Local media has been busy lately reporting about a helicopter crash that ocurred in Calidonia. The presumed faulty chopper crashed onto the Banana Price, across the street fom El Machetazo department store during business hours. I've been following the news since the first phoned-in report; so far media has reported four dead. Apparently the chopper belonged to the Servicio Aereo Nacional, codename SAN-100. Parts of the helicopter landed on the street, and fire has erupted.

By Meredith Serracin for the Panama America - Members of the "Unión de Bases Transportistas y Usuarios" (Union of Transportation Unions and Users) who oppose the "Transmóvil" public transportation project which has been announced by the government, that they will meet today at 5:00 pm to analyze the possibility of paralyzing transportation services. Sergio Molina, a leader of the bus owners union, said that with this plan the government wants to squeeze them out of this business which they have maintained all this time without any support from anyone. Molina said the majority of bus owners do not want to sell their vehicles because they are afraid they will become unemployed and end up without a way to feed their families.

La Prensa - A 76 year old woman and her grandson were almost squashed by a articulated truck loaded of enormous metal cylinders that fell on her residence in Gatún, in the area of Limón, province of Colón. The woman said she was in the kitchen when she heard a loud noise and the house shook. The wheels of the truck ended up just centimeters from her back. (Photo Credit: Amada Racero - Special for La Prensa)

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - This morning a fuel tanker carrying "bunker" fuel oil crashed and caught fire on the Transisthmian highway, the road that connects Colon and Panama City, near the cement plant. Luckily the driver was able to escape the crash and was uninjured in the accident. The fuel in the tanker caught fire, prompting police and fire officials to close the road and briefly evacuate the area, fearing a possible explosion. Eventually firemen arrived with a foam truck and extinguished the flames. Traffic was (of course) all screwed up going both ways. As of right now the fire is out and the road has been reopened.

Copyright 2008 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.

By Grant Martin for gadling.com - I hear that Costa Rica is all blown out by tourists and that Panama is the new hot destination in Central America. Why not check things out for yourself with some secret sales going on today bound for Panama City (PTY)? Delta and American Airlines got into it this morning with some discounted fares from each other's hubs. And while as of lunch time Delta availability is starting to dry up, I'm still picking up tickets in the sub 250$ range on American from several domestic cities into PTY. A quick dummy booking from Atlanta from June 12 to 16th yielded a paltry 227$ fare, while Cincinnati was 241$ and Salt Lake City was 227$. The sale only seems to be good for flights only taking place in June. Time to buck up and commit to that summer vacation that you were going to take the wife and kids on. Too bad I'm all booked up for June. Don't forget about the double elite miles promotion that's going on at American through June 15.

By Irma Rodríguez Reyes for El Siglo - On Friday night at 10:20 pm Ricardo Cedeño lived through a miracle in the flesh. He had been waiting for more than three hours for a tow truck after the van he was driving broke down on the bridge of the Southern Corridor that runs over the Bay of Panama. His vehicle was pulled off to the side of the road, and he was sitting on the retaining wall waiting for help, but what he didn't imagine was that soon rescuers would be coming to save his life, and not just to tow his car. As he was waiting, a Toyota Prado hit his car that was sitting on the shoulder of the road - the impact sent him flying off of the bridge and into the waters that were 5 meters below the bridge. The impact occurred at kilometer marker 17 on the bridge according to Edison Salinas of the Operations Department of the Souther Corridor. According to a police officer who arrived at the scene, both drivers were traveling alone and both were injured in the accident. When rescued by firemen, Cedeño showed signs of hypothermia and had a broken ankle. Ricardo Cedeño is a man, about 50 years old, and is the owner of the El Prado restaurant. When he fell off the bridge and into the water the tide had not yet come in and the muck cushioned his fall. This was probably the difference between life and death, because about 30 minutes after he was rescued the tide came in. The Southern Corridor was closed for more than an hour. Both of the injured drivers were taken by ambulance to receive medical attention. The owner of the Toyota was taken to the Hospital San Francisco at the request of his family members. Cedeño was taken to the Hospital Santo Tomás, according to the police officer.

My wife and I moved to Panama fairly recently and, to allow us to familiarise ourselves with driving here, bought an old Ford Bronco. Up until recently, it served us pretty well; however,we made the mistake of putting it into the main Ford dealership on the Transistmica for a health check and it has been off the road ever since. In February, we had a problem with the fuel pump and decided that it would be best for Ford to look at it. The diagnostic checks took 3 days and, in this time, they somehow managed to render the starter motor inoperative and damage the recently fitted clutch. They did however, replace the brakes and carry out a full oil and fluids change, for which we were (over) charged. more on this later. (more)

The FINANCIAL -- Iberia is strengthening its presence in Guatemala and Panama. Today, May 5th, it is launching a fourth weekly flight from Madrid to the capital cities of the two Central American nations. The flights depart from Madrid at 12:30 h. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Timetables facilitate connections with another 34 Spanish cities, Iberia’s 41 European destinations, and 10 cities in Africa and the Middle East. The aircraft used on the route will be Airbus A-340s, both the 260-seat 300 and the 352-seat 600 model, equipped with Iberia’s lavish Business Plus class, with more room, more comfort, and a gourmet meal service deigned by the renowned chef Sergi Arola, Business Plus passengers also get free VIP parking at the airports of Madrid, Barcelona or Valencia for seven days, special check-in facilities, and use of the fully equipped Velázquez VIP lounge at Terminal 4 at Madrid-Barajas, among many other advantages. The fourth weekly flight was added to meet demand which has grown steadily since the route was launched in October 2004. Leader in Central America - This fourth flight to Guatemala and Panama strengthens Iberia’s leadership position in the Central American market, which it has served uninterruptedly since 1971. Iberia also operates direct daily flights to Costa Rica, and connections to El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua under code sharing with local airlines. In 2007, Iberia carried 253,000 passengers to Central America, with an average cabin occupancy rate of 89.5%. In 2008, it expects to carry some 315,000 people, which would represent an 11% increase.

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - In Panama the public transportation system is based primarily on recycled school buses from the United States. By law those buses can only serve for so many years before they have to be retired, and many of them end up in service on the streets of Panama (where they are driven until the wheels fall off.) They don't have air conditioning, a major drawback in a hot tropical country where the temperatures average around 90 degrees during the day with 60% humidity or more. But, they are cheap and efficient and you can use them to get around the city. A video of a ride on a Diablo Rojo follows. (more)

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Last night the Panamanian National Police were out in force with their breathalysers in several checkpoints all over town. At least 35 vehicles were impounded and their drivers sanctioned for drunk driving. A lot of people were out partying last night because today, 1 May 2008, is Panamanian Labor Day and a national holiday.

Copyright 2008 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.