Ancon Hill

Well, long time no see. I went there today, took a cab ride up on my way to the Albrook Mall. Great lookout point. I remember back in 1977 seeing the Panamanian flag wave after the Carter-Torrijos treaty. Never been to the hill until now. Neat view.

Ancon Hill

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._Panama_01.jpg
Ancon Hill with huge Panamanian flag on top


Ancon Hill is a steep 654-foot hill which overlooks Panama City, Panama adjacent to the township of Ancón.
It was under U.S. jurisdiction as part of the Panama Canal Zone for much of the 20th century and therefore was never developed like most of the surrounding urbanized parts of the city. As a result, it became a kind of an "island" of jungle in an urban area, where wildlife still survives cut off from other jungle areas. It is not uncommon to see sloths, White-nosed Coati, Nine-banded Armadillos, Geoffroy's Tamarins or deer on Ancon Hill, which now has protected status. Its name is used as an acronym by a Panamanian environmental group, Asociación Nacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (ANCON).

Human Features

The lower slopes contained residences and Gorgas Hospital. Higher up were the residence of the Governor of the Canal Zone, and Quarry Heights, where the United States Southern Command was located. Quarry Heights was named for being adjacent to a large rock quarry on one side of the hill, which left a visible cliff face on one side. The hill contains an abandoned underground bunker once manned by the U.S. Southern Command. At the top are two broadcast towers and a small road that reaches them. One way vehicular traffic is now allowed during daylight hours. Hikers can use the road to reach the summit, and it is a popular jogging and hiking trek. Along the path, all manner of vegetation and birds can be seen, including large number of orchids (all of which are protected by CITES).

History

When the pirate Henry Morgan sacked Panama City in 1671, his scouts first climbed Ancon Hill to gain knowledge of the local defenses. Ancon Hill overlooks the site of the new city, constructed after Morgan's destruction of the old one.
The first ship to officially transit the Panama Canal in 1914, the SS Ancon, took its name from the hill and surrounding township.
When Panama regained control of the hill following the 1977 Panama Canal Treaty, one of the first things the country did was fly a large oversized Panamanian flag atop the hill.

PS....I tried ATLAS, which is not a bad beer, however, it feels like a watered down beer to my liking. I prefer the BALBOA hands down. Panama beer, or CERVESA PANAMA sux in my opinion. The Dutch took over the brewery, and they make Heineken, which to me is a real nasty flavored beer. Go figure. Balboa is a Pilsner beer, much stronger, its just right for me. Six pack, no problema, and feeling good. What is the temperature in Houston right now......Here, lots of rain, flooded streets, I bet its 15 degrees cooler. Gonna have to make another trip to Kuna Yala maybe in winter. Spend a night or two in the islands.