Parque Omar

May we never cease to be surprised.

Stan and I study maps of Panama quite often.  There’s something about paper maps; they tend to give the big picture at a glance and provide perspective in terms of position and distance better than those online.  Yes, I know . . . I admit I also still keep a paper calendar in addition to my calendar in Outlook.   When we scan our paper map looking for new sites a big green glob in the city always catches out attention, Parque Recreativo Omar.  We’d been told, ooh, it’s just another city park with lots of sports arenas for kids, nothing special, but because we are winding down on our time here and our list of must-sees is shrinking, we thought why not?  Google Maps said we could walk there in 42 minutes.  The walk took us through the San Francisco district.  It’s a nearby area known for good restaurants; we passed several interesting ones we’d like to try before we leave.  As a note, most restaurants here are non-chain and are operated by the owner or the executive chef which makes for some really great food in a variety of international tastes. 

As we walked on, we began to see green up ahead.

Parque Omar is a haven in the middle of urban Panama City.  It covers 140 acres and is fantastic. This gorgeous piece of land was once a golf course until its purchase was arranged by General Omar Torrijos in 1973 and made into a public park.  What a grand idea!  Like most beautiful golf courses, it is a sight to see.  There are gentle hills, wide valleys, and long stretches of green outlined and spotted with trees that have stood here in Panama for many years.

For the last 40 years its administration responsibility has fallen under the office of the First Lady and it shows.  This park is for the people.  There are pavilions for skating, dancing – yes, there are free classes for dance, yoga, aerobics, and the like.  Some venues host weddings and concerts.  There is an art workshop, baseball fields, soccer fields, basketball and tennis courts and more.  A grotto of the Virgin Mary overlooks a vast playground that would send any 7-year old into a frenzy.  Virtually any outdoor sport or indoor recreational activity is served.  Walkers, joggers and bikers breathe in fresh, just-made air in this peaceful and tranquil green scape as they put in 3.5 miles on the wide paved paseo that circles the park.  Spacious picnic areas are scattered here and there for family gatherings and parties. 

Fancy apartment buildings stand adjacent to the fenced park grounds. Their floor-to-ceiling windows give residents a spectacular view of this lush garden in the middle of the city.  Some have secure gates that lead directly from the property to the park – it’s like having the entire park as a personal backyard!  We have found that urbanites here love having dogs; Parque Omar’s dog park is huge and there is even a separate training area set aside for those who want to teach their pet to run an obstacle course.

Artful murals decorate outdoor walls of buildings so what otherwise might be a flat unadorned wall is now something interesting and beautiful.

On the far side of the park are the swimming pool and the National Library.

Parque Omar is a cultural and recreational wonder and could be a model for any city worldwide.

Birders could spend days under the great arbors and native fruit trees finding and identifying the variety bird species that make the park their home.  We did not have binoculars nor time to sit quietly in order to locate individual birds but their songs filled the air.  And they sounded so happy!  There is a quite large number of animal species in the park as well but we only saw a spotted Variegated Squirrel, an iguana and a flock of pigeons who pestered us for crumbs as we sat to have an icy juice. 

Let’s talk about juice.  The preferred juice in Panama is not frozen, not bottled nor canned, and it surely does not come in a box with attached straw.  It’s always fresh.  The jugo de pina I had that day is made from chunks of freshly cut Panamanian pineapple whirled in a blender until silky smooth, then ice is added to the blender for a quick spin to finish it off.  Stan’s maracuja juice was made the same way—seeds strained out then put in a blender with ice and a touch of sugar.  His was tart but delicious.  I felt sure the big dose of vitamin C in our juices would help Stan finish off the last remnants of his cold and help me ward off the symptoms I sensed growing stronger and stronger. 

Stan’s sweet tooth came calling that day, he also bought a slice of cake.  While we were enjoying our drinks and cake at a picnic table near the juice stand, Stan got up to dump his trash and spotted an iguana approaching the wall just below us.  I hopped up to take a quick photo of it.  Those pigeons saw their moment and seized it.  They swarmed our table in a heartbeat!  We shooed them away but not before they snagged a big chunk of our cake.

The day was growing late and it was hot. We took our time walking back to the apartment. Once home, I realized that my ill feeling was not simply from the heat and long walk; I was indeed getting sick. All this was before we realized the “cold” Stan suffered through a few days ago was not just a cold. Next morning, boom! We both had joined the Covid club! Thank goodness for having been fully vaccinated and boostered. It knocked us down for a couple of days each then recovery started setting in. We plan to take things very easy for at least a week to keep from spreading the disease and to also all give ourselves a chance to fully recover before heading back out there. Besides, our San Blas trip is scheduled for February 3. We want to be feeling top notch then. We have looked forward to this trip to the islands ever since we arrived here.

Signing off for a few days now.

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