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By Kiana Wilburg With tall buildings stretching for the sky, colourful art and craft lining the streets,Posing on one of the interview sets at the Seventh Summit of the Americasand an exotic ancient beauty still evident among efforts of modern-day development, Panama need not beg for your attention. It is commanded.It is a scenic pearl between two oceans. Culturally, artistically and economically, it’s easy to fall in love with Panama; trust me, I did.It was my first time traveling out of my 83,Wholesale Authentic Jerseys,000-square mile homeland, but no amount of reading before my trip, could have prepared me for the breathtaking experience that awaited me.The historic moment in my life was on Tuesday, April 7, 2015, when I would be heading to Panama to cover the Seventh Summit of the Americas at the ATLAPA Convention Center in Panama City. I was going alongside my KN colleagues, Rabindra Rooplall and Neil Marks, and iNews editor Fareeza Haniff.Just a few days before travelling, I recall being so worried about it and hadn’t the slightest clue about what I would need. Obviously, I packed a little of everything and to my surpriseMy view of the breathtaking Panama Canal.I didn’t need half of it.Apart from the well-wishes, I received nuggets of wisdom like, “Don’t hold bags for anyone and don’t leave anyone to look at yours,” “When you get to Panama, don’t share cabs with men,” “Try not to act too much like an outsider, try to blend in.” For the most part,Deion Jones Falcons Jersey, I followed the advice except for the last statement, of course, which did not by any means work out.The first thing to catch me off-guard was my first experience of a plane lifting off.I took my seat in the first class section of the Copa Airlines aircraft and buckled up. The plane then moved slowly towards its take-off route. I immediately engaged Fareeza in light chit chat in an attempt to suppress the growing nervousness in my stomach. But that did not work out.When it took off the ground, instantly, I could not help but feeling as though I were in a giant Ferris wheel. Then suddenly the unthinkable occurred. The plane tilted on its left.I was not scared, but I quickly reached for Fareeza’s hand and clutched onto it like my dear life depended on it. I still remember her words to me, “Calm down, Kiana. Take a deep breath.A glimpse of Panama City at sunset.Everything is going to be okay.”When the plane steadied, I felt a bit at ease but my stomach was still knotted. A small glass of white wine helped to calm my mind but even after 30 minutes had elapsed, I couldn’t keep my sumptuous meal in my tummy for too long. A kind airline hostess told me it was quite normal and assisted me with another glass of wine.After surviving two hours on a plane, I was ready to get off. I wanted to get to Panama immediately and I felt like I was being deliberately delayed in the air. What was worse was that a nasty earache stepped in, but in another hour or so,China Jerseys Cheap, we finally touched down in Panama.The earache was gone. The upset stomach disappeared. All of a sudden I felt the proverbial butterflies in my stomach and one percent Panamanian.After getting the necessaries done at Panama’s enormous airport, my colleagues and I made our way to a taxi and off we were to our respective places of accommodation.The trip from the airport to Veneto Hotel in the heart of Panama City almost left me breathless. There were all shapes and types of buildings, even the twirling ones. Each to me represented imaginative genius. The same can be said for their infrastructure. It was simply too much stunning scenery to take in so quickly.Within 20 minutes, I had arrived and checked in. After unpacking and freshening up, I was out to explore my immediate environs. The area was bursting with businesses, culture, art and craft, and mouth-watering food. I felt reborn.On my first night, I sought to discover the Panamanian delicacies in almost every nook and cranny. This trend continued until I left a week later.My first stop was a Don Lee Restaurant, providing a sort of Spanish twist on Chinese food, which sold for US$5 to US$7. Several cook shops offering varying degrees of spicy and tasty black and red peas with stewed chicken, rice and garlic bread for just about US$2,Deion Sanders Falcons Jersey, were also a great treat.Italian restaurants in the neighbourhood were also too heavenly, and the sounds of approval I made when eating convinced some Panamanians that perhaps I had Italian roots and was there to grade the food.Breakfast and Dinner kings such as Manolo’s became some of my favourite places. Food there, in my opinion, was very affordableBesides the food, Art and craft in Panama is full of life. Their creators enjoy blending bold colours into handbags while chains and earrings are made from leather, pieces of plants and even cow horns.For that moment, I reminisced about the respect for creative arts in Guyana and hoped that the same reverence can be adopted some day.Knowing a little more than the formal greetings in Spanish I believe would have perhaps made my trip way more informative. I didn’t see the sun-kissed beaches,Cheap Jerseys Free, but I did absorb the beauty of old parts of the Panamanian city, the sassy night life and one of the engineering wonders of the world—The Panama Canal.The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. At the Miraflores Visitors Center, tourists get the opportunity to have a front row seat to marvel at just how mammoth-sized ships are passed between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through large separating gates.SUMMIT OF THE AMERICASOn April 10 and 11, my time was consumed by the Seventh Summit of the Americas.It was certainly a unique opportunity to engage in exchanges with English-speaking reporters from around the world, especially those from CCTV, BBC, CNN, and journalists from newspapers in Spain, Panama, Ecuador and Bolivia.They were very forthcoming on their disappointments regarding the Summit, gave crucial insight into international reporting, world politics and shared their personal experiences with the consequences of being an aggressive reporter.In fact, I saw firsthand what this type of aggression was. I still remember the scores of reporters who hovered around the entrance of the Center like irritated bees awaiting the Presidents of Ecuador and Bolivia.So anxious were they that when the mere heads of the delegations came through the door, they were confronted by an unrelenting school of sharks, throwing one question after the other. The reporters refused to move until they got answers.It was unlike anything I have seen in my three years in the media. It was inspiring to say the least. This event, a life lesson in so many ways, also saw heads of government speaking about the progress and challenges facing their countries as well as the historic meeting of Cuban President Raúl Castro and US President Barack Obama.My last days in Panama were spent shopping in the Multiplaza and Allbrook Malls, both of which were extremely affordable.But even though Panama was truly a mesmerizing fusion of the old and new, addictively rich-tasting foods, and somewhat sober night life,Marlon Humphrey Jersey, I still missed Guyana. So much so that I was packed on Sunday night for a Tuesday morning flight. Make no mistake, I was truly impressed with Panama, but I suppose as the old saying goes, there really is no place like home.