Hello All,

Well, we’re here at the airport again. Today is May 31, and it’s time to say goodbye to Panama, a country we will remember for the amazing engineering feat that is the Panama Canal, our wonderful ride through the forest on the Panama Canal Railway and the many people who identified Philippines with Manny Pacqiao.

To be honest however, we didn’t do too many things on this first stop of our w.t. In fact, we were so drained pre-departure that I would describe our stay as lots of tv watching, internet surfing and snoring punctuated by several hours of touristy activities. Bueno, what we did:
We visited Casco Viejo/Casco Antiguo which was founded by the Spanish in 1519. It’s a city of romantic crumbling buildings, intact, beautiful European embassies, and classic Spanish architecture. The Plaza is where Simon Bolivar held a meeting urging the union of the Latin American Countries. The original city was destroyed in 1671 by Pirate Henry Morgan aka the Capt Morgan whose rum goes so well with my coke. We also visited the Causeway which is only notable for the fact that we were charged $9.00 for a puny bottle of Grolsch that Andrew just had to have because we walked a mile in “sweltering heat & humidity.

We also hiked through Parque Nacional de Metropolitano which is a beautiful park/forest right smack in the middle of Panama city. It was interesting to be surrounded by so much greenery and yet still hear the whirr of hundreds of cars on the highway. This park is also 5 minutes away from the American Embassy and played a very important role in the US invasion/ousting of Manuel Noriega. All along the trails we’re metal debris from the fighting that ensued to “free” Panama.

The highlight of our trip was the Panama Canal. The canal is made up of 3 locks: the Gatun Locks on the Atlantic side and the Pedro Miguel & Miraflores Locks on the Pacific Side. Of these 3, the Gatun Locks were our favorite due to the lack of tourists. To get there, we first took a train ride with the Panama Canal Railway Company. The railway just recently became available for passenger transport and is a must. Some interesting tidbits about the railway: 1) the railway was instrumental in the building of the canal for its hauling capacity. Without it, the Panama Canal may not have been built/taken longer than the 11 years it took to build; 2) so many people died from malaria and yellow fever from the construction of both the railway and the canal that the railway company started pickling bodies and selling these to medical school, the proceeds of which were used to build a hospital in the canal zone; 3) the stock once sold for $285 on the NYSE in the early 1900’s.

During our stay at the Canals, we watched several humongous tanker/container ships pass through. The ships pay per container and the ships we saw each paid more than $200,000 ttl for the 1 hour passage through the 3 Locks. The most expensive fee paid was over $300,000 for a French Cargo Ship while the least expensive was paid by the late actor Richard Halliburton who swam through the canal in 10 days and paid $0.36 for the experience. To find out how the canal works, check out the following:

Also check out our Panama pictures at: http://www.flickr.com/amuller396

Next stop: Ecuador!!!

Lesson Learned:

I found out, or rather I noticed something new about Andrew and I on this trip: While Drew is super stingy while we’re in LA, I will wait in the sun and pollution if it means I save a dollar in a taxi ride or the price of a stamp.

Useful info for future travelers:

USD is the local currency. To get from the airport to the city, expect to pay $28 o/w. From the city to the airport, you can haggle down to $20-25 depending on the time of day. This does not include tip.

Taxis are super cheap and unless you are traveling out of the city (approx. 20 miles), you can catch a ride for $3.00. Never pay more than $6.00 for a ride around the city! Always set your price before you enter the cab. My favorite line was: Cuanto cuesto? If you are asked how much you are willing to pay, always say $2.00 and work up. A/C is not extra. Never catch a taxi right outside the hotel. These add $3-5 to the actual fare and when you try to haggle, they get very rude.

Food is cheap and yes, you can drink tap water in the city.
Bathrooms inside malls cost 0.25. Be aware that if you need change, some of it will be Panamanian coins which are valid in Panama but not the U.S.
To get from the Gatun Locks to the Miraflores Locks, you can hire a taxi for a day. We were able to haggle down to $100 for the following itinerary: Hotel – Railway (you take a train, the taxi meets you at the Colon Railway Station) – Gatun Locks – Gatun Dam – Miraflores Locks – Hotel. I believe you can get this price to $90 but I was so tired from the day that I couldn’t haggle anymore. Btw, the rate price is $140 but according to the locals, a taxi should cost $8-12/hour depending on distance. The whole trip took us 8 hours. Our taxi driver was actually willing to take us to the Summit Zoo at no additional cost but I had to get back to the hotel for work.

Those girls in tight, body baring clothes are GRO’s (guest relations officer *wink wink*) and yes, they are a common sight in tourist hotels.