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Published: November 5th 2009
Panama City
View from our apartment on the 17th floor. This is Panama Bay and the Pacific Ocean.October 9, 2009 to 5 January 2010
Steve and I spent 3 months in Panama; neither one of us had been to Central America before. The people speak Spanish and it was difficult being understood - we seemed to use more sign language than anything else! It was the rainy season and very humid.
We rented a lovely apartment in the Punta Paitilla district, on the 17th floor with a lovely view of Panama Bay and the Pacific Ocean. We could see the big cargo ships gliding slowly past on the way to and from the Panama Canal.
We met a lot of retired Americans who were making Panama their home. They came for the sun, excellent medical care and were able to get more for their money (especially real estate).
The Panamanians have been through a lot, overthrowing dictators and scores of corrupt politicians. There is still a huge gap between the very poor and the very rich, but the economy is strong and growing and the future looks promising. It's a beautiful country with jungles, mountains, beaches, rich bird life and excellent diving.
Highlights - So many birds in Panama. We saw
Punta Paitilla, Panama City
This is the neighborhood we are staying in. Lots of skyscrapers and they're building more all the time. Donald Trump is building the 68-floor, sail-shaped Trump Ocean Club International Hotel & Tower around the corner at Punta Pacifica. turkey vulture migrations (thousands and thousands spiralling above the city), thousands of frigate birds at Isla Iguana, hummingbirds and so many more.
- Diving at Isla Coiba and finding the frog fish. They stay very still and blend into the background. You have to know what you're looking for.
- Cool, clean mountain air of Boquete - a pleasant change from Panama city's stifling humidity
- "Party" buses driving slowly through Panama city late at night, blaring music, with a tiny dancefloor in the middle.
- Watching baby Olive Ridley turtles run into the sea on Isla de Cañas with our Spanish guide Jorge. They're an endangered species; many people still harvest the eggs.
- Local buses are converted old American school buses, all individually decorated. They're called red devils and drive like it.
- $2 Wednesday night movie deals.
- Friendly Panamanians and only a handful of tourists our whole stay - just as we like it.
Lowlights - Struggling to understand the Spanish Panamanian accent. My efforts at speaking the language only ever drew blank looks from the locals.
- Baby birds tied to sticks by the roadside, sold as pets. Adults may
Casco Viejo (Antiguo)
The old quarter. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They are renovating lots of these old beautiful buildings. be killed to get the babies.
- Learning one of the last populations of wild Scarlet Macaws are just clinging to a small, inaccessible part of Isla Coiba (a last foothole). We never saw them.
- Push-button drive by brothels - watch for the neon love sign….how convenient!
- The endless potholes in the roads damaging our rental car.
- Corrupt police and bribes. Fines for ignoring non-existing traffic signs "pass the money over in your passport". Que?!
- Dozens of seemingly abandoned half-built skyscrapers along Panama Bay - an eyesore - but apparently just the ticket for laundering money.
- Sewage runoff dumped into Panama bay - unfortunately for us, right in front of our apartment. The government has been promising a new treatment plant for years. Expanding the canal comes first.
- Taxi drivers that don't know any street names - only local landmarks ("drop me off at the restaurant with the red sign near the church by the bay next to the big tree, please").
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Amanda
non-member comment
Wow - Love the old world feel
Hey guys - thanks so much for updating your travel log!!! Looks like you guys are having fun where you are at the moment. The Photo's of Panama look a little like the ones in my travel book for Cuba (one of my dream travel destinations). To see the going's on with me you can pretty much keep a check out at my blog (it's moved URL's again but just as good ;-). {http://scrapbookphotographyetc.blogspot.com/ } Cheers XXX