Brent Mishler, Jepson Herbaria, speaking on integrative research & specimen Digitization #gpi6

"Integrative research using digitized specimens  examples from the Consortium of California Herbaria"

And another Panamanian good morning

Buenos tardes, Panama

Paseando por el Casco Viejo de Panamá

Cathedral

My adventure for the morning was an idea to return to the "old city" I'd been to on my 1999 trip. So, I had the doorman got me a cab to my destination, which I thought was "the old city". We headed off in an odd direction, luckily the driver spoke very good English (used to work for Dell Computers and visited Austin often). Turns out that Viejo Panama ("old Panama") are ruins from the 16th century city and not to be confused with "Casco Viejo" (aka "Casco Antiguo") which is the "old city" from the 17th century.

Finally got there and the ride was $15. A Panamanian colleague told me you never pay more than $5 for any cab ride, but I paid since by that time I was happy to be anywhere except inside the white minivan I was in. Started to wander around and got a little concerned as nothing was open and not a lot of people around. I persevered  however, and enjoyed the architecture. Near the cathedral, was an alley with a lot of vendors and I picked up some things there. Walked down to the seawall and there were more people and street vendors. Bought some bracelets and was debating buying a Panama hat when a guy greeted me and started talking.

View of new Panama City

His name, he said, was Conrad G. and he was 76 years old; his grandfather built the Canal, and he was sent to American schools in the Canal Zone. During the American invasion in the 1990's, his wife was killed and he lived in a refugee camp eating MREs for two years. But he loves Americans. So I ask him, "how much should I pay for a hat?" and he says, "Ah, come with me."

We go around to a hat seller, very nice hats; they show me the different types, the different weaves, different quality. I pick one out, $80! Ask for something cheaper, find another and it's talked down to $40. Plus, I get a balsa wood box to keep it humidified and pliable.

Telephone Booth

Conrad and I continue down the street and I know realize I either need to get rid of him, or go with the flow and let him take me around. So we start to walk and I get a fabulous tour of the Casco Viejo. We go to all the buildings: Presidential Palace, Noriega's officers club, the three main churches, National Theatre. It's getting near lunch and I only had two coffees and orange juice for breakfast, so I ask for a lunch suggestion.

We go to a couple of places, but their closed. Find another and go in. Very nice. Conrad doesn't want anything, well, maybe a beer. I get a beer and a very good seafood paella. We head out and do some more sights: the Public Market (fascinating place, fruits and such, in the meat hall, they had large steel tables where they were butchering the animals, pigs heads, trotters, etc. all being cut up, blood all over the floor, flies all over the meat) then over the the Fish Market (same as the other, but all fish, huge shrimp, octopus, squid, various fish, etc.). Also, a whole row of "cevicheria" where they had tubs of various types of ceviche. Wasn't feeling too comfortable with the hygiene, so, though it looked great, I passed on it (perhaps ironically since later that night at the meeting reception they served ceviche which probably came directly from the same source).

Corner

Strolled outside of the Casco Viejo to the pedestrian mall, "The real Panama" said Conrad, full of cheap shops, dollar stores, Chinese restaurants ("I never eat Chinese food," said Conrad, "too many cats in it"). I'd been down that street before in 1998 (with Angel) and Conrad pointed out the shell of the Titanic Store (a department store) now out of business that I recalled from the previous visit).

Headed back to the Casco Viejo. I wanted to pick up the Seco and Aguardiente I didn't get earlier and also wanted to stop in the Havana Club bar and restaurant that we'd passed earlier. Got the liquor at a "Chinese store" and then stopped in the Havana Club. I had a Cuban rum mojito and Conrad had another beer. We talked about America, Panama, the world, Hell; Conrad told me how Colombians are ruining Panama and about growing up in Gamboa. We also discussed whether, perhaps, I might have a little something for him. Now, as he'd been telling me all day that American's are terrible bargainers, when he said, "Perhaps, $30 would be good." I asked him if I should negotiate him down. He said no, "I know that I'm going to go to Hell, but I'm not going to cheat you and this is good". Since it was the best $30 walking tour I've ever had, even if I could have talked him down to $10, it was worth it.

Street vendor

We head out and he was going to get me a cab back to the hotel, from a friend of his, not the "lazy idiot" we'd passed in the Independence Plaza by the Cathedral. We find his friend and I get the special $12 rate. Then my driver, Conrad and the "lazy idiot" get in a shouting match. Conrad heads off and I go with my driver while the "lazy idiot" and my driver are yelling at each other. I get in the tiny cab; the "lazy idiot" wanders off. I try to put on the seat belt, but the driver stops me, "broken". The two cab drivers then stop yelling and start laughing ... and away we go. We travel at breakneck speeds and get to the hotel in about 10 minutes.

Slideshow of selected images from the day:

View Panama in a larger map

Pete Wyse Jackson, Missouri Botanical Garden, on the World Flora project

Post-lunch hubbub at the Global Plant Initiative in Panama

The bluest eyes ... El Nino from the Iglesia de la Merced

Wandering through the Casco Viejo (aka Casco Antiguo) in Panama City today, I came across, with the help of my docent, one Conrad Grant (at least that's what he said his name was) this amazingly blue eyed El Nino in the Iglesia de la Merced.

United 1034: IAH to PTY

Houston Jet Shoes, 2013

IAH terminal C/E connector

United 364: DCA to IAH

The Presidential flight, Reagan to Bush

No, you're not missing something, but yes, no Washington Monument today

1 January 2009

Well, it was a good run, but I think that I'm going to retire the (nearly) daily Washington Monument photo. The photo stream has been going on now since 2009. During that time we've seen the Washington Monument metaphoto, the special Jim Croft/Washington Monument mashup; had the "voice of the people" poll on the importance of this photo to their lives; the 2010: 184 Views of the Washington Monument; and 177 Ways of Looking at the Washington Monument (2009).

It was fun while it lasted, but time to move on ... watch this spot to see if something else catches on ...

In case you want to look back, here are links to the photo sets for each of the past four years:

• 2012 (155 photos)
• 2011 (186 photos)
• 2010 (184 photos)
• 2009 (177 photos)

31 December 2012

62,868 air miles for 2012, 27 airports and many planes!

2012 was a busy flying/travel year, a bit busier (20,000 miles or so) than 2011, not as busy at 2010 (but just by a few thousand miles!) but more than 2009. Here are some stats from OpenFlights.

Unique
Airports 27
Carriers 10
Countries 7
Vehicles 19






Distance
Total flown  62,868 mi
Around the world 2.52x
To the Moon  0.263x
To Mars   0.0018x


View 2012 OpenFlights in a larger map

Journey records
Longest   AMS - CPT, 6,015 mi, 11:25
Shortest IAH - AUS, 139 mi, 00:46
Average   1,186 mi, 02:55

Airport records
Northernmost TXL (52.56°N 13.29°E)
Southernmost CPT (33.96°S 18.60°E)
Westernmost SFO (37.62°N 122.37°W)
Easternmost CAI (30.12°N 31.41°E)

Overall
53 segments
62868 miles
6 days 10:36

Routes
Routes
BOS↔DCA 8
DCA↔ORD 5
DCA↔DFW 4
SFO↔IAD 4
ORD↔MSP 2
DFW↔SAF 2
DCA↔LGA 2
DCA↔STL 2
DFW↔SNA 2
PTY↔MIA 2
MIA↔DFW 1
IAH↔AUS 1
SXF↔CAI 1
AMS↔CPT 1
DTW↔SAN 1
DCA↔DEN 1
DFW↔IAD 1
AUS↔ORD 1
TXL↔LHR 1
AMS↔IAD 1
DCA↔DTW 1
DCA↔MIA 1
JNB↔CAI 1
DCA↔SLC 1
OMA↔DCA 1
DCA↔IAH 1
LHR↔IAD 1
CPT↔JNB 1
SLC↔SAN 1
OMA↔DEN 1

Airports
Ronald Reagan Washin (DCA) 27
Dallas Fort Worth In (DFW) 10
Chicago Ohare Intl (ORD) 8
General Edward Lawre (BOS) 8
Washington Dulles In (IAD) 7
Miami Intl (MIA) 4
San Francisco Intl (SFO) 4
Tocumen Intl (PTY) 2
George Bush Intercon (IAH) 2
Austin Bergstrom Int (AUS) 2
Heathrow (LHR) 2
Johannesburg Intl (JNB) 2
Cape Town Intl (CPT) 2
Schiphol (AMS) 2
Salt Lake City Intl (SLC) 2
Detroit Metro Wayne (DTW) 2
Eppley Afld (OMA) 2
Minneapolis St Paul (MSP) 2
Lambert St Louis Int (STL) 2
Santa Fe Muni (SAF) 2
John Wayne Arpt Oran (SNA) 2
Cairo Intl (CAI) 2
San Diego Intl (SAN) 2
Denver Intl (DEN) 2
La Guardia (LGA) 2
Schonefeld (SXF) 1
Tegel (TXL) 1


Airlines
American Airlines 15
United Airlines 12
US Airways 8
Delta Air Lines 4
British Airways 3
Frontier Airlines 3
Virgin America 2
Egyptair 2
KLM Royal Dutch Air 2
JetBlue Airways 2

Planes
Airbus A319 11
Boeing 737-800 10
Airbus A320 5
Embraer 190 4
Embraer 170 3
Boeing 737 3
Boeing 757 3
Canadair RJ 700 2
Boeing 757-200 2
McDonnell Douglas MD-80 1
Boeing 737-500 1
De Havilla...00 Dash 8Q 1
Embraer RJ145 Amazon 1
Embraer RJ140 1
Boeing 747-400 1
Airbus A330 1
Boeing 737-400 1
Boeing 777-200 1
Airbus A330-300 1