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Published: November 11th 2015
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Dear friends! I’m glad to add one more post to my blog, in which I’m going to share my memories about the vacation in Panama that took place three years ago. I have always dreamt of visiting Central America, but there was always something that prevented me from doing that. When I traveled to Mexico in May 2012, I initially planned to travel to South Africa as well. However, Mexico proved to be so engaging and interesting that I stayed there for two months (I will tell about it in my future posts). I also managed to prolong my vacation, so I changed my mind and bought a ticket to Panama and I never regretted the decision. In this post, I will share my memories about the travel to the capital of Panama, the Panama City, and Bocas del Toro – the island located in the Caribbean Sea, not far from Panama.
The Panama City
My visit to Panama started with the arrival to the airport, where the owner of the apartment I have rented met me. During the way to the dwelling, David, the owner, told me a lot about the capital of Panama, its places of interest
and the traits of character of the country’s residents. I can’t tell that I was amazed by the story, because I have already known most of the facts from the Internet, of course. As time went by, however, I changed my point of view and realized that reading about the country is not the same as visiting it and seeing everything with my own eyes.
The apartment I have rented was located in the business center of the Panama City. The business center consists mostly of the skyscrapers, residential houses, financial institutions, casinos and office buildings. From time to time, you can come across the supermarkets, but I was surprised to find out that their amount is less as compared to my native country. By the way, another striking fact I have found out is that the construction of almost all the skyscrapers was financed by the Columbian drug dealers. Can you imagine that?
I should also admit that the city with its fantastic greenery, mountains that are visible from any distance, the skyscrapers and people walking hand in hand with each other, appealed to me a lot. It is soaked with warm and pleasant atmosphere, harmony and
superb emotions you won’t find in the majority of other American countries.
If you are lucky to visit Panama, you will be amazed by the way the above mentioned facts blend with destruction and dirt. Some areas in the capital of Panama really resemble the construction site rather than the pleasant and warm city. It is quite difficult for the passengers to cross the streets, because the amount of traffic lights is extremely limited there, while the car drivers don’t pay any attention to people.
Speaking about the highlights of Panama, I can’t say that there are many of them in the city. I managed to see the 5th of May Square (Cinco de Mayo), the Casco Viejo region (which is considered the most beautiful part of the city), the local market (one of the most hostile areas) and the local shops, where I bought souvenirs for my friends and family.
One of the tourists I have got acquainted with, told me about Bocas del Toro– the islands located in the Caribbean Sea, to the north-west of Panama. As far as I’m crazy about the sea and the beaches, I decided to travel there and I’m going
to share my impressions below.
Bocas Del Toro
The islands of Bocas Del Toro were visited by Christopher Columbus in 1502, but the modern tourists discovered their beauty not so long ago. There are several fantastic beaches on the islands and you can reach them by renting the taxi or simply by bus. When I traveled around South Africa, I rented a car at
mCars and did not regret the decision, because the trip was very comfortable and affordable as well. Speaking about the beaches of Panama, I liked the Playa el Istmito beach and the Boca del Drago beach, which surprised me by their picturesque landscapes and the splash of colors. To the east of the islands, there are two beaches meant for the surfers. These are the Playa Paunch and the Playa Bluff beaches. In my opinion, though, they are perfect for the beginners, because the waves are not large there. Those tourists, who prefer warm and calm sea, are welcome to travel to the north of Boca del Toro, where the La Playa de las Estrellas is located. This is the unique place, where you can see many sea stars scattered on the bottom. The
water there is so clear that it is extremely easy to see each of them. What you should know is that it is prohibited to touch the sea stars, because they may die afterwards. The corresponding signs are placed all along the beach.
Oh, and one more thing: it is better to come to the beach early in the morning on weekends or on weekdays, because the prevailing amount of tourists and local residents come there in the afternoon.
My visit to Panama and Bocas del Toro was filled with inexpressible feelings and emotions. I’m sure, the memories I have got there will last for a lifetime and I really wish to come back to that place once again, although there are lots of other countries in the world I hope to visit in future!
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