What I learned while traveling to Panama

Two weeks ago I really didn't know a whole lot about Panama other then the canal goes thru there. It's amazing how much I have learned & gotten to see in the 12 days I have been here.

   The city is wonderful, a Miami vibe with a New York sky line. Looking at the new Trump building you think your in Dubai.

Old City feels very European with its cobble stone streets, outside cafes, & plaza's where people gather to socialize. Much of the old city is under construction to restore many of the old historical building & should be great when finished.

Gamboa Rainforest Resort a great location for exploring the rainforest

We really enjoyed our stay at the Gamboa rainforest resort. There was so much to see & do here it's hard finding the time to do it all. For nature lovers this place is wonderful. Everywhere you look there are beautiful views. If you like bird watching you will see plenty.

The resort offers many different tours you can take right here.  We went out for a 6 hour fishing trip. We got to cruise up the Panama Canal,  catch peacock bass in lake Gatun, & on the return stop at money island. Great day.  At night you can try to spot some animals on their night safari. They go nightly.

Hiking Soberania National Park

Soberania National Park is 48,000 acres of tropical rainforest with 105 species of mammal and 525 bird species.  There are jaguars here. We spoke to Ken who is charge of the marina & this week a small group encountered some collard peccaries crossing the path followed by a jaguar. Not sure how close they were but that story had me just a bit uneasy as we go hiking.

We hiked the Sendero El Plantación  or Plantation Trail which was a nice 4 mile trail.

There are some nice waterfalls.

At one spot we heard a low growl & what sounded like a snort.  It was so kind of mammal & I was a bit scared. It stopped me in my tracks.  Never saw it just heard some twigs snapping.

Found some prints not sure what kind. After we got back we took the picture and found that they are the prints of a Coyote.
 Perhaps who was making the sounds.

The Village of Embera Quera

   

  In Panama there are 7 living Indian Cultures, one of which is the Embera Indians. Most of the tribes live deep in the jungles of Darien but now some have moved their villages to the banks of the Chagres River.

  The Embera are living in real villages and are committed to preserving a traditional lifestyle, values, & culture.

  Many of the villages do welcome in visitors now to provide money to the village & to share their culture with us.

Hiking Pipline Road Soberania National Park

One of the things we were looking forward to doing while here was some hiking. Soberania National Park Rainforest is the place to see both birds & mammals & has a few trails to hike. One of which is pipeline road. Gamboa resort provided us with a transportation to pipeline road. The driver asked what time for pick up? It was 7:00am, 4 hours seemed about right we told him 11:00am, no problem see you then.

 Our first sighing of the day were 3 toucans. We hiked for about 1 1/2 hours hearing the howlers but only seeing a few fairly far away.

Fishing the Panama Canal & Gatun Lake for peacock bass

    We made arrangements at Gamboa resort for a day of fishing. The trip took us up the  Panama Canal passing a few big ships making their way from the pacific to the Atlantic.  It was pretty cool going along side of them. The canal is surrounded by lush tropical forest.

Gamboa Rainforest Resort

The next part of our trip here in Panama we are staying in the rain forest at Gamboa Rainforest Resort. It's a great location for many activities and only 25 minutes from Panama City.  The resort is on the banks of the Chagres River providing great views from most of the resort.

A good reason to use transfers

 We had rented a car to take us from the city to the beach which is about 2 hours along the Pan American Highway. Getting there was okay for the most part other than no signs. The problem is the speed limits. It goes from 60km, then 80km, & some places 100km. It's not easy to drive this road doing only 60km. 

  On the way back from the beach we got pulled over, 85km in a 60km zone. The officer knew no English other than ticket we know very little Spanish.  After taking our passports, some mention about 1 ticket, then 2 tickets, he says one. On that I get excited & hand him $1.00. Not what he meant, $100.00 .  

  As we pulled away $100.00 poorer George could see them laughing. A great reason to use transfers or stay within the speed limit. 

Bristol Buenadventura

As much as I like the Bristol Buenadventura because of its beautiful surroundings there are many things I find here that not up to par.

  Before I go into the negatives let me first talk about some of  little extras.

       When we got back to our room from the beach on the first night there was a bottle of Chandon Champagne & some chocolate pastries waiting. That's was a very nice surprise.

 

In search of the Panamanian Golden Frog

Today we went in search of The Panamanian golden frog.  It is a critically endangered toad and almost extinct. It has become a national symbol, appearing on state lottery tickets.  As well part of the local  mythology. It is thought that when the frog dies it turns to gold. It is believed that the frog brings good luck to those fortunate enough to see it. There is even a National Golden Frog Day on August 14.

Grocery shopping in Rio Hato

One of the things I love to do when in another country or an island is go to the local grocery store. I find it fun to look at what they sell & the prices. In most local stores you find all sorts of  unusual stuff to buy. 

Panama's Rviera Buenaventura

 For the next couple of days we are on the beach in an area known as Panama's Riviera.  We rented a car as its 2 hours outside the city. The drive for the most part was easy of course it's always easier for the navigator then the driver so I am told. But not when the navigator misses the sign. 

    We are staying at Bristol Buenaventura resort which is 1000acres of beach, hotel, golf course, & community. The place is gorgeous.

Not my typical night.

Iglesia Catedral

 A typical   night this time of year when it's dark by 5:00pm & cold out would be to put on my sweats or pj's & sit on the sofa watching TV.  Yet here I am in December strolling around the ancient city of  Casco Viejo.  Casco Viejo was founded in 1673 after the original city was destroyed by pirate Henry Morgan. 

  It's a fun place to walk around with lots of places to have a drink or meal. We did both.

The 3 Cities of Panama

Modern City & Old city

Panama City is really made up of 3 cities, the original city, old city, & the modern city. 

Our tour took us through each & explains the history. It was a great way to get to know the city. Anyone coming here definitely do the city tour. 

  The tour give us just what we needed, an over view so we could now go exploring on our own. 

Panama Canal Tour

We aren't don't usually like to take group tours but since this is our first time here and driving looks like New York City but with no named Streets we thought a tour would be in our best interested. Tranviatour tours started at 9:00am - 1:30pm. As it turned out no one else showed up giving us a private tour which was perfect. 

RIU Plaza Panama City, Panama

 For the first part of the trip we are staying at the RIU Plaza Panama City. I have stayed at many RIU Resorts over the years and figured this was a safe bet given we planned this at the last minute.  It turns out this is an excellent choice. The hotel is less then 2 years old and a great location for both business & pleasure. This morning the First Lady of Panama was here. Apparently it's a very popular spot among the diplomats and executives. 

Zoetry Paraiso de la Bonita, in a class all it's own

This was our second trip to Zoetry and certainly will not be our last. We have been to many all-inclusive resorts over the years but Zoë try brings it to a whole new level. From the time you step off the plane the Zoetry experience starts. You are taken to the resort in a private car complete with champagne (included). Once at the resort you are greeted with a warm hello's and taken right away to your suite for check in. There is no standing in lines waiting your turn. The 1 bedroom suites are very large with 2 rooms, the bedroom with a balcony and a living room with a large terrace both with ocean views. This is one of the many reason we love it here, every room has an ocean view. I love waking up, lying in bed looking out at the ocean.

The resort itself is very beautiful, with gardens, ponds, and trees surrounding the paths and common ground. Where other places play music around the pool here you listen to the sound of the ocean, the wind in the palm trees, and the Macaw's. 

The morning walk

Marco & his birds

The food is great. We were worried the first time we came we may get tired of just having 3 restaurants to dine in but the menu has so many choices and everything is so delicious this was not a problem. Some resorts say they have gourmet cuisine, food here really is gourmet.

Peppi,Fredricko, & Eric

The thing that impresses me most about this resort is the service. I have never meet a staff that is more professional, friendly, happy, and hardworking then those here. Each person takes pride in their work and it really shows. Many of them were here 2 years ago when we were here. The staff here is one of the things that make this place so special. Thank you to Peppi, Eric, Miguel, Fredricko, & Antonio who keep us happy all day. Rudy who was always checking with us to make sure we had everything we needed. Thanks to Tonya for her warm smile every morning, Carlos who makes the best drinks and everyone else who made our time here so wonderful.

Antonio

Eric

Rudy always happy

Carlos- Best Martini's in all of Riviera Maya