Health Tourism in Panama:

Ludyng Carreño is a highly trained homeopath and bioesthetician with 8 years of formal medical training.

Each year, more and more visitors from Europe, Canada and the United States are choosing southern countries, including Panama, as places to retire, do business, or enjoy the prime of life in the easy-going style of the tropics.

“Health tourism” is now a big factor in the leisure industry. In fact, it always has been. In 19th and 20th century Europe, it was the mode to travel to a spa and “take the waters”. Many of

these mineral water spas are still popular today, but health tourism has come of age with a blend of Eastern and alternative medicine techniques combined with the latest technologies to treat ailments, often stress-related, common to developed countries, or, just to make you feel good or look better.

One practitioner of the new health tourism in Panama is Ludyng Carreño, an expert in homeopathy and alternative medi-cine, who offers help with stress, cellulitis, circulatory problems and involuntary muscular movements through a series of massages and other therapies based on pranic energy and ancient Chinese and Middle-Eastern medicine.

Dr. Carreño’s techniques will reduce toxins in the body, and her massage sessions increase oxygen intake, decrease pain and swelling and stimulate blood circulation, as well as metabolism.

A highly trained homeopath and bioesthetician with 8 years of formal medical training, Ludyng says she has the fun job of watching clients regularly be ‘blown away’ by what they experience after only a couple of hours,as they typically come in on the ‘tired and tense’ side, and they typically leave only a couple of hours later with an energetic gleam in their eyes, a ‘bounce in their step’,and an ‘ear to ear’ smile that gives every indication that they discovered a little bit of the ‘fountain of youth’ that they had not really expected.Often they look 5 to 10 years younger as well depending on what they ordered from the menu.

The categories of rejuvenation treatments can be described within 3 holistic genres,

A- Physical Therapeutic Body Massage, about 5 different types to choose from (all non sexual.)

B- Energy and Chakra Balancing, about 4 different types to choose from.

C- Bioestetic medi-spa style treatments,for about a dozen different skin and beauty related treatments

In the body massage area, the menu includes Reflexology if you want only your ‘over walked’ feet done, or the ever popular ‘deep workout’ Swedish massage. For something different, you can try the Egyptian style massage, as exotic and unusual as it sounds, or the Lymphatic massage.

Maybe its time for an energy tune-up and a Chakra balance and cleanse. It is called the ‘Shirley Maclean special’, since she was the first to bring the chakras into the mainstream Amerian media about 20 years ago.

The highly trained energy healer will be able to tune into where your chakra energies are weak and in need of balance, (you have 8 chakra energy wheels from head to toe)and an hour or two later you will have no doubt that your energy has been balanced and boosted.Sometimes it is a more subtle experience,sometimes it is a more dramatic energy boost,every person is different.

Whatever it is you are looking for, or open to discovering,it is good to know that one way or the other,you can spend some time exploring health and rejuvenation tourism in Panama,a truly great way to unwind,and if you decide to choose a treatment which will last for a year or more after you go home, you can either tell your friends what you did,or keep them guessing that maybe you really did find a little ‘fountain of youth’ while you were roaming around dicovering the many secrets of Panama.

For more information, call (507) 6524-7431 or long on to www.medicspainternational.tk

Canal Chief re-elected in time of big challenges

After nine years as Administrator of the Panama Canal, Alberto Alemán Zubieta has been re-elected to the post for a further seven years. Zubieta, a graduate of Texas A&M University took over in the final two years of the old Panama Canal Commission before the canal was handed over by the USA to Panama on Dec 31, 1999 (treaties stipulated that the last administrator of the U.S. tenure must be a Panamanian).

Under Panamanian state control the managing body became the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) whose board of directors chooses the Administrator.

Zubieta's brief was to ensure the Canal realized its maximum potential for profit to the state. In 2003 the Canal contributed over US$ 1.9 billion directly to Panama´s economy. Accidents on the waterway are lower than during U.S. control.

His re-election was not without controversy. In a poll taken by the daily newspaper ¨La Prensa¨over 50 percent did not approve Zubieta´s re-election which result seems to have been on general principals and not reflecting on Zubieta´s character or competence. His salary is US$ 30,000 a mounth.

The big challenge facing the Authority is the question of building a third set of locks to accommodate the new generation of Post Panamax super ships (Panamax refers to the maximum width of a ship wich can fit in the present lock chambers). There is much controversy over this issue and Zubieta´s team will have to go all out to swing public opinion to accept the expansion prior to a referendum which could be held in the near future.

Government grapples with fuel prices

Our pockets are hurting more nowadays at the gas pump.The Ministry of Commerce and Industry recently announced that, due to the increase in the international price of crude oil (approximately US$66.00) gas prices in Panama City will be between US$2.68 and US$2.85 for the next week. In order to prevent an increase in public transportation rates, the government extended a three-month exemption of the diesel tax. However, as this issue went to press, a number of taxi and bus owners were not satisfied with the measure.

The government has decided to carry out a number of alternatives to the rising prices. One of them is the importation of "Elogas" (an alcohol-based fuel) from Brazil, the first shipment of which (36,000 gallons) will arrive in late September. Panama plans to import 200,000 gallons of Elogas before the end of the year. Bolivia wants to export natural gas to Central America. Panama would benefit.

Banana woes and hopes of Panama’s main crop export

The Banana industry is in a tough spot. Boycotted by the European Union, which favors the importation of banana's from its former colonies, and the departure of long-established USA -owned Chiriquí Land Company, the banana-producing regions of Barú (Chiriquí) and Changuinola (Bocas del Toro) long for the days when their crop was known as "green gold".

The town of Puerto Armuelles, once a thriving banana port, is rapidly becoming a ghost town, since Cooperativa de Servicios Múltiples de Puerto Armuelles, the town's sole job creator, has failed to absorb the hundreds of workers fired after the departure of Chiriquí Land Company. Across the Central Cordillera, in Bocas del Toro, a banana disease called "mucus" has become the main source of friction between the management of the Bocas del Toro Banana Company and its workforce. The company's employees have gone on strike, demanding to be paid for their additional work in fighting the disease. Talks are underway.

Despite the grim picture, there's a ray of hope on the horizon. Motivated by the government's plans to foster investment in poverty-stricken areas of their province, Chiriquí banana producers are looking at Russia and Turkey as potential markets.

Tourism appears to be a mid-range solution to the difficult labor problems in both provinces.

Ibiza, Panama's largest fragance boutique chain, recently opened a new branch in Super Centro El Dorado.

Offering personalized service and brands from all parts of the world, Ibiza has branches in most of Panama City's shopping centers and malls.

Seen here, from left to right, accompained by two beautiful models on each end, are: Jimmy Yohoros (owner), Sonia Brugue (Commercial Manager), and Juan Carlos Rodríguez (Manager, El Dorado).