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Panama: Eight Destinations in Which to Spend the Winter
Months

First Time Reader: 
Why Panama? – This blog
explains the rationale of the trip and this series of blogs.

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lobo/excursions/1266327384/tpod.html

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David

Destination no. 5 of 8 (in no particular order)
Part 2 of 4

David – The International Fair

It is the use of the word "international" in its official name that sets the David International Fair apart. It appears to lift it into another category from your local humdrum fair.

Its official name is “Feria Internacional de San José de David”. However, that name appeared nowhere as it is simply referred to as “Feria Internacionale de David”.


You don't have to spend much time talking with expats in David without some reference being made to the act that it’s good to be in David during the Feria Internacionale. I didn’t really give it much thought since the fair was taking place from March 11 – 21. I would certainly not be in David during that time period.

As planning ahead is not my strong suit especially when it comes to my travel plans I was surprised - well let me quote from the last blog.
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The last time I stayed in David was during my return trip from Nicaragua to Panama City for the flight back to Victoria, British Columbia. A sense of panic set in at the Residencial when I heard the words “el hotel es lleno” – the hotel is full. As usual there was no “sorry-the hotel is full”. It was just –“the hotel is full”- and of course without a smile.

It was however a good news, bad news story. The bad news was that the hotel was full. The good news was that the David International Fair was presently happening in town. It is the biggest event of the year that draws visitors and exhibitors from all over. That is something I could not miss and it will be the subject of my next blog.
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Well how big is the David International Fair? According to a local newspaper article it draws 300,000 visitors. Now let’s see, the population of David is about 125,000 and it is supposed to draw 300,000. Is there something wrong with this math or do the locals visit the fair every night and visitors come from all over the world as they say?


It all seems a little suspect but it does build the hype for the Feria Internacionale de David. Nevertheless the hype had me going there with a great sense of anticipation.

The newspaper article went on to say that this fair was the largest in Chiriqui Province. That was disappointing, largest in Chiriqui Province? Well of course David is after all the state capital so that seems obvious. What I expected to read, given the local hype and its “international” status, is that it is the largest fair in Panama.

According to the paper – Panama – El Visitante - the “feria” is billed as a combination of fair and trade show with 500 exhibits.

Just as a basis of comparison, the Iowa State Fair has 600 exhibits and concessions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa_State_Fair

By that standard there is no doubt that the Feria Internacional is big.

The Feria exhibits include agricultural, commercial and industrial aspects as well as folklore, art and cultural displays. Not to be forgotten is the gigantic midway and the large selection of food stands featuring Panamanian cuisine at, of course, very reasonable prices.

It all made for a show that reminded me of my annual visits to the Michigan State Fair. Since I grew up in Windsor, Ontario, the Michigan State Fair held in Detroit was the biggest show of the year in the area. That was during my high school days and I still remember that the biggest thrill of my naïve peer group was to go to the burlesque show. That was as daring as it could get. OK, so I had a sheltered upbringing. Even though I grew up in Windsor, Ontario I never went to Toronto for the famous CNE – Canadian National Exhibition. Come to think of it, that is a pretty pretentious name as well.

There is no burlesque show at the Feria Internacional in David; nevertheless it is a great place for people watching. Come to think of it, I did not go there for the people watching since my main interest was in the agricultural exhibits.

Well that should bring a collective yawn – agricultural exhibits?

I now have to go back before my high school years to the first formative years of my life spent on my grandfather’s farm in East Germany. What is there not to like about a farm if you like animals? Besides, I love cows – especially Holsteins and Jerseys.

How can I forget cycling on the Island of Jersey in country lanes that at times were lower than the surrounding meadows and having Jersey cows peer down on me. I find that memory bizarre as I write this now but I swear that’s what I remember. Has anyone been there lately to clarify this?

So I walked by the huge displays of furniture and the display of Toyota cars and trucks etc. to make my way to the agricultural exhibits.

How is that possible? There were no Holstein cows and not a trace of Jersey cows either. Instead, Angus, Simmental, Brahman and Senepol beef cattle surrounded me.

Of special fascination were the Brahman cattle, as I have never seen these in North America. They are huge and they are fascinating due to their mellow faces that convey an air of peace and docility. In addition, they have a huge hump on their shoulders as well as large dewlaps. Now where did those characteristics come from? They somehow remind me of a basset hound – it must be the dewlaps. (Now that’s a stretch.)



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahman_%28cattle%29

Just scanning the above website the information about Brahman cattle, I think I came upon the most important phrase about them – “hot climate”. In other words this breed of cattle can tolerate the hot climate of Chiriqui Province. I guess if you can make it in the heat of India you can make it anywhere, n’est-ce pas?

This was a breed that I lingered over just because they were so different.

Here among the cattle I also came across the only “international” aspect of the fair that I recognized, as I somehow overheard two cattlemen from Switzerland chatting. Maybe they had a connection to the Simmental breed. Five years ago on our grand European Road Trip Barbara and I drove through the beautiful Simmental Valley in Switzerland. The Simmental cattle not surprisingly seemed to fit right into the scenery. The Simmental before me here at the Feria have never seen Switzerland and are more likely to have come from the beautiful “fincas” (ranches) that I saw on the way to Volcan – one of the destinations in: Panama – Eight Destinations to Spend the Winter Months. As I travelled up the highway to Volcan from the Pan American Highway, the scenery reminded me of parts of Switzerland. (Blog to follow.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simmental_Cattle

Then there were the Senepol cattle with their beautiful rust coloured hair.

http://www.senepolcattle.com/image/tid/6

Suffice it to say that the cattle were the highlight of the Feria for me. Having said that I was somewhat surprised that beyond horses there were no other farm animals on display. That begs comparison with the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo that I attended in 2007. It blew away all other agricultural fairs that I have ever seen.

http://www.sarodeo.com/ 

The rest of the David International Fair was pretty much “State Fair” fare. (excuse the pun)

http://attractions.uptake.com/blog/best-state-fairs-5959.html

That is not to denigrate the “Feria” but I found myself once again comparing David with San Isidro de El General in Costa Rica.

In the last blog I compared the main city parks or squares of the two cities. This time I am comparing fairs. On a personal level I was more captivated by what I saw at the Annual Cattle Show and Fair in San Isidro than by the “Feria” in David. It may have been due to the thrill of seeing my first fair in Central America or the dancing horses. (Costa Rica blogs to follow)

Coming Soon:

David – The Interviews

feedback: travelswithlobo@yahoo.com