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(CNN) — Brazil may be the only country in the world where the food comes in bigger portions than on American plates.

That’s particularly true when it comes to the carnivorous side of things.

It’s meat by the wheelbarrow in the barbecue tradition known as churrascaria.

The Brazilian barbecue tradition hails from the southern part of the country, from a gaucho technique of cooking meat in the wide-open country after a long day wrangling cattle.

These days the wranglers come to you at the churrascaria, wielding skewers of meat from all manner of beast and bringing the cuts to your table one by one.

There can be more than 20 different types of meat to choose from in the course of a meal at one of the big churrascarias.

Each skewer-toting server approaches with a particular cut. You inspect and nod, as if it was a bottle of wine, and the waiter then slices off a chunk for you to savor.

When a couple of waiters vie for your taste buds, it looks like a fencing match will break out.

It can get hectic on the churrascaria floor, but it’s worth it, because the slow-grilling Brazilian barbecue style known as rodizio produces some amazingly tasty food.

It starts with a fanatical devotion to high-quality meat and special cuts. The hunks of meat are stabbed onto the skewer and then slow-roasted rotisserie-style over charcoal to lock in the juiciness and flavor.

When the top layer of the meat is browned, it’s sliced off fresh to serve.

The barbecuing is tailored to your individual tastes.

You get not only a wide selection of cuts, but also styles: rare (mal passado), medium rare (a ponto para mal), medium (a ponto), medium well (a ponto para bem) and well done (bem passado).

The star of this meatapalooza is picanha, a top prime sirloin that melts in your mouth. But there’s a big supporting cast — alcatra (top sirloin), baby beef, filet mignon, file com alho (filet mignon with garlic), maminha (rump steak), costela de Ripa (beef short ribs), and pork loin, sausage, chicken and plenty more.

Gallery: A look at Brazil’s best beaches

Top 5 Brazilian barbecue cuts

Picanha

The hands-down favorite for Brazilians is picanha, a rump cut that’s sliced in thin sheets and eaten with rice and beans. For anyone who wants to experience the Brazilian barbecue tradition, picanha is a must.

The meat comes from the top of the rump, the rump cap, which has two sides, one that’s better known as tri-tip and the other smaller side, which is picanha.

Brazilians grill slabs of picanha with the fat on, and slice it off before serving. Good picanha is juicy, tender and triggers taste buds to demand more. It’s a premium cut, juicy, tender and out of the normal steak experience.

Keep the slices modest and you’ll be able to get up from the chair after the feast.

Baby beef

Known by the American handle (pronounced “bebe beefey”), baby beef is the second most popular cut in Brazil, just back of picanha.

It’s seen as a delicacy and is priced accordingly, the most expensive of the churrascaria cuts.

Baby beef, as the name implies, comes from younger cows, though not as young as veal cows.

The savory meat comes from the tenderloin section and is more tender and lean than that of mature cows, which is a big attraction for Brazilian palates. It’s a super-tasty cut, but will set your wallet back a bit.

Alcatra (top sirloin)

Alcatra is a top sirloin cut that’s a traditional dish in Portuguese homes, served as a kind of pot roast, but the Brazilians reinvented it on the grill to create a flavorful style of sirloin.

The right seasoning, grilling and smoky flavoring gives this tender cut a flavor and tenderness you won’t be able to stop thinking about.

It’s a whole new slice of sirloin.

Filet mignon

The king of the steaks is part of a pantheon in the Brazilian barbecue universe. It’s still a favorite, but has competition from picanha and baby beef. The great thing about the churrascaria style, though, is that you’re not restricted to one slab of meat. You can have a couple slices of picanha, filet mignon and more, depending on how many extra belt loops you have. Known for its lack of fat and tenderness, filet mignon can be exquisite in the hands of a great churrascaria chef.

Lombo (pork loin)

It’s not all beef at the churrascaria, where pork, lamb, chicken and even fish are also on the menu. Lombo is a pork cut worth sampling. The loin is sliced into slabs for the skewer dressed in a Parmesan cheese coating. As is done with the beef, only the best cuts of loin make it to the grill, so the pork is as juicy and tender as the high-end beef cuts.

Gallery: Savory barbecue from around the U.S.

Got your own churrascaria tips? Favorite cuts of meat? Share them in the comments section below.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/13/travel/brazilian-barbecue-guide/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/I1re28RdpeQ/5-minute-guide-to-brazilian-barbecue

(CNN) — Brazil may be the only country in the world where the food comes in bigger portions than on American plates.

That’s particularly true when it comes to the carnivorous side of things.

It’s meat by the wheelbarrow in the barbecue tradition known as churrascaria.

The Brazilian barbecue tradition hails from the southern part of the country, from a gaucho technique of cooking meat in the wide-open country after a long day wrangling cattle.

These days the wranglers come to you at the churrascaria, wielding skewers of meat from all manner of beast and bringing the cuts to your table one by one.

There can be more than 20 different types of meat to choose from in the course of a meal at one of the big churrascarias.

Each skewer-toting server approaches with a particular cut. You inspect and nod, as if it was a bottle of wine, and the waiter then slices off a chunk for you to savor.

When a couple of waiters vie for your taste buds, it looks like a fencing match will break out.

It can get hectic on the churrascaria floor, but it’s worth it, because the slow-grilling Brazilian barbecue style known as rodizio produces some amazingly tasty food.

It starts with a fanatical devotion to high-quality meat and special cuts. The hunks of meat are stabbed onto the skewer and then slow-roasted rotisserie-style over charcoal to lock in the juiciness and flavor.

When the top layer of the meat is browned, it’s sliced off fresh to serve.

The barbecuing is tailored to your individual tastes.

You get not only a wide selection of cuts, but also styles: rare (mal passado), medium rare (a ponto para mal), medium (a ponto), medium well (a ponto para bem) and well done (bem passado).

The star of this meatapalooza is picanha, a top prime sirloin that melts in your mouth. But there’s a big supporting cast — alcatra (top sirloin), baby beef, filet mignon, file com alho (filet mignon with garlic), maminha (rump steak), costela de Ripa (beef short ribs), and pork loin, sausage, chicken and plenty more.

Gallery: A look at Brazil’s best beaches

Top 5 Brazilian barbecue cuts

Picanha

The hands-down favorite for Brazilians is picanha, a rump cut that’s sliced in thin sheets and eaten with rice and beans. For anyone who wants to experience the Brazilian barbecue tradition, picanha is a must.

cnn_storypgraph19">The meat comes from the top of the rump, the rump cap, which has two sides, one that’s better known as tri-tip and the other smaller side, which is picanha.

Brazilians grill slabs of picanha with the fat on, and slice it off before serving. Good picanha is juicy, tender and triggers taste buds to demand more. It’s a premium cut, juicy, tender and out of the normal steak experience.

Keep the slices modest and you’ll be able to get up from the chair after the feast.

Baby beef

Known by the American handle (pronounced “bebe beefey”), baby beef is the second most popular cut in Brazil, just back of picanha.

It’s seen as a delicacy and is priced accordingly, the most expensive of the churrascaria cuts.

Baby beef, as the name implies, comes from younger cows, though not as young as veal cows.

The savory meat comes from the tenderloin section and is more tender and lean than that of mature cows, which is a big attraction for Brazilian palates. It’s a super-tasty cut, but will set your wallet back a bit.

Alcatra (top sirloin)

Alcatra is a top sirloin cut that’s a traditional dish in Portuguese homes, served as a kind of pot roast, but the Brazilians reinvented it on the grill to create a flavorful style of sirloin.

The right seasoning, grilling and smoky flavoring gives this tender cut a flavor and tenderness you won’t be able to stop thinking about.

It’s a whole new slice of sirloin.

Filet mignon

The king of the steaks is part of a pantheon in the Brazilian barbecue universe. It’s still a favorite, but has competition from picanha and baby beef. The great thing about the churrascaria style, though, is that you’re not restricted to one slab of meat. You can have a couple slices of picanha, filet mignon and more, depending on how many extra belt loops you have. Known for its lack of fat and tenderness, filet mignon can be exquisite in the hands of a great churrascaria chef.

Lombo (pork loin)

It’s not all beef at the churrascaria, where pork, lamb, chicken and even fish are also on the menu. Lombo is a pork cut worth sampling. The loin is sliced into slabs for the skewer dressed in a Parmesan cheese coating. As is done with the beef, only the best cuts of loin make it to the grill, so the pork is as juicy and tender as the high-end beef cuts.

Gallery: Savory barbecue from around the U.S.

Got your own churrascaria tips? Favorite cuts of meat? Share them in the comments section below.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/13/travel/brazilian-barbecue-guide/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/ppGSoliwN8c/a-5-minute-guide-to-brazilian-barbecue-2

North-Eastern Federal University researchers in Siberia.

(Credit:
North-Eastern Federal University)

When it comes to cloning extinct critters, it seems most people are holding out more hope for re-creating woolly mammoths than building “Jurassic Park.” The researchers involved in a mammoth-rebuilding project are probably pretty excited about a recent find by Russian scientists who uncovered a fairly fresh new mammoth.

A paleontological expedition from the Research Institute of Applied Ecology of the North, North-Eastern Federal University, and the Russian Geographical Society discovered a female mammoth in a remarkably good state of preservation in the Novosibirsk archipelago in Siberia. North-Eastern Federal University has partnered with controversial South Korean cloning scientist Hwang Woo-Suk (who was found to have faked data involving a procedure to clone human embryonic stem cells) for a mammoth-cloning effort.

“The fragments of muscle tissues, which we’ve found out of the body, have a natural red color of fresh meat,” says expedition leader Semyon Grigoriev. “The reason for such preservation is that the lower part of the body was underlying in pure ice, and the upper part was found in the middle of tundra.”

The scientists gathered blood samples for testing, which turned out to be a fairly simple process. “The blood is very dark, it was found in ice cavities bellow the belly and when we broke these cavities with a poll pick, the blood came running out,” Grigoriev says.

Depending on who you are, this discovery will mean different things. If you’re a cloner, you can’t wait to get your hands on some of that blood and tissue. If you’re a paleontologist, you’re hoping to learn more about how woolly mammoths worked. If you’re hungry, you’re probably wondering what mammoth steaks taste like. Let’s not go there.

This woolly mammoth display is from the Royal British Columbia Museum.

(Credit:

WolfmanSF)

(Via RT.com)

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cnet/pRza/~3/PJI7KJD5k7g/

In our philosophy class today, we will be discussing this existential question: What is the opposite of a Genius Bar?

In Jon Stewart’s view, it’s a group of senators attempting to fawn all over Apple CEO Tim Cook, instead of heating him up next to their goat steak and their veal sausages.

It was inevitable, perhaps, that Stewart might have an observation or two about Cook’s odd appearance in front of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. (I say “odd appearance” because he was wearing a tie.)

The “Daily Show” host was most taken by how utterly fanpersonish so many of the senators appeared.

Instead of giving Cook an earful these senators seemed to express: “I want to iF*** you.”

“Apparently there is nothing Apple can do to get us mad at them. They’re dodging taxes. They’ve got suicide prevention nets outside their hell factories,” mused Stewart.

Indeed, as far as Stewart is concerned, we’re all just as uncritical as these senators.

“We could find out they’re using kitten hearts to power iPhones and we’d be like, ‘Well, if it doubles battery life, I’ll take two!’”

It got to the point where the senators wanted Cook to solve their problems. Perhaps they wanted Apple to create the Taxcode Nano.

So simple, so cute and so very inexpensive.

This despite the fact that it might just be corporations and their wily lobbyists who have caused the tax code to become so infernal in the first place.

“This is Apple.” said Stewart. “They believe in simplicity. They wouldn’t use complexity just because it suits their business needs?”

To support this theory, with quite joyous aplomb, he displayed just one small element of an Apple agreement. You know, the one to which you agree every time you see it because it would take far too much of your time to read it.

And even more of your time to attempt to understand it.

Corporations, you have to love them, don’t you? Because, well, they suffer so much. For us, you understand. For us.

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cnet/pRza/~3/-fzk4AVeG2Y/

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According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, Panama City is the world’s third cheapest major city. Over the past decade, however, Panama has enjoyed the fastest growing economy in Latin America, bringing new luxury hotels, restaurants and services.

For the indecisive gourmand, Manolo Caracol serves a fantastic nine-course tasting menu for $36 per person. Blueberry ice cream with sugarcane honey (pictured) is a typical dessert.

In the old town of Casco Viejo, the Canal House has just three suites (from $320 per night) set around a large wooden staircase. The high-end guesthouse is owned by two sisters and loved for its quirky charm and homemade cooking.

Latin America’s first Waldorf Astoria hotel opened in March 2013. Book early and rooms start from $159, with that swanky pool included.

It’s not just about heavy shipping. The Panama Canal is one of the world’s true man-made marvels, and beautiful, too. Numerous land, water and aerial tours are available from Panama City.

Casa del Horno is a pretty boutique hotel on a colorful cobbled street in Casco Viejo. Surrounded by churches and plazas, it’s one of many colonial buildings to be renovated in recent years, making Casco Viejo feel a bit like Cartagena in neighboring Colombia.

The year-old Tantalo Hotel has brought a new sense of style to the capital. Each of its 12 rooms was designed by a different Panamanian artist. Designs range from gentle and flowery to seductive, with red and black walls and silver ceiling studs.

New everything seems to be sprouting up across the capital. Healthy competition is keeping standards high and Panama City now has a plethora of top-quality, luxury experiences for cut prices. Affluence is bringing sights like these yachts to Puerto Amador, a Panama City suburb.

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(CNN) — When the Economist Intelligence Unit released its most recent Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, the spotlight, as ever, fell on the world’s most expensive cities.

Tokyo came in on top of the pile of places that drain the color from your wallet, while Osaka and Sydney were second and third.

World’s most expensive cities

But what about the other end of the spectrum — how about a holiday where you can live it up without hemorrhaging cash?

The world’s cheapest city is Tehran, Iran, followed by Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Both have rich heritages, but Iran and Saudi Arabia are better known for generating controversial headlines than attracting tourists.

In third place, however, Panama City popped up. The Central American country is best known for hats and a canal — now we’ve got a reason to make sure our passport is up to date!

Over the past decade, Panama has enjoyed the fastest growing economy in Latin America.

As a result, new hotels and restaurants have sprouted across the capital. Healthy competition is keeping standards high, and Panama City has a plethora of top-quality, luxury experiences for cut prices.

Logistics

Before stepping foot outside the airport, you’ve started saving. All tourists arriving at Tocumen International Airport are given travel insurance for 30 days. It is granted by the Panamanian Tourism Authority; the government has provided the service since it signed an $8 million deal with Assicurazioni Generali.

Next up: cash. The Panamanian balboa is linked with the dollar and the two currencies are interchangeable, so there’s no paying a commission for changing currency.

As for airport transfers, a standard taxi to the city center costs $25. You could arrive in style with a Panama Luxury Limousine for $88.50. The same service would cost $145 in Rio de Janeiro, or $427 in Tokyo.

More cents can be saved (and you can do your bit for the environment) by avoiding bottled water. Tap water in Panama City is safe to drink, not a given in the region.

Hotels

Waldorf Astoria Panama

Latin America’s first Waldorf Astoria hotel opened in March 2013.

Book early and rooms start from $159.

Located on Calle Uruguay, aka “restaurant row,” the 248 rooms have metallic, glass and crystal decor designed by Miami-based Ba-Haus/KNF.

A stay here certainly doesn’t feel like skimping. The outdoor swimming pool is covered in gold tiles, there’s a swanky spa and each guest is given a personal concierge.

Overseen by head chef Kalych Padro Alvarado, four restaurants include a sushi bar and a French brasserie.

Waldorf Astoria Panama, 47th and Uruguay Streets; rooms from $159; +507 294 8000

Casa del Horno

Founded in 1501, Panama was a Spanish colony for three centuries. Known as Casco Viejo, the historic part of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Casa del Horno (Oven House) sits on a colorful cobbled street in Casco Viejo. Surrounded by churches and plazas, it’s one of many colonial buildings to be renovated in recent years, making Casco Viejo feel like Cartagena in neighboring Colombia.

Built in the 1850s, the eight-room hotel was originally a bakery. Stone walls remain, alongside art deco wooden furniture and all the modern fixtures, including LCD TVs and iPod docks.

The hotel’s cafe and restaurant are reached via the pavement, avoiding the clinical feel that can befall hotel restaurants.

Casa del Horno, Avenue B and Eighth Street; +507 212 0052; rooms from $250 for two-person suite

Tantalo Hotel

The year-old Tantalo Hotel has 12 rooms, each designed by a different Panamanian artist. Designs range from gentle and flowery to seductive, with red-and-black walls and silver ceiling studs.

Downstairs, a “living wall” is made from 900 lush plants. The restaurant dishes up Panama-style tapas, such as octopus with lemongrass and ginger. Cocktails, wine and several dishes to share will cost around $30 a head.

Each month, paintings in the communal areas change.

“The idea is for the fourth floor to be like an art gallery that you can wander around with a drink,” says assistant manager Catalina Bermudez.

The big, buzzing rooftop bar has panoramic views and hosts events including a monthly Cuban music evening.

Tantalo, Avenue B and Eighth Street; +507 262 4030; rooms from $120

Canal House

Canal House is a creaky 19th-century mansion in Casco Viejo, and checking in feels like staying with a stately aunt. With just three suites set around a large wooden staircase, this high-end guesthouse is owned by two sisters and loved for its quirky charm and homemade cooking. It was called “the finest accommodation that exists in Panama,” by Panama 980 magazine.

Canal House, Calle 5a Este; +507 228-1907; rooms from $195, suites from $320

Dining and nightlife

Restaurante Angel (Via Argentina No. 6868, El Cangrejo; +507 263 6411) is the city’s special occasion Spanish restaurant. You’ll get impeccably prepared seafood, beef, lamb and rabbit in an elegant setting with crisp service for around $20-25 per person, not including drinks.

There’s big food and big atmosphere for reasonable prices at Las Bovedas (Plaza Francia; +507 228 8058), a French restaurant set in the arched vaults of a 300-year-old fort in Casco Viejo. Fresh seafood, steaks, snails (it’s a signature dish) and great service are the hallmarks at this dressy classic.

Panamanian food is a mix of European, Asian and African tastes. The best way to experience the fusion is at Maito (Calle 50, Coco del Mar; +507 391 4657). It’s not often you order plantain hash with fried ceviche and come out smiling. Then there’s the ropa vieja main of shredded beef with a goat cheese sauce. Panamanian chef Mario Castrellón trained in Barcelona and returned to his hometown with a mission to start a “new gastronomy” inspired by the canal — the idea being that the waterway literally brings these different influences to the city.

For the indecisive gourmand, Manolo Caracol (Avenida Central and Calle 3, +507 228 4640) serves a set nine-course tasting menu for $36 per person. Busy and smart, yet relaxed, the open kitchen churns out seafood, meat and vegetable dishes made with local ingredients, the majority of which come straight from chef Caracol’s farm. Highlights include seafood bisque, corn tortilla with chorizo, and coconut fish curry with yuca tortillas.

Not exactly luxury but tasty and cheap all the same, Mercado del Marisco seafood market (Avenida Balboa and Calle Eloy Alfaro) is a great place to wander. When Anthony Bourdain came to Panama, this was his first stop. Here you’ll find rows of al fresco stalls selling ceviche for $1.25 a cup. There’s also an upstairs restaurant with a larger menu with hearty fish stews and filleted sea bass.

New Casco Viejo coffeehouse Bajareque sells the world’s most expensive coffee, Geisha, for a reasonable $6.50 a cup. Panama is the world’s only producer of this rare coffee, which typically retails for $172.50 per kilo. Fitting for its name, Geisha coffee mainly sells in Japan and costs $50 a cup at Tokyo coffee shops like Horiguchi Coffee.

The primary nightlife spots are Calle Uruguay and Casco Viejo, both of which are lined with places to sample Panama’s four national beers, Panama, Balboa, Suarana and Atlas, for a couple of dollars.

In Casco Viejo, Habana Panama (Calle Eloy Alfaro y Calle 12 Este; +507 212 0152), isn’t just the hottest dance spot in the city, it’s an atmospheric salsa hall that recalls the elegance of old Cuba and Ricky Ricardo style. Live bands typically don’t hit the stage until midnight. For a typical $10 cover you’ll find fewer better shows (or more fun) anywhere.

Then there’s Barlovento (Calle 10 A; +507 6613 4345), a tropical-style rooftop bar where the beautifuls hang. With views over Casco Viejo (rather than the Panama City skyline over at Tántalo) and a DJ playing a mix of electronic music and Latin beats, the place is pumping on the weekends. Again there’s a $10 cover charge (if you’re male that is; women enter free) but you’d easily pay a $25 cover for the same deal in Mexico City.

Attractions

Panama Viejo

The oldest section of the city, Panama Viejo was burned to the ground in the late 17th century by British pirate (or privateer, depending who you ask) Sir Henry Morgan.

The crumbling remains of towers, forts and houses run along the coast waiting to be explored. The visitors center has a model showing the city before Morgan showed up.

Panama Viejo; +507 226 8915; $3 for museum, $4 for ruins, $6 for both; open Tuesday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Panama Canal

The Panama Canal took 250,000 people more than 10 years to build (not counting the original failed French-led effort), transports 40 boats each day (taking eight to 10 hours per transit) and costs an average of $85,000 per vessel.

Luckily, tours are a little less, and a partial transit with Canal Bay Tours costs $135 per person, including breakfast, lunch and transfer though two sets of locks.

The Panama Canal celebrates its centenary in 2014, and to mark the occasion it’s undergoing a $5.25 billion modernization and expansion.

Progress is best viewed from above. Air Charter Panama arranges one-hour helicopter tours covering the Pacific and Atlantic sides of the canal from $749 for three passengers in a Robinson R44.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/17/travel/panama-city-luxury/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/SJZiqZe6WLI/live-large-pay-small-in-panama

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According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, Panama City is the world’s third cheapest major city. Over the past decade, however, Panama has enjoyed the fastest growing economy in Latin America, bringing new luxury hotels, restaurants and services.

For the indecisive gourmand, Manolo Caracol serves a fantastic nine-course tasting menu for $36 per person. Blueberry ice cream with sugarcane honey (pictured) is a typical dessert.

In the old town of Casco Viejo, the Canal House has just three suites (from $320 per night) set around a large wooden staircase. The high-end guesthouse is owned by two sisters and loved for its quirky charm and homemade cooking.

Latin America’s first Waldorf Astoria hotel opened in March 2013. Book early and rooms start from $159, with that swanky pool included.

It’s not just about heavy shipping. The Panama Canal is one of the world’s true man-made marvels, and beautiful, too. Numerous land, water and aerial tours are available from Panama City.

Casa del Horno is a pretty boutique hotel on a colorful cobbled street in Casco Viejo. Surrounded by churches and plazas, it’s one of many colonial buildings to be renovated in recent years, making Casco Viejo feel a bit like Cartagena in neighboring Colombia.

The year-old Tantalo Hotel has brought a new sense of style to the capital. Each of its 12 rooms was designed by a different Panamanian artist. Designs range from gentle and flowery to seductive, with red and black walls and silver ceiling studs.

New everything seems to be sprouting up across the capital. Healthy competition is keeping standards high and Panama City now has a plethora of top-quality, luxury experiences for cut prices. Affluence is bringing sights like these yachts to Puerto Amador, a Panama City suburb.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

(CNN) — When the Economist Intelligence Unit released its most recent Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, the spotlight, as ever, fell on the world’s most expensive cities.

Tokyo came in on top of the pile of places that drain the color from your wallet, while Osaka and Sydney were second and third.

World’s most expensive cities

But what about the other end of the spectrum — how about a holiday where you can live it up without hemorrhaging cash?

The world’s cheapest city is Tehran, Iran, followed by Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Both have rich heritages, but Iran and Saudi Arabia are better known for generating controversial headlines than attracting tourists.

In third place, however, Panama City popped up. The Central American country is best known for hats and a canal — now we’ve got a reason to make sure our passport is up to date!

Over the past decade, Panama has enjoyed the fastest growing economy in Latin America.

As a result, new hotels and restaurants have sprouted across the capital. Healthy competition is keeping standards high, and Panama City has a plethora of top-quality, luxury experiences for cut prices.

Logistics

Before stepping foot outside the airport, you’ve started saving. All tourists arriving at Tocumen International Airport are given travel insurance for 30 days. It is granted by the Panamanian Tourism Authority; the government has provided the service since it signed an $8 million deal with Assicurazioni Generali.

Next up: cash. The Panamanian balboa is linked with the dollar and the two currencies are interchangeable, so there’s no paying a commission for changing currency.

As for airport transfers, a standard taxi to the city center costs $25. You could arrive in style with a Panama Luxury Limousine for $88.50. The same service would cost $145 in Rio de Janeiro, or $427 in Tokyo.

More cents can be saved (and you can do your bit for the environment) by avoiding bottled water. Tap water in Panama City is safe to drink, not a given in the region.

Hotels

Waldorf Astoria Panama

Latin America’s first Waldorf Astoria hotel opened in March 2013.

Book early and rooms start from $159.

Located on Calle Uruguay, aka “restaurant row,” the 248 rooms have metallic, glass and crystal decor designed by Miami-based Ba-Haus/KNF.

A stay here certainly doesn’t feel like skimping. The outdoor swimming pool is covered in gold tiles, there’s a swanky spa and each guest is given a personal concierge.

Overseen by head chef Kalych Padro Alvarado, four restaurants include a sushi bar and a French brasserie.

Waldorf Astoria Panama, 47th and Uruguay Streets; rooms from $159; +507 294 8000

Casa del Horno

Founded in 1501, Panama was a Spanish colony for three centuries. Known as Casco Viejo, the historic part of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Casa del Horno (Oven House) sits on a colorful cobbled street in Casco Viejo. Surrounded by churches and plazas, it’s one of many colonial buildings to be renovated in recent years, making Casco Viejo feel like Cartagena in neighboring Colombia.

Built in the 1850s, the eight-room hotel was originally a bakery. Stone walls remain, alongside art deco wooden furniture and all the modern fixtures, including LCD TVs and iPod docks.

The hotel’s cafe and restaurant are reached via the pavement, avoiding the clinical feel that can befall hotel restaurants.

Casa del Horno, Avenue B and Eighth Street; +507 212 0052; rooms from $250 for two-person suite

Tantalo Hotel

The year-old Tantalo Hotel has 12 rooms, each designed by a different Panamanian artist. Designs range from gentle and flowery to seductive, with red-and-black walls and silver ceiling studs.

Downstairs, a “living wall” is made from 900 lush plants. The restaurant dishes up Panama-style tapas, such as octopus with lemongrass and ginger. Cocktails, wine and several dishes to share will cost around $30 a head.

Each month, paintings in the communal areas change.

“The idea is for the fourth floor to be like an art gallery that you can wander around with a drink,” says assistant manager Catalina Bermudez.

The big, buzzing rooftop bar has panoramic views and hosts events including a monthly Cuban music evening.

Tantalo, Avenue B and Eighth Street; +507 262 4030; rooms from $120

Canal House

Canal House is a creaky 19th-century mansion in Casco Viejo, and checking in feels like staying with a stately aunt. With just three suites set around a large wooden staircase, this high-end guesthouse is owned by two sisters and loved for its quirky charm and homemade cooking. It was called “the finest accommodation that exists in Panama,” by Panama 980 magazine.

Canal House, Calle 5a Este; +507 228-1907; rooms from $195, suites from $320

Dining and nightlife

Restaurante Angel (Via Argentina No. 6868, El Cangrejo; +507 263 6411) is the city’s special occasion Spanish restaurant. You’ll get impeccably prepared seafood, beef, lamb and rabbit in an elegant setting with crisp service for around $20-25 per person, not including drinks.

There’s big food and big atmosphere for reasonable prices at Las Bovedas (Plaza Francia; +507 228 8058), a French restaurant set in the arched vaults of a 300-year-old fort in Casco Viejo. Fresh seafood, steaks, snails (it’s a signature dish) and great service are the hallmarks at this dressy classic.

Panamanian food is a mix of European, Asian and African tastes. The best way to experience the fusion is at Maito (Calle 50, Coco del Mar; +507 391 4657). It’s not often you order plantain hash with fried ceviche and come out smiling. Then there’s the ropa vieja main of shredded beef with a goat cheese sauce. Panamanian chef Mario Castrellón trained in Barcelona and returned to his hometown with a mission to start a “new gastronomy” inspired by the canal — the idea being that the waterway literally brings these different influences to the city.

For the indecisive gourmand, Manolo Caracol (Avenida Central and Calle 3, +507 228 4640) serves a set nine-course tasting menu for $36 per person. Busy and smart, yet relaxed, the open kitchen churns out seafood, meat and vegetable dishes made with local ingredients, the majority of which come straight from chef Caracol’s farm. Highlights include seafood bisque, corn tortilla with chorizo, and coconut fish curry with yuca tortillas.

Not exactly luxury but tasty and cheap all the same, Mercado del Marisco seafood market (Avenida Balboa and Calle Eloy Alfaro) is a great place to wander. When Anthony Bourdain came to Panama, this was his first stop. Here you’ll find rows of al fresco stalls selling ceviche for $1.25 a cup. There’s also an upstairs restaurant with a larger menu with hearty fish stews and filleted sea bass.

New Casco Viejo coffeehouse Bajareque sells the world’s most expensive coffee, Geisha, for a reasonable $6.50 a cup. Panama is the world’s only producer of this rare coffee, which typically retails for $172.50 per kilo. Fitting for its name, Geisha coffee mainly sells in Japan and costs $50 a cup at Tokyo coffee shops like Horiguchi Coffee.

The primary nightlife spots are Calle Uruguay and Casco Viejo, both of which are lined with places to sample Panama’s four national beers, Panama, Balboa, Suarana and Atlas, for a couple of dollars.

In Casco Viejo, Habana Panama (Calle Eloy Alfaro y Calle 12 Este; +507 212 0152), isn’t just the hottest dance spot in the city, it’s an atmospheric salsa hall that recalls the elegance of old Cuba and Ricky Ricardo style. Live bands typically don’t hit the stage until midnight. For a typical $10 cover you’ll find fewer better shows (or more fun) anywhere.

Then there’s Barlovento (Calle 10 A; +507 6613 4345), a tropical-style rooftop bar where the beautifuls hang. With views over Casco Viejo (rather than the Panama City skyline over at Tántalo) and a DJ playing a mix of electronic music and Latin beats, the place is pumping on the weekends. Again there’s a $10 cover charge (if you’re male that is; women enter free) but you’d easily pay a $25 cover for the same deal in Mexico City.

Attractions

Panama Viejo

The oldest section of the city, Panama Viejo was burned to the ground in the late 17th century by British pirate (or privateer, depending who you ask) Sir Henry Morgan.

The crumbling remains of towers, forts and houses run along the coast waiting to be explored. The visitors center has a model showing the city before Morgan showed up.

Panama Viejo; +507 226 8915; $3 for museum, $4 for ruins, $6 for both; open Tuesday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Panama Canal

The Panama Canal took 250,000 people more than 10 years to build (not counting the original failed French-led effort), transports 40 boats each day (taking eight to 10 hours per transit) and costs an average of $85,000 per vessel.

Luckily, tours are a little less, and a partial transit with Canal Bay Tours costs $135 per person, including breakfast, lunch and transfer though two sets of locks.

The Panama Canal celebrates its centenary in 2014, and to mark the occasion it’s undergoing a $5.25 billion modernization and expansion.

Progress is best viewed from above. Air Charter Panama arranges one-hour helicopter tours covering the Pacific and Atlantic sides of the canal from $749 for three passengers in a Robinson R44.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/17/travel/panama-city-luxury/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/91EQWtCJiFU/live-large-pay-small-in-panama-city

Kirk versus Skywalker in a fistfight: who wins?

(Credit:
NBC Television/Lucasfilm)

Once upon a time, a person could be categorized by the question “Rolling Stones or Beatles?” In geek circles, that question is “‘Star Trek’ or ‘Star Wars?’” There’s plenty of crossover, but many fans come down solidly on one side or the other.

Famous geek and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson made a splash this week by spelling out his “Star Trek” love and lack of passion for “Star Wars” in terms of physics (or lack thereof).

Tyson’s opinions certainly spawned some heated discussion, with fans standing up for their favorite series. Decades after each franchise first began, they still generate an incredible amount of passion, dedication, and verve.

Tyson’s argument that “Star Wars” made no attempt to portray physics accurately at all is an interesting one. It certainly fits with his personality and career. Some people may prefer the philosophizing and moral quandaries of “Star Trek.” Still others may really embrace the fantasy elements of “Star Wars.”

We don’t need to get into sci-fi convention altercations to try to settle our differences. We have the luxury of hashing it out in a poll. Ultimately, die-hard Trekkies aren’t likely to convert die-hard “Star Wars” fans into Federation members, and vice versa. It’s still fun to discuss it though.

Vote in our poll and back up your opinion in the comments. Then, let’s all pour ourselves some Romulan ale, throw some wampa steaks on the grill, and agree that it’s pretty darn cool so many of us dig science fiction, regardless of the franchise.

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cnet/pRza/~3/D42sMa629vI/

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Connie Culp was injured when her husband shot her in 2004. She underwent a near-total face transplant at the Cleveland Clinic in 2008 — the first operation of its kind in the United States.

James Maki fell onto the electrified third rail at a Boston subway station on June 30, 2005, destroying the entire of the core of his face. Now after having a transplant, he’s in the process of getting eight false teeth implanted in his mouth and a new set of dentures. He says he can’t wait to eat a rib-eye steak.

Dallas Wiens lost almost his entire face from burns in 2008. He underwent the first full facial transplant in the country in 2011.

Mitch Hunter suffered significant injury after a car accident in 2001. After a face transplant, he now has near-normal sensation, and his speech has continued to improve.

Charla Nash was mauled by a friend’s chimpanzee and underwent a face transplant in May 2011 at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Richard Norris had a gun accident in 1997, and wore a surgical mask for 15 years to hide his face from the world. He is shown, left, in high school in 1993; center, after the gunshot injury; right, after face transplant surgery.

Carmen Blandin Tarleton became disfigured after her estranged husband doused her with industrial-strength lye. After a face transplant, she says she’s “thrilled” and has a new goal: to kiss her boyfriend.

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Editor’s note: Readers responded Wednesday to the story of Carmen Tarleton, who publicly revealed her new face after undergoing a full-face transplant in February. Here, we catch up with others who have had face transplants.

(CNN) — Since 2008, the United States has seen several landmark surgeries in face transplantation, giving people with severely deformed faces new lives through partially or totally different faces from donors.

Receiving a new face is anything but easy. The surgery requires long hours with many medical specialists collaborating to make it happen. The patient then has to adjust to the new face, biologically and psychologically.

There is a complex rehabilitation process where the patient learns how to eat, speak and make facial expressions again, said Dr. Maria Siemionow, director of plastic surgery research at the Cleveland Clinic.

“The surgical procedure itself of transplant is relatively standard,” Siemionow said. “The major problem is the selection of the candidate — who is and who is not the face transplant candidate.”

For instance, doctors at the Cleveland Clinic would not consider someone who is totally blind because one of the requirements is to be able to exercise one’s face in front of a mirror, “to make the face adjusted to the brain,” she said about this still emerging field of surgery.

Here are the major publicly reported cases of facial transplants in the U.S.:

Connie Culp

Surgery: December 2008

Connie Culp received the first near-total face transplant in the U.S. She was injured by a bullet in 2004 when her husband shot her. Culp was left partially blind, unable to smell and speak, and dependent on a surgical opening in her neck to breathe. (The world’s first full-face transplant was done in Spain in 2010.)

A 22-hour operation at the Cleveland Clinic gave her most of a new face from a donor: Anna Kasper of Lakewood, Ohio.

Culp met the family of the donor in December 2010. She said around the same time that she was happy with the transformation.

“I can smell now,” she told CNN in 2010. “I can eat steak, I can eat almost any solid foods — so it’s all getting better.”

Siemionow, who led the surgery, said Thursday doctors at the hospital have been seeing Culp on a monthly basis since the transplant. She described Culp as “fully integrated back in her community.” She is “a happy grandmother” with a boyfriend, and she is “very joyful.”

Culp, now 49, is able to smile, frown and talk, and her speech is easily understood, Siemionow said. Before, Culp did not have a nose; now, she can breathe through it. Researchers have determined that Culp’s brain accepts the new face, based on activity in key brain areas.

She is an advocate of organ donation and travels to deliver speeches about her experience.

“She’s a very powerful personality to actually share her experience to help others,” Siemionow said.

James Maki

Surgery: April 2009

James Maki destroyed the entire core of his face when he fell onto the electrified third rail at a Boston subway station on June 30, 2005. He also suffered severe burns on his arms and hands. His breathing was impaired, and he couldn’t speak coherently. Eating was also impossible; he was fed through a tube in his stomach.

A team of surgeons and other specialists worked for 17 hours at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital to give him a new face from a donor. Maki, who wore dentures before the accident, also got new teeth during the operation. But the teeth didn’t take and eventually began to break.

He’s now in the process of getting eight false teeth implanted into his mouth, and he’ll have a new set of dentures, too.

“I’m going to have all my teeth,” Maki, 63, said Thursday. “I’m looking forward to eating a lot of things — like I have to eat stuff that’s really soft. Once I get the teeth in, I can eat whatever. Cashews. Whatever I like.”

He says he can’t wait to eat a rib-eye steak.

Maki is also making facial expressions again. He says he has his good days and bad days. He’s taken up the game of bridge at his local senior center.

Face transplant patient reflects on life

Dallas Wiens

Surgery: March 2011

Dallas Wiens underwent the first full facial transplant in the United States. When Wiens was painting his church as a volunteer in November 2008, his head got too close to a high-voltage power line. He lost almost his entire face from the burns.

Doctors kept Wiens in a medically induced coma for 90 days. In March 2011, he received a new face in a 15-hour procedure at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

“When I woke up, and I was able to feel I had features again — eyes and a nose and a mouth — I even said out loud that this could not be medically possible,” Wiens said in May 2011. “But here I am today.”

Wiens recently married Jamie Nash, a woman who suffered burns on more than 70% of her body after a car crash.

“Our love is deep and strong, and together we will achieve greatness,” Nash wrote on the Jamie Nash TXT L8R Foundation website.

Mitch Hunter

Surgery: April 2011

Mitch Hunter suffered significant injuries in a 2001 car accident, in which he received a severe shock from a high-voltage electrical wire.

The Indiana man was the second full-face transplant recipient in the United States.

A 14-hour surgery gave Hunter a nose, eyelids and facial animation muscles and nerves, Brigham and Women’s Hospital said.

In most of his face, Hunter now has near-normal sensation. His speech has continued to improve.

“Mitch reports that he is very happy with both the aesthetic and the functional outcomes of his operation, and enjoys spending as much time as possible with his family and friends,” the hospital said in a statement. “He recently has taken on active pursuits, including running and training for endurance races. He also has a job in his home state of Indiana and is planning to obtain a degree in information systems.”

Charla Nash

Surgery: May 2011

Charla Nash was mauled by a friend’s chimpanzee, leaving her without a nose, eyelids, lips or hands. Brigham and Women’s Hospital surgeons performed a full facial transplant in a 20-hour procedure.

Initially, she also received two new hands through transplantation as well. A few days later, though, Nash became sick, and the hands were removed.

The first post-surgery pictures of her were released in August 2011.

She said at that time: “I will now be able to do things I once took for granted … I will have lips and will speak clearly once again. I will be able to kiss and hug loved ones. I am tremendously grateful to the donor and her family.”

Face transplant recipient faces public

Richard Lee Norris

Surgery: March 2012

Richard Norris from Virginia was a gun accident in 1997 that took away much of his upper and lower jaws, in addition to lips and nose. He needed a trachea tube to breathe. He wore a surgical mask for 15 years, hiding his deformities from the world.

A team of specialists at the University of Maryland Medical Center performed the procedure, which lasted 36 hours. The surgery involved replacing both jaws, as well as tongue, and skin and underlying nerve and muscle tissue, and an entire set of teeth. Essentially, his entire face was replaced except for his eyes and the back remnant of his throat.

Doctors said Norris’ was the most extensive surgery of its kind.

Norris said in a statement in October, “I am doing well. I spend a lot of my time fishing and working on my golf game. I am also enjoying time with my family and friends.”

The 37-year-old spoke at a University of Maryland fundraising gala on Saturday, his first public appearance since the surgery, according the a hospital spokesman.

“Thank you for the years spent preparing to give me a new life,” he said, according to CNN affiliate WJZ.

In memory of the deceased donor, he said, “Thank you, Joshua. We will always be grateful to you and your family for this gift of life.”

Woman reveals her new face

Carmen Blandin Tarleton

Surgery: February 2013

Carmen Blandin Tarleton became disfigured after her estranged husband doused her with industrial-strength lye. The lye burned more than 80% of her body, and the burns went all the way through her skin. Children would run away from her because of her appearance.

Tarleton was approved for a full facial transplant in December 2011, and it took 14 months to find a donor. The transplant surgery, performed by specialists at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, took 15 hours.

Today, Tarleton is completely blind in one eye and partially blind in the other, but she is still able to live on her own in her apartment in Vermont.

She told CNN she especially looks forward to gaining the strength and coordination to kiss the man she calls “the love of my life.”

“I can’t pucker and feel yet,” she said. “But I am looking forward to that day. I know that day will come.”

CNN’s John Bonifield, Madison Park and Elizabeth Cohen contributed to this report.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/02/health/face-transplant-patients/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/Y9ZLpvm-FWk/transplant-patients-progress

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Connie Culp was injured when her husband shot her in 2004. She underwent a near-total face transplant at the Cleveland Clinic in 2008 — the first operation of its kind in the United States.

James Maki fell onto the electrified third rail at a Boston subway station on June 30, 2005, destroying the entire of the core of his face. Now after having a transplant, he’s in the process of getting eight false teeth implanted in his mouth and a new set of dentures. He says he can’t wait to eat a rib-eye steak.

Dallas Wiens lost almost his entire face from burns in 2008. He underwent the first full facial transplant in the country in 2011.

Mitch Hunter suffered significant injury after a car accident in 2001. After a face transplant, he now has near-normal sensation, and his speech has continued to improve.

Charla Nash was mauled by a friend’s chimpanzee and underwent a face transplant in May 2011 at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Richard Norris had a gun accident in 1997, and wore a surgical mask for 15 years to hide his face from the world. He is shown, left, in high school in 1993; center, after the gunshot injury; right, after face transplant surgery.

Carmen Blandin Tarleton became disfigured after her estranged husband doused her with industrial-strength lye. After a face transplant, she says she’s “thrilled” and has a new goal: to kiss her boyfriend.

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Editor’s note: Readers responded Wednesday to the story of Carmen Tarleton, who publicly revealed her new face after undergoing a full-face transplant in February. Here, we catch up with others who have had face transplants.

(CNN) — Since 2008, the United States has seen several landmark surgeries in face transplantation, giving people with severely deformed faces new lives through partially or totally different faces from donors.

Receiving a new face is anything but easy. The surgery requires long hours with many medical specialists collaborating to make it happen. The patient then has to adjust to the new face, biologically and psychologically.

There is a complex rehabilitation process where the patient learns how to eat, speak and make facial expressions again, said Dr. Maria Siemionow, director of plastic surgery research at the Cleveland Clinic.

“The surgical procedure itself of transplant is relatively standard,” Siemionow said. “The major problem is the selection of the candidate — who is and who is not the face transplant candidate.”

For instance, doctors at the Cleveland Clinic would not consider someone who is totally blind because one of the requirements is to be able to exercise one’s face in front of a mirror, “to make the face adjusted to the brain,” she said about this still emerging field of surgery.

Here are the major publicly reported cases of facial transplants in the U.S.:

Connie Culp

Surgery: December 2008

Connie Culp received the first near-total face transplant in the U.S. She was injured by a bullet in 2004 when her husband shot her. Culp was left partially blind, unable to smell and speak, and dependent on a surgical opening in her neck to breathe. (The world’s first full-face transplant was done in Spain in 2010.)

A 22-hour operation at the Cleveland Clinic gave her most of a new face from a donor: Anna Kasper of Lakewood, Ohio.

Culp met the family of the donor in December 2010. She said around the same time that she was happy with the transformation.

“I can smell now,” she told CNN in 2010. “I can eat steak, I can eat almost any solid foods — so it’s all getting better.”

Siemionow, who led the surgery, said Thursday doctors at the hospital have been seeing Culp on a monthly basis since the transplant. She described Culp as “fully integrated back in her community.” She is “a happy grandmother” with a boyfriend, and she is “very joyful.”

Culp, now 49, is able to smile, frown and talk, and her speech is easily understood, Siemionow said. Before, Culp did not have a nose; now, she can breathe through it. Researchers have determined that Culp’s brain accepts the new face, based on activity in key brain areas.

She is an advocate of organ donation and travels to deliver speeches about her experience.

“She’s a very powerful personality to actually share her experience to help others,” Siemionow said.

James Maki

Surgery: April 2009

James Maki destroyed the entire core of his face when he fell onto the electrified third rail at a Boston subway station on June 30, 2005. He also suffered severe burns on his arms and hands. His breathing was impaired, and he couldn’t speak coherently. Eating was also impossible; he was fed through a tube in his stomach.

A team of surgeons and other specialists worked for 17 hours at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital to give him a new face from a donor. Maki, who wore dentures before the accident, also got new teeth during the operation. But the teeth didn’t take and eventually began to break.

He’s now in the process of getting eight false teeth implanted into his mouth, and he’ll have a new set of dentures, too.

“I’m going to have all my teeth,” Maki, 63, said Thursday. “I’m looking forward to eating a lot of things — like I have to eat stuff that’s really soft. Once I get the teeth in, I can eat whatever. Cashews. Whatever I like.”

He says he can’t wait to eat a rib-eye steak.

Maki is also making facial expressions again. He says he has his good days and bad days. He’s taken up the game of bridge at his local senior center.

Face transplant patient reflects on life

Dallas Wiens

Surgery: March 2011

Dallas Wiens underwent the first full facial transplant in the United States. When Wiens was painting his church as a volunteer in November 2008, his head got too close to a high-voltage power line. He lost almost his entire face from the burns.

Doctors kept Wiens in a medically induced coma for 90 days. In March 2011, he received a new face in a 15-hour procedure at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

“When I woke up, and I was able to feel I had features again — eyes and a nose and a mouth — I even said out loud that this could not be medically possible,” Wiens said in May 2011. “But here I am today.”

Wiens recently married Jamie Nash, a woman who suffered burns on more than 70% of her body after a car crash.

“Our love is deep and strong, and together we will achieve greatness,” Nash wrote on the Jamie Nash TXT L8R Foundation website.

Mitch Hunter

Surgery: April 2011

Mitch Hunter suffered significant injuries in a 2001 car accident, in which he received a severe shock from a high-voltage electrical wire.

The Indiana man was the second full-face transplant recipient in the United States.

A 14-hour surgery gave Hunter a nose, eyelids and facial animation muscles and nerves, Brigham and Women’s Hospital said.

In most of his face, Hunter now has near-normal sensation. His speech has continued to improve.

“Mitch reports that he is very happy with both the aesthetic and the functional outcomes of his operation, and enjoys spending as much time as possible with his family and friends,” the hospital said in a statement. “He recently has taken on active pursuits, including running and training for endurance races. He also has a job in his home state of Indiana and is planning to obtain a degree in information systems.”

Charla Nash

Surgery: May 2011

Charla Nash was mauled by a friend’s chimpanzee, leaving her without a nose, eyelids, lips or hands. Brigham and Women’s Hospital surgeons performed a full facial transplant in a 20-hour procedure.

Initially, she also received two new hands through transplantation as well. A few days later, though, Nash became sick, and the hands were removed.

The first post-surgery pictures of her were released in August 2011.

She said at that time: “I will now be able to do things I once took for granted … I will have lips and will speak clearly once again. I will be able to kiss and hug loved ones. I am tremendously grateful to the donor and her family.”

Face transplant recipient faces public

Richard Lee Norris

Surgery: March 2012

Richard Norris from Virginia was a gun accident in 1997 that took away much of his upper and lower jaws, in addition to lips and nose. He needed a trachea tube to breathe. He wore a surgical mask for 15 years, hiding his deformities from the world.

A team of specialists at the University of Maryland Medical Center performed the procedure, which lasted 36 hours. The surgery involved replacing both jaws, as well as tongue, and skin and underlying nerve and muscle tissue, and an entire set of teeth. Essentially, his entire face was replaced except for his eyes and the back remnant of his throat.

Doctors said Norris’ was the most extensive surgery of its kind.

Norris said in a statement in October, “I am doing well. I spend a lot of my time fishing and working on my golf game. I am also enjoying time with my family and friends.”

The 37-year-old spoke at a University of Maryland fundraising gala on Saturday, his first public appearance since the surgery, according the a hospital spokesman.

“Thank you for the years spent preparing to give me a new life,” he said, according to CNN affiliate WJZ.

In memory of the deceased donor, he said, “Thank you, Joshua. We will always be grateful to you and your family for this gift of life.”

Woman reveals her new face

Carmen Blandin Tarleton

Surgery: February 2013

Carmen Blandin Tarleton became disfigured after her estranged husband doused her with industrial-strength lye. The lye burned more than 80% of her body, and the burns went all the way through her skin. Children would run away from her because of her appearance.

Tarleton was approved for a full facial transplant in December 2011, and it took 14 months to find a donor. The transplant surgery, performed by specialists at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, took 15 hours.

Today, Tarleton is completely blind in one eye and partially blind in the other, but she is still able to live on her own in her apartment in Vermont.

She told CNN she especially looks forward to gaining the strength and coordination to kiss the man she calls “the love of my life.”

“I can’t pucker and feel yet,” she said. “But I am looking forward to that day. I know that day will come.”

CNN’s John Bonifield, Madison Park and Elizabeth Cohen contributed to this report.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/02/health/face-transplant-patients/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/d6a9ck9eYuI/face-transplant-patients-where-are-they-now

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Connie Culp was injured when her husband shot her in 2004. She underwent a near-total face transplant at the Cleveland Clinic in 2008 — the first operation of its kind in the United States.

James Maki fell onto the electrified third rail at a Boston subway station on June 30, 2005, destroying the entire of the core of his face. Now after having a transplant, he’s in the process of getting eight false teeth implanted in his mouth and a new set of dentures. He says he can’t wait to eat a rib-eye steak.

Dallas Wiens lost almost his entire face from burns in 2008. He underwent the first full facial transplant in the country in 2011.

Mitch Hunter suffered significant injury after a car accident in 2001. After a face transplant, he now has near-normal sensation, and his speech has continued to improve.

Charla Nash was mauled by a friend’s chimpanzee and underwent a face transplant in May 2011 at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Richard Norris had a gun accident in 1997, and wore a surgical mask for 15 years to hide his face from the world. He is shown, left, in high school in 1993; center, after the gunshot injury; right, after face transplant surgery.

Carmen Blandin Tarleton became disfigured after her estranged husband doused her with industrial-strength lye. After a face transplant, she says she’s “thrilled” and has a new goal: to kiss her boyfriend.

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Editor’s note: Readers responded Wednesday to the story of Carmen Tarleton, who publicly revealed her new face after undergoing a full-face transplant in February. Here, we catch up with others who have had face transplants.

(CNN) — Since 2008, the United States has seen several landmark surgeries in face transplantation, giving people with severely deformed faces new lives through partially or totally different faces from donors.

Receiving a new face is anything but easy. The surgery requires long hours with many medical specialists collaborating to make it happen. The patient then has to adjust to the new face, biologically and psychologically.

There is a complex rehabilitation process where the patient learns how to eat, speak and make facial expressions again, said Dr. Maria Siemionow, director of plastic surgery research at the Cleveland Clinic.

“The surgical procedure itself of transplant is relatively standard,” Siemionow said. “The major problem is the selection of the candidate — who is and who is not the face transplant candidate.”

For instance, doctors at the Cleveland Clinic would not consider someone who is totally blind because one of the requirements is to be able to exercise one’s face in front of a mirror, “to make the face adjusted to the brain,” she said about this still emerging field of surgery.

Here are the major publicly reported cases of facial transplants in the U.S.:

Connie Culp

Surgery: December 2008

Connie Culp received the first near-total face transplant in the U.S. She was injured by a bullet in 2004 when her husband shot her. Culp was left partially blind, unable to smell and speak, and dependent on a surgical opening in her neck to breathe. (The world’s first full-face transplant was done in Spain in 2010.)

A 22-hour operation at the Cleveland Clinic gave her most of a new face from a donor: Anna Kasper of Lakewood, Ohio.

Culp met the family of the donor in December 2010. She said around the same time that she was happy with the transformation.

“I can smell now,” she told CNN in 2010. “I can eat steak, I can eat almost any solid foods — so it’s all getting better.”

Siemionow, who led the surgery, said Thursday doctors at the hospital have been seeing Culp on a monthly basis since the transplant. She described Culp as “fully integrated back in her community.” She is “a happy grandmother” with a boyfriend, and she is “very joyful.”

Culp, now 49, is able to smile, frown and talk, and her speech is easily understood, Siemionow said. Before, Culp did not have a nose; now, she can breathe through it. Researchers have determined that Culp’s brain accepts the new face, based on activity in key brain areas.

She is an advocate of organ donation and travels to deliver speeches about her experience.

“She’s a very powerful personality to actually share her experience to help others,” Siemionow said.

James Maki

Surgery: April 2009

James Maki destroyed the entire core of his face when he fell onto the electrified third rail at a Boston subway station on June 30, 2005. He also suffered severe burns on his arms and hands. His breathing was impaired, and he couldn’t speak coherently. Eating was also impossible; he was fed through a tube in his stomach.

A team of surgeons and other specialists worked for 17 hours at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital to give him a new face from a donor. Maki, who wore dentures before the accident, also got new teeth during the operation. But the teeth didn’t take and eventually began to break.

He’s now in the process of getting eight false teeth implanted into his mouth, and he’ll have a new set of dentures, too.

“I’m going to have all my teeth,” Maki, 63, said Thursday. “I’m looking forward to eating a lot of things — like I have to eat stuff that’s really soft. Once I get the teeth in, I can eat whatever. Cashews. Whatever I like.”

He says he can’t wait to eat a rib-eye steak.

Maki is also making facial expressions again. He says he has his good days and bad days. He’s taken up the game of bridge at his local senior center.

Face transplant patient reflects on life

Dallas Wiens

Surgery: March 2011

Dallas Wiens underwent the first full facial transplant in the United States. When Wiens was painting his church as a volunteer in November 2008, his head got too close to a high-voltage power line. He lost almost his entire face from the burns.

Doctors kept Wiens in a medically induced coma for 90 days. In March 2011, he received a new face in a 15-hour procedure at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

“When I woke up, and I was able to feel I had features again — eyes and a nose and a mouth — I even said out loud that this could not be medically possible,” Wiens said in May 2011. “But here I am today.”

Wiens recently married Jamie Nash, a woman who suffered burns on more than 70% of her body after a car crash.

“Our love is deep and strong, and together we will achieve greatness,” Nash wrote on the Jamie Nash TXT L8R Foundation website.

Mitch Hunter

Surgery: April 2011

Mitch Hunter suffered significant injuries in a 2001 car accident, in which he received a severe shock from a high-voltage electrical wire.

The Indiana man was the second full-face transplant recipient in the United States.

A 14-hour surgery gave Hunter a nose, eyelids and facial animation muscles and nerves, Brigham and Women’s Hospital said.

In most of his face, Hunter now has near-normal sensation. His speech has continued to improve.

“Mitch reports that he is very happy with both the aesthetic and the functional outcomes of his operation, and enjoys spending as much time as possible with his family and friends,” the hospital said in a statement. “He recently has taken on active pursuits, including running and training for endurance races. He also has a job in his home state of Indiana and is planning to obtain a degree in information systems.”

Charla Nash

Surgery: May 2011

Charla Nash was mauled by a friend’s chimpanzee, leaving her without a nose, eyelids, lips or hands. Brigham and Women’s Hospital surgeons performed a full facial transplant in a 20-hour procedure.

Initially, she also received two new hands through transplantation as well. A few days later, though, Nash became sick, and the hands were removed.

The first post-surgery pictures of her were released in August 2011.

She said at that time: “I will now be able to do things I once took for granted … I will have lips and will speak clearly once again. I will be able to kiss and hug loved ones. I am tremendously grateful to the donor and her family.”

Face transplant recipient faces public

Richard Lee Norris

Surgery: March 2012

Richard Norris from Virginia was a gun accident in 1997 that took away much of his upper and lower jaws, in addition to lips and nose. He needed a trachea tube to breathe. He wore a surgical mask for 15 years, hiding his deformities from the world.

A team of specialists at the University of Maryland Medical Center performed the procedure, which lasted 36 hours. The surgery involved replacing both jaws, as well as tongue, and skin and underlying nerve and muscle tissue, and an entire set of teeth. Essentially, his entire face was replaced except for his eyes and the back remnant of his throat.

Doctors said Norris’ was the most extensive surgery of its kind.

Norris said in a statement in October, “I am doing well. I spend a lot of my time fishing and working on my golf game. I am also enjoying time with my family and friends.”

The 37-year-old spoke at a University of Maryland fundraising gala on Saturday, his first public appearance since the surgery, according the a hospital spokesman.

“Thank you for the years spent preparing to give me a new life,” he said, according to CNN affiliate WJZ.

In memory of the deceased donor, he said, “Thank you, Joshua. We will always be grateful to you and your family for this gift of life.”

Woman reveals her new face

Carmen Blandin Tarleton

Surgery: February 2013

Carmen Blandin Tarleton became disfigured after her estranged husband doused her with industrial-strength lye. The lye burned more than 80% of her body, and the burns went all the way through her skin. Children would run away from her because of her appearance.

Tarleton was approved for a full facial transplant in December 2011, and it took 14 months to find a donor. The transplant surgery, performed by specialists at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, took 15 hours.

Today, Tarleton is completely blind in one eye and partially blind in the other, but she is still able to live on her own in her apartment in Vermont.

She told CNN she especially looks forward to gaining the strength and coordination to kiss the man she calls “the love of my life.”

“I can’t pucker and feel yet,” she said. “But I am looking forward to that day. I know that day will come.”

CNN’s John Bonifield, Madison Park and Elizabeth Cohen contributed to this report.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/02/health/face-transplant-patients/index.html?eref=edition

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