Panama, The Canal and Beyond
Day One – 7 Nov 2014
Weather: 30…thankfully with cloud.
I slept like a log and first woke at 7 am and said nooooo way. Put my head back down and woke at 8:30…but I didn’t know where I was. Ever get that when you’re travelling? You know you’re not at home but you’ve forgotten where you are. I had to think it out and at first was thinking this was the end of the tour. Then I remembered it was just starting.
But first things first. Internet. I went down to the lobby and asked about it. The online portal said it was $15 a day. He said it was but that if I registered for their rewards program, I get internet free at any of their hotels. And it’s costs nothing to join.
So, I say twist my rubber fibre op cable!
I log on and find the connection very good. So, after I check everything, I’m off to find the HOHO bus. I step outside and reconsider going back to bed for the day. Holy cow, it’s hot!
The guy on the front desk said the HOHO doesn’t always stop at the spot across the street from the hotel, so that it would be better to go to Multicentre – a mall about a ten minute walk from the hotel. It wasn’t hard to find and there was a girl there from the company selling the tickets (but they can be bought on the bus no problem too).
This is not the bus.
By now, I’m thinking I should have bought some water.
Heck, I should have bought a camelbak!
Or better yet, an IV line.
Did I mention how hot it is?
I get aboard and go for the top deck. It’s only half full and later in the day it only had a few people aboard, so good seats are not hard to get. The bus also has a place to plug in earbuds to listen to the commentary in any language.
It starts by rolling down Balboa Ave.
Now, I know what you’re thinking.
No, it has nothing to do with Sylvester Stallone.
Balboa was the first European to see the Pacific Ocean, which he dubbed the South Sea. The Panamanian currency is also called the Balboa. Sly had nothing to do with that either. The funny part is that the Balboa looks just like the US dollar.
The bus makes a couple of quick stops at points along the way (including the one across from the hotel) and makes a slightly longer stop at the Albrook Mall – this is a massive mall that employs more people than the Panama Canal. No one gets off the bus (too early for the stores, I believe).
Then we head for the Canal Zone. This was the 8 km wide stretch of land that the US was given on either side of the canal that wasn’t given back to Panama until 1999. The Panamanian government has taken over many of the US buildings and other areas are being built up, expanding Panama City.
This is the 100th Anniversary of the Canal which was completed in 1914.
The bus stopped at the Miraflores Locks Visitor Centre and half the bus got off.
It was $15 to go in. There’s a film that I didn’t have time for today and four floors of exhibits – which has a cool video taken from the bridge of a ship navigating the canal in fast forward and is shown from an exhibit that is the bridge of a ship. It was standing room only in that room.
On the fourth floor is an observation deck where you can see the locks below.
There was nothing scheduled to pass through for another 3 hours, so the deck was pretty empty.
After a check of the shop where I got a hoodie, I head back to the bus stop. While I was standing there, I realized there were ants all around my feet. So, I skip back when I see these red ants only to realize they have no interest in me. They’re all walking in a line, some of them carrying leaves. Then I see a line of them going up and down this tree.
So, yes, I’m at the Panama Canal and I’m taking video and pictures of ants crawling up a tree. I learn later that they’re called leafcutter ants.
The bus arrived and we headed for the Causeway which connects three islands to the mainland. Fill dug out of the canal was used to create the Causeway to prevent silt from accumulating at the entrance of the canal. You can get a great view of the city from here.
I got off at Isla Flamenco thinking I’d get some good shots of the city from here, but because of the marinas, access to the coast line was restricted.
So, except for a couple of shops, there was nothing to see there. There are restaurants, so it is a great spot to get off to eat, but not for photos. I got better ones on the HOHO on the way back over the Causeway.
Which reminds me. If you do this, sit on the left starting at the mall and after Isla Flamenco, move to the right side.
The HOHO took me back to the mall and I wanted to eat, so I went in and had an Angus Burger. It’s a huge mall with at least four levels. I didn’t check it all out cause it was after 2 pm and I wanted to get back to get a long cold shower before the welcome meeting at 6 pm.
I spent the four hours doing my laundry and sorting my stuff out. The view from my room is pretty awesome too.
I headed down for the welcome reception and met the TD, Gustavo. He said there were 32 on the tour. We get a full sized bus between us.
Gustavo gave us a quick rundown of the week long tour and after a few questions, he had everyone introduce themselves. Not all 32 had arrived yet, and I learned from a couple others that the transfers don’t always wait if they don’t see someone out quickly which is really dumb given that those I spoke to all had at least an hour wait in the immigration line.
After the intros, we were treated to some finger food and we chatted for awhile. I learned here that some were told they needed malaria medication for Panama but it’s not necessary. The only place in Panama where malaria still exists is very deep in the jungle to the east near the Colombian border. A good insect repellent is necessary moreso to prevent dengue. Some didn’t trust the advice and kept taking their meds and needlessly suffered from the side-effects.
Our partial transit of the canal doesn’t start until 10 am so wake up is set for 8am and we all head back to our rooms.
That means if I play my cards right, I can sleep up to 12 hours tonight!
Go to Day Two
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