The Lost Paradise of Panamá

Lago Alajuela is located about halfway between Panama City and Colon. It was formerly known as Madden Lake. It’s an artificial lake formed by the Madden Dam on the Rio Chagres. It’s used as a reservoir for the canal, should extra water be needed. The other artificial lake, and more well known, is Gatun Lake. Lago Alajuela is near Vigia where my brother-in-law and his family live. The lake is a popular place for boating and fishing.

Relatives at Lago Alajuela

Along the Interamericana, and Panama’s highways and back roads, are many restaurants and vendor stands. They sell mainly home-made food and hand-made items. There’s fast-food in some of Panama’s cities, but for the most part, you need to order and wait. In some places you can watch the meat being cooked and pick out the piece of chicken or beef you want.

That’s what we did in the below picture. Just around the corner was a video game where you could play the role of a rooster fighting another. On a small, fuzzy screen nearby were the taped fights of real roosters. I’m not advocating this, but be prepared when you go off the beaten path to see things you may not be accustomed to.

It’s October, and that means it’s ghost story time. I’ve always enjoyed a good scare. To some that work on the Canal, spirits don’t only exist above ground, but also far below.

Not long ago I was relaxing at a relative’s home as his young granddaughter ran back and forth. The sun was setting and a nice, soft breeze cooled our sweaty skin. My host began to speak about his job at the Canal. He talked in a low voice, as was his style, and I leaned forward to listen.

He said there are many tunnels around the Canal that are used for maintenance crews. Sometimes, based on the work needs, they’ll ask for a second or third shift. During a recent graveyard shift, one of the workers completed his tasks and decided to rest. He put a board between two cinderblocks and laid down. But not for long…

He awoke to the sound of voices. He thought someone was calling him. He was far beneath the Canal with only a flashlight. He strained to hear what the voice was saying as it faintly echoed in the tunnel, but he couldn’t make out the words. The voice stopped, and although the worker was a little unnerved, he laid back down.

Many Voices erupted, closer this time, and in languages he didn’t understand. Languages from all of the different groups of people that had built the Canal. In his mind, they were still there. Screaming in fear, the worker ran out of the tunnel, never to return for another overnight shift.

To punctuate the story even more, my expert Story Telling Friend said that a few days later they were cutting concrete down below, in the same general area. If you’ve ever seen a concrete-cutting saw then you know it only cuts straight. He said they made a cut, and when they were done, what they saw was the shape of the sole of a boot. An old boot. The same type of boot worn by the original canal workers.

I’m not saying the story is true or not, but like any good story… you may never know.

I took the below video at a cousin’s house. There’s a coconut tree, as well as a plantain tree. Both provide ingredients that are used daily in a wide variety of Panamanian dishes. Although the sight of palm trees swaying in a tropical breeze is common throughout Central America and most people don’t think twice about it, it’s not so common in the Far North. During the winter it will serve as a reminder that it’s warm and sunny in some parts of the world.

Below is a short video of friends and family saying, “Hola” from the suburbs of Panama City, Panamá