newest of the juices to follow right along in popularity.


     Thursday May 1, 2014 is the projected introduction date for Bahama Bob's Barrel Juice and we are looking forward to having so many of you that have been enjoying the previous expressions around to try it.  

     The  barrel pieces come from the fine people at the Cayman Spirits Company, makers of Seven Fathoms Rum and many other fine rums .   These pieces are cut from the old barrels, they were intended for use in bar-b-que pits along with the charcoal to create a better flavor for grilling, but I think that it will really be better used to enhance the flavor of some really good rum instead.
 

      Like its predecessors, Barrel Juice is a one of a kind in that as the jug gets down to the point where another bottle can be added, it will be and the juice will be replenished until such time that the wood has run it's course and is no longer smoothing the rum.  Then I will hopefully have a new idea and a new juice to replace it.  Most of these have lasted 2 or more years before the  flavor and smoothness begin to fade.  Let us see if the barrel pieces do better as far as their longevity.  ;o)

Homeward Bound Today

My lodging on Lake Norman

    It is always nice to get off of the rock once in a while, but I find that no matter where I roam or visit, I ultimately love getting back to Key West.   This little rock provides me with a lot of comfort and inspiration to keep writing, and pressing ahead with new projects and lots of fun.   Though the trip was a business trip, I did find some time in the evenings to get together with a number of old friends.   Always good to see them when ever I get up this way and have the opportunity.

Karaoke with Gary Woods

     Today I board a jet in Charlotte and in just over 2 hours I will
be back on the boat and picking up life where it left off on Sunday evening.   Wednesday is not a real exciting day for most people, but for me it is a chance to get together with a lot of friends at the Hurricane Hole and make some noise.  Yes, it is Karaoke night with my friend Gary Woods spinning the discs.   There is a regular crowd of us crazy people that are brave enough or at least drunk enough to go up and belt out a song or two, but mostly just having a fun evening.  

     My arrival back at Key West at 5:11pm gives me just enough time to get to the boat, toss the luggage aboard, change and be at the Hurricane Hole by six for the start of karaoke.    It is always fun on the road, but the old adage of "there is no place like home " rings so true for me when I get to return to my fun little island.  ;o)

Home Sweet Home and at the Hurricane Hole



Taking Care of Business The Story of Raul Vasquez

     Raul Vasquez owned what is now the Speakeasy Inn and Rum Bar during Prohibition.   This is a great story adapted from an article in Martello, a publication of the Key West Art & Historical Society, from 1967­ ten years after Raul Vasquez passed away.

 

This is a true tale of one Raul Vasquez, an enterprising resident of Duval Street who needed to provide for his family and knew of a way to get it done.

Prohibition was a sad state of affairs visited upon those United States citizens who occasionally liked to indulge their taste for alcohol. For almost four years, it was illegal to manufacture, import, export or sell the spirit. Government Agents busted distilleries and raided speakeasies in cities around the country. But who was looking at a little island down off the coast of Florida? Only the drinkers (and those who supplied them,) it seemed.

Key West was a wide-open city, and both residents and tourists alike kept suppliers working night and day bringing in boatloads of rum from Havana. There were few legitimate, good paying jobs in 1930's Key West, so in order to make ends meet, Raul Vasquez decided to become an supplier..

He had never been to Cuba, but he knew it was 90 miles south of Key West. He knew there was rough water, but he had been out in the Gulf Stream many times and wasn't afraid.

He had a small but sturdy boat with a pretty good engine that he figured would average about five miles an hour, so that he ought to be able to make the journey to Cuba in a day and a night.

Navigation had never been a matter of special interest to him, as he went from Island to Island and had never got lost. But since Cuba was away over the horizon Raul felt that he should have some means of knowing exactly in what direction he was going. He bought a small compass and discussed its use with some of his fishermen friends.

He also needed some assistance­ someone to load and unload the cases of liquor he expected to acquire, and so he got a waterfront character who had been out with him before. Then, with some water jugs and plenty of gasoline, they headed out to sea, generally following the path taken by steamers. Inasmuch as the one-man crew did not know their destination, he didn't show alarm until the boat was well out of sight of land.

As this occurred when night was coming on, Raul suddenly had a mutiny on his hands and was obliged to use his pistol to keep the "crew" subdued.

Also, Raul noticed that his compass acted peculiarly when he moved one way or another around the engine, and that the needle seemed to point at the engine rather than "due north." This presented a problem, but Raul had heard that a boatman could steer by the stars, and so he tried to keep going in a direction consistent with a star that he chose. Somehow, he made it to Cuba, though not on the schedule he had set for himself and not anywhere near Havana.

It took him five days, in fact, to get to the capital and pick up his load of liquor. The mutineer accepted the situation and helped load the boat. The dealer who was supplying the bottled goods thought Raul's boat was merely a dinghy and that he was going to transfer his cargo to a larger boat outside the harbor.

Raul got some more information about navigating before setting out on the return journey because Key West, he could readily see, was not going to be very easy to find.

He had engine trouble, and the heavily overloaded boat floated helplessly and perilously in some very rough seas for many hours. They came close to running out of fresh water, and Raul was a very tired and bewildered and worried man, but he refused to lighten the boat.

He was somewhere in the vicinity of Big Pine Key when he finally sighted land. He made for shore and encountered another boatman from whom he tried to buy water, gasoline and food. The man, however, suspected Raul had liquor aboard and he demanded some of it. Raul had to give in, and surrendered a single bottle. He boasted for years that, after all he had gone through bringing the rum back to Key West, he'd only lost that single bottle.

Raul led a very interesting life here in Key West and became a legend of the era and the years following prohibition, he opened Raul's Club on South Roosevelt  in the area of the  East Martello.    Raul's Club would bring in famous entertainers for the locals to enjoy, and was also know for Raul's trained fish on display at the club.   The club was a lavish place with an impressive interior décor and served up a fine dining experience as well.,  This became a local favorite until his death in 1957.   ;o)

 

Old Town Panama City Through the Windshield

     Panama City is a bustling metropolis and the Capitol of Panama.  Just across the bay is Old Town, also known as Casco Viejo.  Panama City was founded on August 15,1519 and it lasted 152 years.   On January 1671, the Governor Juan Perez de Guzman had it set on fire, before the attack and looting by the pirate Henry Morgan.   In 1672, Antonio Fernández de Córdoba initiated the construction of a new city, which was then founded on January 21, 1673.   This city was built on a peninsula completely isolated by the sea and a defensive system of walls.   Today this place preserves the first institutions and buildings of the modern city of Panama.  It is known as Casco Viejo (Spanish for Old Town).   This is the historical district of Panama City, with an incredible array of sights to see.  It has classic narrow streets and classic Spanish Architecture.   The Oldest of the remaining building are ruins of some very old churches. 

     “The ruins of the church and convent of Santo Domingo is one of the most important monumental colonial Old Town of Panama. The flat arch is part of this church and is known to be a genuine construction of masonry. The Dominican friars began to build their church immediately after the founding of Casco Viejo. But the fire of 1756 burned all the woodwork and the church was not rebuilt - but the flat arch still stood.” 

     Just driving through the narrow streets gives you a perspective for the lifestyle of the times.  Today many of the buildings are being restored and Old Town is really breathtaking.  The cobblestone streets just glisten in the dampness of the light rain that just fell.   There is barely room for one car to pass at a time and the sidewalks sometimes must be used when two cars meet in the street.

 

 

     Looking across the bay, you can see the massive tall modern buildings of Panama City.  The dichotomy of the two parts of the city is like night and day.   From the old stucco and masonry to the steel and glass structures of today make for an interesting comparison.

     There are many shops and colorful park like areas in Old Town, and it is easy to spend hours just roaming around here.    The structures just amaze me as I wander through the streets and parks, continuing to find new thing that turn my head around every corner.    Should your travels take you to Panama and Panama City, spend an afternoon in Old Town.  The experience was like so many of the other historic cities I have had the pleasure of visiting in the Caribbean.  Casco Viejo boasts the impressive structures built by hand before the days of high tech materials and equipment.

     The trellis covered walkways with so many colorful flowers and vines make this a very warm and fun walk through the park.   Between the historic and the natural beauty of the area, this is one of the really fun strolls you might find anywhere.   ;o) 

Good Evening My Friend

     Just after sunset here in the Keys, the birds make their last passes at securing dinner and head back to their aerie's for the night.   This time such a calming period to just sit on the docks and enjoy the closing of the day.   Lets see what the evening brings us.   ;o)