Panama in between Costa Rica to the west and Colombia to the east. The Panama Canal is the only isthmus connecting two major oceans-Pacific in the south and Atlantic (the Caribbean ) oceans in the north.
A view of Panama City from the hotel airport shuttle pick up from the Tocumen International Airport on my arrival I Panama City, Panama on Dec. 25, 2010...Christmas day!
My first step out on Panama City 12.25.10. Ariel, the nice Panamanian driver of the hotel, took me a pic. Look, I have a local map and ready to explore the nearby area close to Veneto. The streets were quite considering it's Christmas day in Panama.
Though I was away from my home and family, I still felt the Christmas with this gigantic tree Veneto-Wyndham hotel. 12.25.10
I won! I won! Just kidding! There are casinos in the hotel. Whew! I don't gamble, so no temptation, yay! 12.27.10
We were loading one by one to the boat going to the Embera community (40-min dug-out boat ride on the Chagres River). Owe boatman was an Embera indigenous wearing his traditional g-string clothing. 12.26.10
An local vendor in the Chagres River National Park. This was during our quick bathroom stop en route to the Embera village 12.26.10
Still all smiles inspire of the rough boat ride and pouring wet. Wearing my poncho my sister gave me when we went to Costa Rica last November 2010. Thanks sis! 12.26.10
Drumming (for the sake of pic...hehehe) with an Embera drum in Embera village 12.26.10
Jeah! I made it after a rough and pouring wet boat ride on the Chagres River! 12.26.10
In the Embera village with the native 12.26.10
Embera welcome lunch - Tilapia and plantain---yummy!
Fresh fruits sliced pineapples and bananas the Embera native served to us as desserts in their village. 12.26.10
Embera kids receiving Christmas gifts from the community. They were all eager to receive one even a plastic baseball bat toy. It was a very humbling experience. 12.26.10
River otter trying to get share of Tilapia fish caught from the Chagres river as they clean the fish on the river bank 12.26.10
Embera men with their colorful beaded costume
Embera native women doing traditional Embera dance in their native costume
Typical home in Embera village which could be reached by taking a dug-out boat ride on the Chagres River, the river the supply water to the Panama Canal.
These were the dug-out boats taking us back to the city. It started to rain and our way to the Embera community and continued on our way back to the city. The water level was considerably high and unsafe and water was turbulent. Our tour guide said that we may need to sleep over in the Embera community (without electricity, geez) if the water level will not subside. Thank God the rain stopped and we were able to get by the turbulent water and reached the city after 40 minutes of very rough, as in very very rough, boat ride. I have been to many boat ride including the rough 2-hour boat ride I the Pacific Ocean from Santa Cruz Island to Isabela Island in Galapagos, Ecuador, but this one was the most challenging and the most dangerous! I loved it after all! A big Jeah!
Trans-Isthmian tour. A quick stop view monkeys in wild. En route to San Lorenzo. I took the Isthmus of Panama to the Caribbean province of Colon. Along the way I stopped at a site where remnants of Las Cruces Trail, the 400 year old colonial trail used by the Spaniards to transport gold across the isthmus, are still found. 12.27.10
Caribbean sea Panama side 12.27.10
Panama Canal Gatun Locks 12.27.10
A huge ship from Bermuda just completed passing the Gatun locks. The next locks will be the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal. The last set of locks is the Pedro Miguel Locks, then the ship will be in the open sea.
Gatun lock is closed. It opens when the water level reaches the same level, then the ship passes. Amazing technology which made it as one of the Engineering Marvels of the World (just like the Chesapeake Underwater Bridge connecting North Carolina and Virginia in the US east coast),
Gatun Locks Panama Canal...I like these locks than Miraflores Locks. There was less crowd here and better aerial view of the passing ships on the canal. 12.27.10
Miraflores Locks, Panama Canal. I liked the visitor venter, shops, and the theater in the Miraflores Locks....but crowded. 12.28.10
A sloth in the wild hanging in the tree in San Lorenzo rain forest
An iguana I spotted in the wild in the Gatun Locks of the Panama Cana
San Lorenzo ruins, a UNESCO World Heritage. I took the Trans-Isthmian Route to witness the remnants of Spanish conquistadors to gold rush adventurers. This was one of the most interesting historical journey in i experienced in Panama with regards to history. I traversed Panama from South to North by road, exploring the forts at San Lorenzo and Portobelo, and enjoyed a a typical Panamanian lunch at Cocoplum Seafood Restaurant. They served fish, octopus, and plantain, of course. I returned from the province of Colon to Panama city by train. 12.27.10
Behind is the Chagres River that supplies water to the Panama Canal 12.27.10
Waiting at the train station to go back to Panama City after a full day trip to the San Lorenzo. It was a great day and the tour guide was good. I saw several animals in the wild on our way including two-toed sloths, green turtles, iguanas, butterflies, crocodiles, cayman, white-faced monkeys and exotic birds (forgot the names of those birds :(
In the Old Town Casco Viejo Panama City 12.28.10
Inside one of the oldest cathedral in the Old Town 12.28.10
My final day--- I touring the city by foot. Panama City! 12.29.10
Walk, walk, walk 12.29.10
Smooth flow of traffic. Traffic in Panama City is way smoother than hell traffic in Cairo, Bangkok, Beijing and Manila.
The beautiful and simple Panama City. I can choose to live here than in New York!
Panama City --- a clean city for the most part!
One of the floats in Panama City during their holiday parade. I missed it. :(
The CD I got from the City Tour with Turista Tours and Travels in Panama. I first thought of not purchasing it but after watching I said, "Well, it's all good." 12.28.10
I love Panama! Cheers! I will come back sooner or later.
Ernel
Cool links to check:
See how ships pass from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean via Panama Canal or vise versa...
Panama has it all!
Old Town Panama - Casco Viejo
Short video of Casco Viejo I found on line
Where I stayed! Superb service, amenities, location!
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