DATELINE MONDAY 13TH JUNE 2016

Happy Monday, good morning I hope you are well and happy. At last the weather seems to be more June than November although it is not consistent. There are so many destination in Europe that once summer has arrived you know that it is going to be sunny and warm till mid-October Why? Why? Why? cannot England be one of those countries. I note that neither the In Europe or Leave Europe camps have said anything about the weather. They might as well tell us that if we stay in the weather will the hot and sunny all summer or if we leave the weather will be worse than we have had it recently. Well let’s be honest what they have all said so far is maybe, perhaps, if, this or that might happen to jobs, the economy, migration ETC. No one really knows but one thing for sure if migration stops so will the economy, the NHS will grind to a halt, public transport will be a disaster and the service industry hotels, bar and restaurants will cease to function. How many times do we hear people saying no one from the UK works in the service industry. Only a week or so to go and the Referendum will be done and dusted one way or another. I guess you can tell the way I will be voting.
So EURO 2016 is underway, the fights and riots have started and England lost their lead against Russia in the last moments of the match same old same old.
OMG, the poor people of Orlando, such a terrible tragedy in the night club on Saturday night. Innocent people having fun and a total nutter, a madman bursts in with an gun and empties several magazines of ammunition into peace-loving people of Orlando. Our thoughts, prayers and good wishes go out to the families of those bereaved and good wishes for a full and speedy recovery to the injured.
DMC News* MM and Company News * Destination News* MM and Company News *
The Meetings Show June 2016 Olympia
This is the week of The Meeting Show we hope you will be able to visit our MM and Company Stand number A2, looking at the plan of The Meetings Show, as you enter the main door we are immediately on the left hand side so I would say come and see us but I don’t think you will be able to miss us on the MM and Company stand. I do not think the is a stand with the number A1
Our DMCs attending The Meeting Show are;
Germanyinsight, Germany
Nordic Visitor, Iceland
Panama
Panama is so much more than Panama Hats, The Panama Canal and The Panama Papers, I was to find that out when I went on a site inspection with Arno and the team at Quetzal Motivo
I flew from London via Costa Rica with British Airways then on to Panama I stayed at a few very different hotels, the first was Trump Ocean club now renamed Republican Presidential Candidate Trump Ocean Club, a great hotel sitting on the edge of the water with full on views of the Pacific Ocean
Then I moved to The American Trade Hotel located in Panama Old Town no ocean views but located in classic Art Nouveau Old Town which is being totally renovated, followed by a night at the excellent Hilton yes you read that correctly the first time the Hilton is new and very nice, well located downtown amid the skyscrapers of Panama.
A classical city tour will start with a trip to old Colonial town, the real downtown Panama which was nigh on abandoned in favour of skyscrapers built on reclaimed land with Pacific ocean views, imagine Manhattan by the sea and you will have a good idea of Panama.
The next day I took a car and guide and "did the Panama Canal"
We left the hotel at 8.30 40 minutes later we were in the rain Forrest at Gamboa Rainforest Resort located on The Chagres River. I was met by the most wonderful, jovial and instantly likeable General Manager he gave me a quick over view of the property which included several food and beverage outlets a butterfly hot house and another Rainforest faculty which has frogs, animals and stuff he admitted to me that he is not a botanist he has botanist who take care of all of that. I walked through the property down to the Gamboa tarpon Club where I boarded a boat and hey presto I was cruising on the actual Panama Canal which to be honest reminded me a lot of the Bosphorus Waterway running through the centre of Istanbul, one only really appreciates The Panama Canal where you visit the locks and you get up real close to colossal vessels of the world, well Monrovia and Hong Kong for sure.
The visit to the locks at Gatun was a real high light you are so close to the ships you can almost I sat almost touch them I watched a huge tanker pass through the locks.
Oh there is a side trip you could do and that is to visit the 18th Century World Unesco Heritage site that is the San Lorenzo fortress that Captain Morgan conquered from The Spanish, yes Captain Morgan was a real pirate and not just some patron of a Dark Rum Company. It takes about a 20 minutes’ drive to visit the fortress well worth it.
Remember I mentioned Panama has two canals well it doesn't really but it has just about completed a brand spanking new lock that is very efficient uses far less water no I am not going into the workings of the locks that what you have google for alternatively you can visit the Panama Canal Visitor Centre which overlooks the new lock and listen to an excellent video presentation yes in English about the canal and its history
To finish off an amazing day I took a vintage 1950s locomotive train with authentic comfortable carriages back to Panama from the city of Colon it left at 5.15pm we were back in downtown Panama at 6.15 a perfect ending to an outstanding day
It is worth remembering that fresh water is Panama's oil without good plentiful rains the locks cannot function, the locks work with fresh water supplied by the Gatun manmade lake if the locks don't work huge revenues are lost.
Lots more to tell you on Panama but that will be for another Monday
Leyla and Hannah’s twitter and witter bit of the Monday morning e mail
Last week I had the girls on my own plus the weekend on either side of the week, I have had a great time with them although I will be please to sort of hand them over. Hannah is on half term this week but Leyla is at school.
I told you last week Hannah is in the school end of year play Fiddler on the Roof, she is one of the daughters apparently this guy had lots of daughter and according to Hannah the school has added a few more daughters and sons to ensure everyone gets a part in the play. All last week whenever Hannah had a moment she was watching Fiddler on the Roof the movie either on the TV or on the computer. I have an admission I had never seen the movie until last week I have now seen it several times although not all the way through from start to finish.
Leyla had exams all week last week and according to the interrogation I gave her each night about how she had got on I am expecting straight As all the way what I am expecting and what I get I have a sneaky suspicion will be two very different things.
That’s it you are up to date wishing you a fun filled, warm and sunny summery week.