demonstrated how the popular Panama Hats are made. The only link that a
Panama Hat has with Panama, is that they were used by the Panama Canal
workers. Here is where they were first discovered by the outside world.
Woven from toquilla straw, they come in different qualities and price tags.
The finer the strand, the tighter the weave, the softer the feel, the longer
they take to make and the dearer they are.
Women crouch over stands on which they mould and weave the hats. Six months
of back breaking work can be spent making just one really top-quality hat.
Hats of different shapes, designs, colour and prices were available to us no
matter where we went in Manta today, but I am happy to say that mine was
made and bought from its original birthplace. Back on the ship, the
question was, who didn't buy a hat? Rather than, who did buy a Panama Hat
today!
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