Long before the Canal, Panama was a strategic link for Spanish conquistadores. Later as part of the Spanish empire, Panama shipped as much as 60 percent of the gold that flowed into Spanish coffers. To explore this history and culture behind modern Panama, register for one, or all, of the optional tours that the U.S. Grains Council will host during the 9th International Marketing Conference and 52nd Annual Membership Meeting.

The Panama City Tour, Sunday, Feb. 12, will take participants back to the early 1500s, where Balboa first saw the Pacific and where the first Spanish city was founded on the misnamed Southern Ocean.

The USGC tour schedule will include historic Spanish ruins, the city’s colonial sector and a panoramic view of the city at the Pacific entrance to the modern Canal.

On Monday, the Malambo Orphanage Tour presents a rare opportunity to “give back” to our host country. Participants will have a chance to practice the Council’s mission by improving the lives of disadvantaged Panamanian children at the San Jose Malambo Orphanage, run by the Catholic Sisters of Mercy.

Opened in 1890, the orphanage depends on individual and corporate donations to serve 180 children and administer a school for 400 more. Space is limited on this tour, so advance registration is necessary.

For a step back into Panama’s pre-Columbian past, Tuesday’s Handicrafts and Jewelry Tour will take participants to one of Panama City’s best handicrafts markets, where members of the Kuna and Embera tribes sell traditional masks, molas and jewelry, much of it modeled after pre-Columbian artifacts.

Finally, Thursday’s Gamboa Rain Forest Tour opens the door to the vibrant Panamanian rain forest, from research ponds of frogs and fresh-water fish to an orchid nursery and butterfly show. The tour will culminate in a cable car ride through a lush forest canopy to a panoramic view of the Canal and Panama’s Parque Nacional Soberania. Don’t miss the exceptional photo opportunities.

For complete meeting details or to register, go to www.grains.org or contact Valerie Smiley, USGC manager of membership, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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