Panamania in Toronto

This summer, Toronto hosts Pan Am and Parapan Am Games and even though I tried, I could not ignore it anymore.

I'm not into sports (other than running) and I certainly don't follow up on world events such as this particular one.

I have seen parts of Olympics a few times, but that was either because there was nothing else on TV or I actually stopped flipping the channels if something, like woman gymnastics, caught my eye at the moment.

Or male gymnastics. Russians were cute at the time.

I do come from a country that is very proud in sports and yields lots of world greatest athletes - whether they're into skiing, swimming, handball, tennis, athletics or (I'm going to say it) soccer.

We have lots of great athletes, and I can maybe name ten of them. But Croatia has always been very sport oriented and we still have great results in every competition held.

Still, that haven't intrigued me to follow sports on TV or, god forbid, going to see games (!).  It's a huge part of Croatian history, but it doesn't exist in my world.

However, it exists now, when there are special traffic regulations introduced and there are crowded people everywhere and you can read PanAm on every sign, screen or piece of newspapers.

It's the PanAm fever that's happening all over North America. One good thing I've learned, being connected to lots of bikers, is that motorcycle riders can use HOV lanes and they will have the best summer riding ever! At least while cruising around the city of Toronto. I failed to see other advantages, except for global euphoria that makes people nice and hearty. That's always a good thing.

So I thought to give it a shot and went to see what's going on down there at Toronto Exhibition Place. Free concerts, food, beer, lots of enthusiasts and enormously expensive souvenir shop with prices blown up to the skies, because of Pachi, the little porcupine mascot is on every mug, t-shirt and key chain.

There are events all over the city connected to the Games, from different workshops, celebrations and concerts.

Every day something new is going on and everywhere you turn, you can see the famous logo of the porcupine. Personally, I liked Vucko more (hint: 1984 Olympics).

The Pan Am Games are over in couple of days (they end on Saturday) and Parapan Games begin on August 7th.

Athletes from more than 40 countries participated in different sports from archery to roller figure skating.





And all I can say is: I wish the best luck to each and every of them! I'm going for a run now, and hopefully I'll be swimming next week in beautiful Adriatic sea. After that, the only sport I'm going to participate in is eating my mamma's food and sunbathing like a lizard.
I need to train that more...