Memories of Growing Up....
Running across stickers in
your barefeet to see who wins ... waving at the guys in the ships as they go through the
entry to the canal ... splashing at Goofy Lake ... attending Mass at the Golden Altar
church ... dancing at the Hilton ... loving kinkajoos ... chasing the rain ... eating
michas ... Carnival ... sliding down the hills on palm fronds ... riding the chivas with
your friends ... a kiss under the palm trees at Rio Del Mar beach ... a picnic at Summit
Gardens ... a drive thru the Forest Preserve ... fun and games at Contractor's Hill ...
Saturday afternoon at Amador Beach ... riding the Panama Railroad ... wading in the
Goethals Memorial ... sunrise from Gold Hill the morning after graduation ... the
submarine races out on the causeway ... a "real" tropical rainstorm ... Sosa
Hill burning ... Christmas tree burns ... dances at the Tivoli ... skinny dipping at
Cocoli Lake ... walking the Las Cruces Trail ... weekends at Santa Clara ... French Fries
and gravy ... the Owl Show at Diablo Theatre ... Ring-a-levio at dusk ... Going home when
the streetlights turned on ... Sliding down Admin hill ... Sunset over the Caribbean ...
warm water to swim in ... the sound of tropical birds flying over your head ... ships
transiting thru the lock chambers and silently passing over the Gatun Lake ... tree stumps
sticking up in the lake area, seen from the train window ... sunshine on your face ... the
beach ... the Spillway with all gates open ... ginup season ... eating limes with sugar
... Lucho y su conjunto ... the sweet sleep with rain on a tin roof ... train rides to
football games on the "Other Side" ... Albrook's "sneak preview ... Cayuco
races ... Pina Beach ... Devil's Beach ... Fort San Lorenzo ... Ski Docks ... Gulick
Heights ... Battleball at Margarita Gym ... hanging out in a hammock ... the "other
side" being the opposite side of wherever you lived ... army deuce and a half's
rumbling thru town ... jeeps full of G.I.'s whistling at the girls ... the beauty of blue
skies and white clouds on a Dry Season day ... warm rain ... enjoying mango season, from
green to ripe ... hearing the sounds of Colegio Abel Bravo's band floating across the bay
from Colon ... the sound of Colon kids shuffle-step marching to school in the morning ...
onion rings at the American Legion ... KC hamburgers ... the Auto Cine ... panning for
gold in Pecora River ... the Squirt ... water gun fights in the halls of BHS ... Fourth of
July celebrations at Balboa Stadium ... the majestic banyon trees on Roosevelt Avenue ...
steak sandwiches at Gamboa Golf Club ... garbage cans rumbling down Diablo Hill ... an
empty lock chamber ... swimming at K-9 ... the DDT truck ... Burning beans ... leaf cutter
ants ... bull thorn bushes with fire ants in them ... Black Palm berries ... sticking
Hibiscus buds on your face ... weekends at Taboga Island ... 25 cycle electricity ... the
town of Rousseau ... camping out ... setting the jungle on fire ... Camp Chagres Boy Scout
Camp ... meat on a stick ... the lottery ... mango fights ... Putting mustard on your
straw cover and blowing it at the ceiling in the Balboa Clubhouse so it would stick there
... Balboa Police Station (enough said) ... green police cars ... Frank Rybicki ... Nancy
trees ... Empire Range ... the Third Locks ... Far Fan Beach ... green mangos and salt ...
Teen Clubs ... swimming in the ditches after a big rain ... Chorerra Falls ... Operation
Banyon Tree ... BHS letters on Sosa Hill ... cases of soda delivered to your home for a
dollar ... stalk of bananas hanging in the closet ... Chinese Gardens ... Cocoli Gun Club
... Rubber map of the Canal Zone at the Civil Affairs Building ... Draft Board Local #1
... Mr. Knick's office ... getting overseas pay while stationed at Ft. Amador ... running
away from home ... collecting snakes ... Dave Furlong and The Pub ... the Chicken Coop ...
Trick or Treat till midnight ... Friday night at the skating rink, then walking fast to
make the Owl Show ... Santa in the big sleigh at Mr. Townsend's garage on Santa Claus Lane
... the American Legion floor sinking with the music ... Saturday Speedboat Races at
Cristobal Yacht Club and Miraflores Lake ... the Saturday afternoon matinee ... swimming
races for movie tickets during summer vacation at Gatun Pool ... laying in the grass and
gazing a the vast array of stars at night, feeling the earth spin ... walking the railroad
tracks from the Aids Bldg. to the Gatun Yacht Club ... line-fishing with breadballs for
crawdads at the police launch shed ... catching guppies at the pond ... eating c-rations
... fishing on the Chagres River ... climbing trees ... skydiving over CocoSolo/France
Field ... ceviche at the Police Lodge ... 25 cent rum and cokes at the drive in theatre
... sneaking on board ships docked at Pier 1 ... visits to the Leper Colony ... Spaghetti
night at Amador Officers' Club ... Chop Suey and wontons from the Balboa YMCA ... meatball
sandwiches from the Napoli ... Friday nights at "El Rancho" ... Johnny Mazetti
from the Clubhouse ... Salchicha in michas at the car wash ... skipping school to go to
"carnavalito" ... Midnight Mass at St. Mary's ... drag races at France Field ...
beer chugging contests ... Bobby "Bano" Engelke's moonshine ... sneaking into
Balboa Theatre ... going to the Hilton to hear Leroy Lewis (and to gamble) ... toad
hunting at night ... high test cigarettes at the Metropolitan ... Margarita's "Snob
Hill" ... Tony Dyer at Margarita Gym ... Ft. Gulick swimming pool ... France Field
crabs ... "Mighty Mo" at Diablo Gym ... the darkness of Kimbo's ... the Trans
Isthmian Highway ... Jamboree parties at the Ski Docks ... riding mini-bikes through Gatun
on the sidewalk through the jungle ... eating sweet and sour pork at the Elks' Club in
Margarita ... eating fried wontons at the American Legion in Gatun ... riding horses
through the back trails by Mindi Acres and Ft. Davis ... waiting for the tunnel to come up
while taking the train to the football games ... fried corvina -- anywhere ... swimming
parties at the Hotel Washington pool ... catching the ferry to Ft. Sherman ... all the
animals running thru Balboa whenever Sosa Hill burned ... the Gap/Bridge in Balboa ... the
old guy who walked around wearing a WWII Nazi uniform with swagger stick ... summer little
league football -- the Balboa Rams ... the Blue Angels flying over Panama Bay ... the
spiral slide at the Balboa Elementary School playground ... hanging out at the Causeway
... drinking cool cerveza Panamas at the beach .. hot feet on the black sand at San Carlos
beach ... 5 cent ice cream cones at the YMCA ... the Canal Zone -- of course we all do!
... the Observatory ... Veterans of the Spanish American War at Memorial Day ceremonies
... low flying planes over BHS ... plantain chips ... rubber ball fights ... swimming in
the "blue holes" ... blocks of ice delivered to your home for the refrigerator
... seaplanes taking off and landing behind the old CHS ... seeing the sun come up behind
the Seventh Fleet lined up at the breakwater awaiting transit thru the canal ... chinese
plums ... the Guardia Nacional flag-raising every morning on your way to school in
Cristobal ... "gooey" cinnamon buns at Margarita Clubhouse ... salt-water pool
at the Hotel Washington ... swimming lessons with Coach Palumbo ... teen club dances at
Coco Solo... empanadas -- anywhere ... hanging out at the Drive-In ... having to drive up
the Admin hill for your driver's license test ... listening to Johnny Mathis records at
Charlie Belden's house ... drinking "Purple Passion" at the Drive-In ...
throwing up "Purple Passion" on the way home ... locking car while driving thru
"Hollywood" ... helping out at Diablo Clubhouse during the Riots of '64 ...
looking at the sky at night ... watching ships transit the Canal while sitting on your
front porch in Diablo ... $1.50 lobster dinners at Balboa Yacht Club ... bowling at
Curundu (if you spot bowled, it could have been a roach) ... trips to Perlas ... Gathering
round the " plaque" at BHS, trying not to step on it ... the "Little
Theatre" plays ... football games in the rain ... many good friends and wonderful
times ... plantain -- anytime, anywhere in any shape or form ... Saturdays and Sundays at
Devil's Beach ... Parties at Gatun Yacht Club ... Beer and Pizza at Ft. Davis snack bar
after Friday night football games ... putting pennies on the train tracks ...Waterfalls
half way to Pina Beach, going down the s-curve hill ... Hidden beaches past Pina Beach
...Parties at (The Trees), west bank Gatun ... Mine Docks keg parties ... Sea wall
parties, Coco Solo ... France Field car and bike races ... Summer night volley ball at
Coco Solo gym ... Mindi Enduros ... Short Track Races at Mount Hope ... Moto Cross west
bank of Gatun ... Getting lobster from the reefs outside break wall at night ... Cars and
buses lined up from Ski Docks to Spill Way (Jamboree Party) ... Seeing people off on the
SS Cristobal going on vacation ... The 'Snake Pit' in Curundu ... Clay Hill ... Christmas
tree wars ... the 'Sombrero'and the 'Whiskey a Go Go' in Panama City ... UFOs over the
Canal Zone in the late 1950s ... the natural slide at Goofy Falls ... weekends at Santa
Clara ... the spider monkey at Rio Mar ... cuts ... camping at the Taboga cross ...
camping on Gorgona Island ... fishing for Bluegill in Gatun Lake ... the Uncle Bob show
... movies at the Taboga R&R center ... steak and onions at the Hotel Chu on Taboga
... watching the flying fish on the Taboga launch ... tree frogs at El Valle ... looking
for escaped pet kinkajoos ... riding horses at Santa Clara ... camping with the scouts at
Rio Hato ... the rope swing at the top of the hill in Curundu ... watching the U2s take
off from Albrook ... Mr. Wolf's 7th grade social studies class at Curundu JHS ... trips to
Bocas Del Toro ... picking berries at Cerro Punta ... watching the dolphins swim in the
pond at Summit Gardens ... cracker balls ... watching carnival parades on Via Espana in
Panama City ... buying records at the PX for $2.25 ... learning to do a "can
opener" at Curundu pool ... chasing iguanas in Curundu ... finding dead iguanas in
the road in Curundu ... putting mangos in the road in Curundu so cars would run over them
and the seeds would go flying out ... going inside a C5-A at Howard AFB ... the manual
pinsetters at Balboa Bowling Alley ... eating "raspadilla" snow cones near the
Canal Zone bus terminal ... the sound of a old palm branch falling from a palm tree ...
the smell of over ripe mangos covering the ground ... the best pizza in the world from the
"Napoli" ... protesting the TREATY at Goethals memorial ... my tennis buddies at
Albrook AFB ... snorkling around Taboga ... eating monkey meat on a stick ... the sound of
the approaching rain coming from the jungle ... the undefeated 1972 Albrook Jets ... the
flats at Albrook AFB ... sound of the bullfrogs my first night in the Canal Zone ... the
first day of 7th grade at Curundu Jr. High ... cruising the causeway at night ... night
fishing with my Dad on the causeway -- thanks, Dad ... the sweet and sour delight of your
first ginup ... old wooden Balboa Clubhouse ... the GAP later the BRIDGE clubhouse for
Balboa teenagers ... watching the buzzards fly around Quarry Heights ... the view at night
of the Thatcher Ferry bridge from Ancon Hill ... being able to rent "Smokey" and
"King" (two retired CZ Police horses) for only $1.00 a day ... Jungle Survival
School in Curundu ... The boa behind the drinking fountain there ... The shark fence at
Amador Beach ... Iron Beer ... Chicken in the basket at Ft. Clayton ... The parachute ride
at the Ft. Clayton carnival ... The bathroom on the train, clear shot to the tracks ...
Christmas in Curundu Heights ... Octopi under the rocks at the beach ... Digging for
bottles around Ft. San Lorenzo ... The gold trail that went across the Isthmus ... The
beer vending machines in the Balboa bowling alley ... The roller rink in Balboa ...
Dredges in the Canal ... Getting cut by saw grass ... Movies at the Curundu movie theatre.
Tether ball and dog piles at Balboa elementary ... Gorgas Hospital ... The model ships at
the Balboa library ... Milk bottles delivered to your door ... The excitement of a real
American fast food restaurant (Dairy Queen) being opened up ... Pepperoni pizza at the
Capri and the "Florida" bar ... the Squirt ... el Auto Cine ...green grass and
rain soaked days ... the whine of the mosquito truck late at nite ... the soft wind
blowing thru your hair as you head out to Toboga Island ... driving golfballs from the
Diablo Spinning Club trying to hit the sides of ships ... Jungle Survival School in
Curundu ... the boa behind the drinking fountain there ... the shark net at Amador Beach
... the Las Cruces Trail ... ... the bomb shelter in Diablo ... digging for
doodlebugs ...Ice cream beans ... first bite of a roseapple ... baskets of lobster at
roadside stands at the beach ... San Carlos river ... Goofy Falls ... the smell of grass
fires in the interior ... the catwalk under the Thatcher Ferry Bridge ... helicopter seeds
on Plank St ... the nuns at St. Mary s ... view of the Pacific from Cerro Campana ... the
haunted house on Cerro Campana ... the endless miles of headlights on the way back from
the beach on Sunday night ... tamarindos ... pan de huevo ... jumping off cliffs at Rio
Mar ... almost drowning in the surf at Rio Mar ... view of the canal from Cocoli Hill ...
surfing down the slide ... moto-cross races at Miraflores ... jumping off the French Cut
... old canal digging machinery rusting in the sawgrass at the Cut ... the trail up Ancon
Hill behind Balboa Elementary ... The Barn (Margarita) ...The Valley (Margarita) ... the
mango trees along Amador Rd ... battleball at Los Rios Elementary ... the electric eel at
the Jungle Survival School in Curundu ... matinees at Curundu Theatre ... the Christmas
Tree in Curundu Heights ... drinking cold beer and rum and cokes at the Tropic Bar ...
beer keg parties at Dynamite Dock ... bartender PARIS at the Cool Spot Bar in Colon ...
Carnaval night at the Strangers Club ... fishing at Pier 1 in Coco Solo ... Spaghetti
night at Amador Officers Club ... weekends on the Causeway ... the Pub ... the Chicken
Coop ... the sound of rain all night long ... sound of venders trying to get you to buy
something ... Chorrera Falls ... the sounds at the bullfights and the cock fights in the
back of bars ... sound of everyone in the pool at Balboa Clubhouse ... ships all blowing
their horns on New Year's Eve ... sound of the train as you traveled back and forth ...
the squeaking of the coatimundis coming out of the jungle every evening looking for bread
to eat ... 8th grade English class at Curundu Jr. High with Miss Moffet ... "Army
surplus", soggy candy and the good pickins at the Diablo Dump in the war years ...
Camp El Volcan with the Boy Scouts in the summer ... the trip to El Volcan in Army Duce
and a Halfs which left from the Balboa train Station and the long ride on mattresses to El
Volcan ... Climbing Mt. El Baru and putting your name on a list in a bottle ... the Swiss
Colony and blackberry wine ... Dad fishing in rough water while I did what he called
"chumming the fish" (sea-sick) ... walking on the Spanish Trail when Madden lake
fell 50 ft in one dry season ... the smell of a herd of wild boars and then watching them
cross the Piquini River ... collecting "tamoshanters" in El Valle (Dad's name
for died cow-pies) for Mom's orchid collection ... snorkling off Pina Beach close to Ft.
San Lorenzo ... going on the SS United States and SS France when Dad docked them in
Cristobal ... Rainbow Girls ... walking Galeta reef on the "dark of the moon"
and lobstering with Dad ... working with Dad at the Hobby Shop in Coco Solo ... opening
day ceremonies for the Girl Scout Camp in Gatun ... and camping there as a Girl Scout ...
Santa Clara beach and the guy who would "rent a horse" (we always went away from
home -- so it was a good, long ride) then getting Dad to pay for it ... the College Boat
as it pulled into the Cristobal pier after being away "so long" ... and the last
look at Panama on the horizon as the "Boat" took us back to school ... the
lights of Panama City flying into or away from Panama for the last time ... finding a
"stinkey bean tree" and getting as many pods to squirt your little sister (or
brother) before they smashed the pods in your pocket ... having a mud-ball ( red mud)
fight with the neighbor kids and realizing you were standing in front of all the clean
sheets the maid just hung out ... stealing one coconut from the guy as he is up a tree and
trying to out run him as he comes after you with a machete ... honking the horn under the
railroad bridge just before the turn off for Gamboa ... all the maids arriving on the
buses early in the morning looking crisp and happy ... the carwash guy named
"Junior" who had the biggest biceps and could get the cars shiny in no time --
even in the hot sun ... playing in the rain in the flooded streets of Coco Solo when the
water was so high the streets and curbs were gone ... swimming off the rocks behind the
Breakers Club in Coco Solo ... the swampy area between Coco Solo and Ft. Randolph
known only to Coco Solo kids as "Mahongy" ... climbing the fence and getting
sugar cane in the restricted area of Ft. Randolpoh -- and getting caught by an M.P.
wanting to know your name ... giving the "wrong (made up) name" so your Dad
wouldn't get in trouble for your actions ... hanging out the window of the car at night
while going through the Jungle Preserve on the way to the Atlantic (BEST) side and
breathing in all the rich, sweet, moistness the jungle has to offer ... tar in the cracks
of the street that is just like "play dough" ... eating the pollen off the
Hibiscus flowers ... eating Mom's bamboo orchids (they were sweet) ... eating supper at El
Rancho ... ordering a basket of popcorn shrimp and a Ron y Coco-cola for $2.00 at the
Cristobal Yacht Club ... the meat won-tons at the Gun Club (can't be beat!) ... the crabs
covering the road on the Coco Solo corridor by Cristobal High School -- and the smell
after they got "run over" -- the sound of the palm trees during dry season when
the trade winds blew ... the smell of the Caribbean ... Mindi Dairy chocolate ice cream --
sooooo creamy -- so good! ... Being a Coco Solo housewife ... Ladies golf tournaments at
Brazos Brooks Golf Club.........Getting micha bread hot out of the oven at the bakery in
Colon ... camping with the Girl Scouts at the old Gatun Golf Course ... driving through
the forest preserve at night with no lights on ... diving into the rat hole near Santa
Clara ... the jardines ... the Agewood Bohio ... the Estadio Restaurant ... Morrisons ...
day & night vollyball at the end ( pt ) in Diablo ... water ballon & egg fights in
Diablo ... the bump in the road by Albrook ... waiting at the Miraflores swing bridge ...
the La Boca ferry ... the VFW ... the Elks Club ... the pipeline road in Gamboa ... Armed
Forces Day ... the Ancon laundry ... the Las Cruces party boat ... Pedro Miguel Yacht Club
... Pacific Riding Stables ... the Morgans Garden festival ... the governor"s special
train car ... the Arranque Bar ... the valley behind Empire Street ... Mr. Fraley"s
motorcycle/ the Rathskeller Room (Continental Hotel ) ... dining at the Sky Chef ... los
monsteros at the Arizona Bar ... Frijoles ... Barro Colorado Island ... waiting in the
emergency room at Gorgas ... the YMCA ... Harnet & Dunn / the K of C / the Penn State
Hilton ... Corozal Cemetary ... the "big house" with the fence around it in
Corozal / football in the mud on the Prado ... Diablo Commissary / the huge abandoned
battaries on the Causeway / charter flights for vacation to the States... Bocoon at Gamboa
(the back road to the Ridge)... Officer Bill Hicks stealing the beer for the parties ...
the long ride to and from Gamboa ... sitting on the rocks along the canal in Gamboa
watching the ships go by ... the Gamboa theater with the bats flying around and the fans
on the walls ... the 5-cent make your own cokes ... Stafford the waiter at Gamboa Golf
Club and Prino the bartender ... most of all my friends from GAMBOA ... the way Gamboa was
... looking forward to the annual Santa Claus Lane treck (especially seeing Santa wearing
a montuno and real Panama Hat in a cayuco pulled by a gator with a red nose) - the
treck was done "religiously" every year even from "the other side" ...
heckling Coach Palumbo as he brought up the rear at a pre-game snake dance ... horse back
riding in El Valle ... praying like crazy while dad drove the very curvy road into El
Valle after he had stopped to "tank up" at Arrajan, Chorerra(sp?) and San Carlos
...taking 2 minutes to get to school in the morning and 15 minutes to get home (lived on
the hill near Gamboa Elementary) ... big bags of fried wontons from Gamboa Golf Club ...
waving to "Uncle" Sam Devers a train engineer as I walked to school along
the railroad tracks from the 12-family housing near Gatun Locks to Gatun Elementary
School ... wading at lunch time at the old Cristobal Jr - Sr. High ...
buying popcorn and sno-cones from the vender at the gates to the school ... getting out of
class for ROTC reviews and being entertained by the Army band and the really good drill
team ... watching Mr. (anti-sports) Bock playing basketball ... watching CHS players
playing against a team of Navy officers while the enlisted men heckled them
during the heightened military presence in '64 ... having African Tulip Tree squirter and
stink bomb fights ... being entertained by "Leo" the Gatun Yacht Club bartender
with paperfolding and lemon basketball ... being scared silly while Dad took me out with
him on a stormy night when he had to adjust the lighting of a buoy out in the Cristobal
Harbor ... friendly competitions at the swim pool to see how many bobby pins one could
collect from the bottom of the pool ... having green hair before it was an "in"
thing ... the documentary "Conquest of Mount Everest" in Coco Solo Theater
before they adjusted the air conditioning (they actually had to open exit doors to warm
the place) ... the French cookies at Balboa Clubhouse ... empanadas ... and the Jamaican
meat patties/empanadas the vender used to bring by on the train ... my first complete
Spanish sentence "Es prohibido estar en la plataforma quando el tren esta en
marcha." ... tutoring in the "Team" car riding to the basketball
games in Balboa ... looking at the steps at the Admin Building and knowing there were
idiots in my family who skated down them ... Jill Beech's stallion Prince (who was
supposedly too old) siring a crop of foals over at the riding stable in Gatun (Jill is a
veterinarian and teacher of veterinarians now) ... you went
swimming at Goofy Falls ... you know what a Ping Ding is ... you know what
banana paper is and that there is ANOTHER use for it ... you know that a "cut"
is not just a skin laceration ... you remember getting in trouble as a kid
outside the Balboa Commissary because you weren't allowed to go inside with
your parents while they did the grocery shopping ... tasting the
sun on your skin ... hidden beach ... san lorenzo ... church island ... toboga
... El Valle ... top of the world ... lighthouse ... ski docks ... tarpon club
... dead mans curve ... skinny dipping ... sea wall ... phosphorescence ...
Galeta ... barracudas ...cayucas ...ginnups ...seviche ... CERVEZA ... .good
times ...YELLOW sunshine ...chivas ...rainrainrain ... limes ...Fort Randolph
...jungle ... iguanas ...butterflies ...devils ...Breakers ...heartofgold
...sweatin ... runrunrun ... nudetetherball ...calaprigian donkey...
... ...
