My big guest-house at the beach in Playa Venado Los Santos Province FOR RENT!...contact me at: (507)6662-5680 or at renate@ohpanama.com

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A Taste of Panamá…

In the Panamanian cuisine there is a soup dish that is an all-time favorite with the Panamanians. Some call it “levanta muerto” or “raise the dead” soup, especially after a night out in the town because it revives body and soul… and the name of this traditional soup is the “sancocho”.

I find that the best sancocho with the most unique flavor is the one cooked under firewood and you must use the meat from a “free raised chicken”, fresh culantro leaves (not cilantro which has not the same taste), fresh oregano leaves (not the dried kind), sticky yam (ñame), salt and water. The chicken is cooked with some culantro and oregano leaves. It is left to simmer so that it softens up, and then more water and part of the yams are added so that it thickens. Then some more water, oregano, culantro, and the rest of the yams are added with a little bit of pepper.

It is served with a bowl of white steamed rice on the side.

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RECENTLY DISCOVERED 3 TOED PYGMY SLOTH

A recently-discovered species, the pygmy three-toed sloth was discovered on the tiny island off the coast of Panama in the Islands of Bocas del Toro. With a total length between 49cm-53cm it is classified as Critically Endangered on the Red List of 2006. As its name suggests, this species is a dwarf compared with its mainland relatives. In addition to its small size, the pygmy three-toed sloth is characterised by usually blotchy, pale grey-brown fur and a tan coloured face with a distinctive dark band across the forehead, from which long, shaggy hair hangs over the face. Sloths have an unusual means of camouflage to avoid predation; their outer fur is often coated in algae, giving the pelage a greenish tint that helps hide them in their forest habitat. They are known exclusively in red mangrove forests surrounding the island at near sea level.
Sloths in general are arboreal folivores that eat leaves of a variety of different trees. This is an energy-poor diet and these animals have a very low metabolic rate. Their main defenses are camouflage, stealth and stillness, whereby they avoid predation largely by avoiding being detected.

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PANAMA CELEBRATES ITS FIRST GOLD MEDAL IN ITS HISTORY !!

www.chinaview.cn 2008-08-19 09:04:29

PANAMA CITY, August 18 -- Panamanians celebrated excited on Monday the gold medal Irving Saladino won in long jump with 8.34m at the Olympic Games of Beijing, since this was the first gold Panama ever won at the Olympics.


Irving Jahir Saladino Aranda of Panama competes during the men's long jump final at the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, during Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Aug. 18, 2008. Irving Jahir Saladino Aranda won the gold. (Xinhua Photo)
Photo Gallery>>>


Panamanian media broadcasted live the competition and Panamanian people stopped activities to watch Saladino's performance.

When Saladino won the medal, it started a carnival in the city of Colon, in the Atlantic coast, people went out to celebrate the medal and the celebration also took place in other provinces.

This is the first gold medal Panama wins in the history of its participation at the Olympic Games, previously it has won two bronze medals by the runner Lloyd La Bech during the Olympic Games of London 1948.

David Saladino, father of Irving Saladino, said that "Irving has promised me to win the gold medal for Panama, and he did it" and he added that "I'm the happiest man of the world."

David also said that Irving made history because he achieved the first gold medal in the history of Panama, "he gave us a good result today, he gave us a medal that for so long we didn't have here in Panama. Ok let's celebrate Irving's triumph."

Cristina, the mother of Irving, said that "I was sure, completely sure that everything would be fine and this medal would be for Panama.

Irving's brother said that "now I can feel relieved, I had headache and I was nervous, because the jumps other competitors were performing. But, I knew my brother would give a good jump, and well, there is the medal for Panama."

The first thing Irving did, after winning the medal, was to call his family and greet the Panamanian people and he said that "the medal is yours, you are the ones who have won it. I send my greetings to all the people in Colon who have helped me a lot."




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TUNA and tuna industry depend on Achotines (Miami Herald)

photo: William Boyce AT A GLANCE: Yellowfin tuna live in tropical and subtropical seas worldwide. The fish can grow to over seven feet in length and weigh over 400 pounds. Its second dorsal fin and anal fin are bright yellow.

The future of the tuna fishing industry, not to mention the very survival of some species of tuna, may well depend on research conducted by scientists working in association with the Achotines Laboratory on Panama’s Azuero Peninsula.
The Lab was inaugurated in 1985 and for the next 8 years dedicated itself to the study of the early life stages of near-shore tropical tunas. Laboratory studies focused on the ageing, growth, nutrition and development of vision in early-juvenile tunas. Field studies in the open sea described the distribution and abundance of larval tunas in the northwestern Panama Bight.

In 1992, scientists from the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) began working with Japanese scientists in Japan on the rearing of larval tunas. Their collaboration led to the founding of a joint project initiated by the IATTC, the Overseas Fishery Cooperation Foundation (OFCF) of Japan, and the government of the Republic of Panama. The project was anchored at the Achotines Laboratory, and its objective was to investigate the culture and captive spawning of yellowfin tuna, snapper, and corvina in land-based tanks in order to provide larvae and juveniles for research purposes. When the joint project concluded in 2001, the facilities and equipment installed as part of the project became the property of the Government of Panama. In 2002 it was agreed that they would remain at the Laboratory for use by the IATTC staff in its research.

The data collected by scientists is used by the IATTC to advise its 16 member countries on how to manage their marine resources, explained Ernest Altamirano, an IATTC scientist. Recommendations are based on mathematical models for prediction, studies of climate conditions, fleet movements, fishing techniques, and tuna mortality. The United States, Japan, France, Panama, Colombia, and Vanuatu are some of the organization’s members.

The tuna mortality studies conducted at the Achotines Lab, for example, are “virtually unique in design and execution”, according to Altamirano. They’re based on investigations of such things as the early stages of tuna development, the factors that affect the fish’s growth, estimates of their population, and their movement in the open sea. Data collected at Achotines is integrated into the statistical program of the Eastern Pacific fleet, according to another IATTC scientist Osvaldo Alexis Silva.

Located on the Bahía de Achotines, the Lab site “is like a natural loading platform” says the facility’s director, Vernon Scholey, in that the sea reaches depths of more than 200m only five to eight kilometers from the coast, facilitating fieldwork and the transportation of live samples to the laboratory. There is an almost constant availability of eggs and larvae, which are otherwise difficult to come by since tuna are a pelagic species, meaning they dwell in the open sea, and are difficult to study.

Scholey explained that there are few research facilities in the world designed specifically for studying the early life history of tropical tunas, and that currently the principal programs at the Laboratory focus on breeding and rearing yellowfin tuna and skipjack.
www.iattc.org

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UNCOVERING PANAMAS SECRETS...

Flora, fauna aid climate research

Los Angeles Times / July 20, 2008

BARRO COLORADO ISLAND, Panama - High on a jungle hilltop, at an innovative research center in the middle of the Panama Canal, scientists are studying three-toed sloths, howler monkeys, and jungle flora to better understand evolution and the practical effects of global warming.

The biological secrets being studied at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute are more than just thesis fodder. Scientists say some provide clear warnings of a planet in peril and could provide clues to ways to save it.

Barro Colorado Island was formed in 1911, when the Chagres River was dammed to help create the Panama Canal. The flooding formed an isolated refuge for thousands of plant and animal species.

The Smithsonian set up shop here in 1923, when the canal was under the control of the United States. Its continued existence was assured through the terms of the canal's transfer to Panama in 1999. Now, an average 300 biologists a year from 15 countries use the institute's unique self-contained ecosystem to study animal and plant life.

"It's a precious jewel of tropical biological research," said Kate Milton, a University of California at Berkeley zoologist who has studied howler monkeys here for 30 years.

One project underway that has borne perhaps the most dramatic results is a study of rain forest trees native to the region, led by Harvard botanist Stuart Davies. Early results show that rising temperatures cause trees to grow more slowly. As a consequence, they absorb less carbon dioxide and release less oxygen into the atmosphere, a worrisome upshot of global warming.

Milton said her research on the primates' eating habits has underscored the vitamin D deficiency in the human diet "compared with our wild primate relatives."

The deficiency, caused in part by low consumption of fruits and vegetables, could be contributing to cancer, obesity, osteoporosis, and other maladies.

"Our modern Western diet has gotten us off track in terms of our health," Milton said in a telephone interview from Berkeley.

Research here took a qualitative leap forward in 2004, when the research institute installed an electronic tracking system that scientists use to monitor the movements, heartbeats, and brain waves of resident wild animals, including ocelots, toucans, bats, and agoutis, a rodent species.

The system consists of seven 10-story radio towers with which scientists track native animals outfitted with electronic gadgetry.

Niels Rattenborg, a scientist at Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Starnberg, Germany, used the system in collaborating on a study of three-toed sloths' sleep habits. (Contrary to his expectations, sloths in the wild averaged several fewer hours of sleep than those in zoos.)

"Sleep is good for human beings. We perform poorly if we are deprived of it," said Rattenborg, who this year will clock the snooze patterns of ostriches in South Africa.

© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.


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Panama Ranks 48 In List Of Most Peaceful Countries

May 20, 2008 by patrickwoolford

Panama was listed 48 in the Global Peace Index released by Britain’s Economist Intelligence Unit,
putting Panama one spot ahead of the United Kingdom.
The index ranks 140 different countries according to factors such as military spending
and respect for human rights.
Iceland and Denmark took the top spots in the rankings this year,
beating the United States by an incredibly large margin, which had a ranking of 97.
Panama’s higher ranking likely reflects the small nations relatively low crime rate
and lack of a military force.

Source:INDEX ranks US more violent than Libya (CNN.com)
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The beautiful San Blas Islands on the Atlantic side...

The San Blas islands are an example of an unspoiled paradise. The Kuna indians live on these hundreds of tiny islands just off the coast of Panama.
They have governed this autonomous province since the 1920s. They maintain their own economic system, language, customs and culture with their distinctive dress, music, dance and legends. It gives a feeling of being in another world. The men still fish from canoes and climb for coconuts as they have done for centuries. Stunning golden sands and blue-green waters are edged by the coconut palms, the idyllic islands of your dreamsThey dress just as you would expect with the women wearing the famous molas as part of their blouses. Gold around their neck, in their ears or in their nose, the arts and crafts of the Kunas are famous. The bright tropical scenery and wildlife is reflected in the colorful molas, a rainbow of reverse appliqué embroidery in geometric designs made by the Kuna women.

Snorkling is absolutely fantastic with many corals and lots of fish.

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First visitors from Germany at my new house in Playa Venao!

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IGUANA RELEASE...

The Green Iguana (Iguana iguana) is a large, arboreal herbivorous species of lizard of the genus iguana native to Central and South America.
The Green iguana is a reptile that grows to 1.5 meters in length from head to tail, although a few specimens have grown more than 2 meters and can weigh upwards of 20 pounds.

The iguana has become extinct in some countries and is endangered in others as excessive hunting and destruction of their tropical forest habitat has depleted their numbers. The green iguana depends on trees - they feed primarily on leaves, flowers and fruits from the upper storey of the forest - but as species from the forest-edge, they can also do well on farms or ranches with forested areas.
Iguana farming can provide an economic incentive to 'grow' lizards and not to fell forests to create more space for growing crops or cattle. Local farmers, who once hunted the iguana, are now learning how to raise them for food and for income generation in the production of leather handicrafts. Fat and eggs are also used for medicinal purposes.
This particular animal was rescued from a local that had gone hunting and sold it to me...

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Nov 10th. Cry of Independence Los Santos...

A small, quiet town, Los Santos comes alive to commemorate the "Cry of Independence" on November 10.

South of Chitré just across the Río La Villa, LA VILLA DE LOS SANTOS - often referred to simply as Los Santos - is where the first Panamanian declaration of independence from Spain was made on November 10, 1821. According to some versions an actual woman's shout, and by the hard historical evidence a resolution by the notables in the town of Los Santos. On the 28th of that month the rest of Panama agreed and the hard pressed Spaniards, having been taken by surprise and routed by Bolívar in Bogota, were run out of Panama with surprisingly little resistance.

This day of the year used to be just a regional 'fiesta', but has turned into a major and popular folcloric celebration in all of Panama.

The oxcart parade rules the streets in many parts of the country all the way from Chiriqui to the jungles of the Darien.

Thus November 10 is one of the countries' patriotic holidays, and every year there is a parade that winds its way from San Miguelito to Juan Diaz to celebrate the occasion. It's particularly popular with all the santeños who have been transplanted to the metro area.


Panama has three Independence Days, all in November. Nov. 3 celebrates independence from Colombia, the day in 1904 when Panama declared independence and the U.S. immediately recognized Panama and stationed warships off the coast to dissuade Colombia from trying to retain possession of the isthmus (Colombia was making too many demands in the canal negotiations).

Today, Nov 10th, celebrates El Grito, when the city of Los Santos declared independence from Spain before the rest of the country had decided to do it.

Nov. 28 is official Independence from Spain, when Panama declared independence from Spain and then later decided to remain part of Colombia.
Panamanians celebrate all of these holidays with big parades.

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Traditional Hardwood BEDS, rustic style...

These are beautiful 'madrono' beds worked exclusively with natural materials, cured and treated for long lasting! Prices depend upon sizes ordered, email me at: renate@ohpanama.com for shipping and handling.






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The latest pictures of the progress of my house at the beach...

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Great deep sea fishing in El Ciruelo, Pedasi...

Local fishing captain taking us out to the fishing grounds of the yellow fin tuna far beyond the Frailes Islands pretty much in the shipping langes.

Catch and release. Aren't they beautiful?













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HOUSE BUILDING GOING ON.....

Shopping for natural building materials in El Limon de Chupampa...











































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Carnival in Pedasi!

Did we ever have fun.....

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Another two weeks later, it looks like a HOUSE...

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Patron Saint Festival in Los Asientos de Pedasi (Holy Three Kings)

The yearly festivity of a religious holiday (holy three kings) are dearly important to the locals of the pueblo de Los Asientos, Pedasi. From bullfights, to lots of music and dancing people of the village gather from all over to celebrate their town and customs.


















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Festival | Patron Saints | Los Asientos | Holy Three Kings |

Two weeks later, the next phase...

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My house on the beach...

It's coming along nicely. Started about 6 weeks ago and built a very solid foundation, trying to keep a sustainable living style, old roof tiles, natural materials and a 'cool' feel to it. Anyone need any help? I am always available for questions.















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Recipe for Ceviche

Corvina Ceviche

Any fish or sea food can be made into ceviche, and most fish are used that way on occasion. The dish seems startling at first, for it appears to be raw. But a taste will convince you that the lime juice has done a great deal of cooking the fibers, and the hot peppers have finished the job. Ceviche is usually served as an hors d'oeuvre, but is met outside of mealtime as an excellent accompaniment to ice-cold beer and like beverages.

1/2 pound corvina fillet, cut into little chunks of 1/2 inch.
6 limes (juice only)
2 tomatoes (finely minced)
3 white onions (finely minced)
1 chili pepper (minced) or 1 small yellow pepper
1 green pepper (minced)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 large sprig parsley (minced)
salt and pepper
2 or 3 drops pepper sauce or tabasco

Mix the ingredients and spread over the fish. Let sit in the refrigerator for about 6 hrs. Make sure the fish is covered in lime.

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Buying land in Panama...

Panama investment guidelines:

Buying property in Panama is a great as well as safe investment but it’s important to be familiar with the procedures to make sure things go smoothly. The government encourages and welcomes foreigners to purchase/develop real estate in Panama. Foreigners can buy and sell Panamanian property legally and easily, while also having the security of having the same rights and protections as a local Panamanian property owner, according to Law #54. Foreign investors in Panama and the businesses in which they participate in have the same rights and duties as national or local investors and enterprises, including those that refer to the freedom of trade and industry, export and import.

The main types of properties are: Titled Property and Possession Rights Property.

Panama has a very sophisticated Public Registry with a cadastral department that oversees the registration of titled properties in the country and titled property is commonly the most preferred type since it is easily verifiable in the Public Registry and since private property is guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Panama. Titled Properties also generally incur annual property taxes when the registered value is over $30,000. The procedures to acquire Titled Property are the following: (I would recommend hiring an experienced attorney)

1. Promise to Purchase Contract which usually includes a small down payment at the signing of the contract to secure the property, provide enough time for title search, coordinate payment arrangements for the closing and form a corporate property holding structure, if applicable. This contract should be registered with the PR to guarantee that the property can’t be sold to any third parties in the interim prior to the final closing.
2. Title verification at the PR to ensure that the title is legally in the name of the seller and that it’s free and clear of encumbrances, liens, or misc. issues that could affect the free disposition or transfer of the title. Also the Cadastral map survey should be reviewed and in some cases, it’s recommended to have the survey done again to ensure accuracy and to avoid any potential boundary conflicts. Also thirdly I would recommend verification of utility debts (water, electricity, telephone and sewage.)
3. Buy-Sell Contract: This contract is registered at the PR and the seller is paid off in full, or if an escrow agent is used, payment is made once the title is transferred to the name of the buyer.
4. Title Transfer: Ownership is officially transferred to the buyer once the title is transferred to the name of the buyer, which takes place after the Buy-Sell contract is signed and registered at the PR. If the title is in the name of a corporation and the seller agrees to sell the corporation shares, then there is no transfer of title, only a transfer of shares of the corporation.

These steps are necessary for purchase of Rights of Possession over a property.

1. Promise to Purchase Contract like above.
2. Due Diligence is more complex due to the absence of a central database of information on ROP properties.
a. Verification of Certification of ROP. This certification should contain the name of owner and accurate description of the property (size, location, limits, all the neighbors, area, boundaries)
b. Survey Verification: should be stamped and signed by licensed surveyor/engineer, identifying the name of the possessor and location details.
c. Inspection: The most important details to verify are the physical occupation status, no opposition by third parties and good faith. Have the surveyor confirm the points of the land and ensure there are no boundary conflicts with neighbors. I would recommend keeping the land well maintained and fenced to clearly delineate the boundaries of the purchased land.
d. Verification of Permit: If the buyer intends to build a marina, airstrip, port etc. it’s necessary to verify if there are restrictions and/or regulations against such a construction.
3. Buy-Sell Contract: See above
4. ROP certification transfer once the ROP certification is transferred to the name of the buyer, as soon as the Buy-Sell Contract is signed by each party. If ROP is in a corporation, then seller agrees to sell the transfer shares and again there is no transfer of ROP certification only the corporation shares are transferred.
Title insurance is available through major international title insurers although Panamanian laws protect foreign investors. And NO property taxes on new construction! The Seller is responsible for a 2% transfer tax and capital gains taxes.

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3rd of November, Independence from Colombia!

Weekend celebrations of Memorial Day on 2 November and Independence from Colombia. After the Spanish conquest of Colombia in the fourteenth century, Spain established colonies in Panama, which became part of Colombia. In 1903, Panamanians, supported by the United States which wanted to build a canal across the country, revolted and declared Panama independent of Colombia.

Memorial Day on Nov. 2













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PIXBAE...the perfect food!

The Pixbae "Peach Palm Fruit", Bactris gasipaes is a species of palm native to the tropical forests of South and Central America and is a tropical fruit that is found abundantly in mountain regions and remote areas of Panama. It has been recognized by renowned chefs as "the noble Panamanian fruit," because 92% of its skin, pulp and seed are usable.

Analysis performed by experts has confirmed that as food, it is the tropical fruit that is the most balanced and the most nourishing, because it contains more protein than the avocado, has twice the protein value of the banana and its nutritional value is comparable to the hen's egg but without the cholesterol.

It is a palm which can typically grow to 20m or taller, with pinnate leaves 3 m long on a 1 m long petiole. The fruit is a drupe with an edible pulp surrounding the single seed, 4-6 cm long and 3-5 cm broad. The rind (epicarp) of this wild palm can be red, yellow, or orange when the fruit is ripe depending on the variety of the palm.

Pixbae is well known by the native population of Panama. They frequently eat the fruit peeled after being boiled in salted water. It's also eaten with honey, used to make compotes and jellies, or also used to make flour and edible oil.

The Pixbae also has a high nutritional value since it's rich in fiber, contains Vitamin A, Thiamin, Riboflavin (excellent for the blood), Niacin (very good supplement to keep good eyesight), Ascorbic acid, calcium and other nutrients.

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Pixbae

The Harpy Eagle, Panama's national bird...

The "Aguila harpia" is a very rare animal with an unknown population. This incredibly beautiful and majestic bird weighs from 5-9 kg. (males) and 7-9 kg. (females) with a wingspan of 7 feet (around 2.2 m). This is one of the largest of the 50 species of eagles and can achieve a speed of around 50 mph.

The Harpy Eagle's habitat is the tropical lowland forests like the Darien and is geographically restricted from southern Mexico, through Central and South America down to the northern part of Argentina.

In the wild the diet of the Harpy Eagle consists of small tree dwelling animals such as monkeys, oppossums and sloths.

Its head is pale grey and crowned with a double crest. The back of the animal is black and its underside is white with a black stripe or band going up the chest thus giving it a menacing look to match its reputation.

There is knowledge of about 35 harpy nests in the Republic of Panama, although there are surely more.

The country is willing to save its national bird by leaving it and its habitat alone, and that's a conscious decision that people have to be convinced to make.

Two eggs are usually laid but only one chick hatches after 53-56 days of incubation. This species has one of the longest rearing periods of any raptor; about 2-3 years can pass between the birth of the chick and the next nesting attempt.

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Balboa, Atlas, Panama, Soberana, Cristal, Warsteiner...Guinness...

Gustatory pleasures abound throughout Panama, and the pleasures extend to the beers as well. While most of the beers found in Panama are light pale lagers, Panama almost certainly has the widest range of domestic brands with Balboa, Atlas, Panama, Soberana, Cristal, HB, Balboa Ice, and a few contract-brewed beers like Warsteiner and Guinness Stout.

There are breweries in Panama, both located in Panama City: Cerveceria Nacional is the oldest and largest of the two, having been established in 1909 and accounting for roughly 70 percent of the Panamanian beer market. Cerveceria Baru is the up-and-coming challenger, with about 30 percent of the market.

Most of the beers found in Panama are light and when the temperature starts climbing along with the midday sun, there's really no refreshment on earth quite as good as an ice cold light pale lager beer.

My favorite brew is the green bottled "Panama" and I think it stands out as a beer that's really worth drinking for its flavor properties -- not just its ability to slake the thirst of a sun-drenched drinker.
At 4.5 percent alcohol, its also among the stronger beers in Panama, the others range around 3.6-3.8

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Great story on Panama City's buzzling nightlife!

TRAVELS WITH LONELY PLANET History and nightlife in Panama City

Long overshadowed by its forested neighbor to the north, Panama has finally earned its place among the world's hot new destinations. The wonder is that it has taken so long to be discovered. Like Costa Rica, Panama is packed with wildlife, teeming jungles and breathtaking highlands; it's one of Latin America's safest destinations; the currency is the U.S. dollar; and it's close--it takes less time to fly between New York and Panama than it does to fly across the United States.

But most importantly, Panama has Panama City, a steamy salsa-infused capital with a beautiful historic district reminiscent of Old Havana, dozens of restaurants, nightspots and jazz clubs, and a rich mesh of cultures all adding to the lively street scene beneath the tropical sun.

Casco Viejo is the city's colonial gem, complete with picturesque plazas, cobblestone streets and old mansions near the edge of the bay. Dilapidated for years, this neighborhood was first rediscovered by the city's artists, who came seeking cheap rents amid old-world ambience. Since then, others have followed suit, giving the crumbling homes a much-needed facelift. One of Casco Viejo's most famous arrivistes is the singer-actor-activist Ruben Blades. He is only slightly overshadowed by President Martin Torrijos, who holds court in the elegant Palacio de las Garzas, named after the slender white herons (garzas) gliding about nearby.

A wander through Casco Viejo will lead visitors past splendid churches, tiny art galleries, charming cafes and several museums, including the excellent Interoceanic Canal Museum. Exhibits here offer a wealth of information on the first railroad across Panama (built to carry prospectors from the eastern United States to the gold fields of California), the early efforts of the French to build a canal (leaving one French company bankrupt and thousands of workers dead) and the later success of American efforts (though it, too, came at a heavy loss in life). The museum is housed in a lavishly restored 1870s building that headquartered the French and later the U.S. canal commission.

Although Casco Viejo is the oldest still-inhabited part of the city, Panama's first foundations were laid a few miles east of there in 1519 by Spanish conquistador Pedro Arias de Avila. Founded as the first European settlement on the Pacific, Panama soon became a major link in Spain's golden pipeline. Gold plundered from Peru passed through Panama on its way back to Europe. This brought the city great wealth as well as unwanted attention from English pirates.

Although Sir Francis Drake left his calling card in Panama, Henry Morgan was the one who dealt the city its most lethal blow. In 1671, he sailed up the Chagres River, continued overland and, in a surprise attack, routed the city in a few hours. He and his band stripped the