Panama – Adventure in Central America

Panama

Key Comment: Visitors to Panama qualify for 30 days of free medical care (with some limits). Check out http://panama.angloinfo.com/healthcare/health-system/ for details but as always check with local authorities for current information.

Off to Panama City

Panama City, better known to the locals as “Panhattan” due to the skyline and high rise development, was our entry point for this adventure. Arriving at Aeropuerto Internacional de Tocumen, or Tocumen International Airport for you gringos, we cleared customs and immigration quickly and headed off to catch our ride to the hotel. Rather than rent a car for the day or take a taxi, we decided to use Antonio (Tony) Rocha, owner of TRT Tours. Same price as a taxi and we knew he would be there, we had other tours booked with him for our return to Panama City.

Panama City is pretty much like any other major metropolitan area. Lots of high rise buildings with each one competing for most unique design, and lots of traffic. That’s why it worked out for the best to have Tony take us to the hotel for our first night and pick us up the next day for our flight to David.

The skyline of Panama City rivals that of Dubai. Lots of modern buildings with very unique designs and architecture. So how did this transformation occur in a relatively small Central American country? Two major contributors, the Panama Canal and tourism! When the United States returned the Panama Canal back to that country in 1999, they didn’t miss a beat turning it into a money making asset. Revenue from the canal in 2013 was $1.86B, slightly less than 2012 but still quite a chunk of change for a 48 mile long canal. In 2013, travel and tourism accounted for 6% of Panama’s GDP ($2.5B) and is expected to continue to rise each year through 2024. That buys a lot of cement and glass, my friend!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Air Panama to David

After a brief stay in the city, we’re off to David, Panama’s third largest city and our jumping off point to Palacio del Sol. We flew Air Panama from Albrook airport, a converted military base that now is used for commercial flights. If you haven’t had the pleasure of flying Air Panama, your in for a little adventure. First, your checked bag cannot exceed 35 pounds and your carry on bag cannot exceed 5 pounds. This means there is a lot of repacking going on at the counter. A 5 pound limit on your carry on means you can take 3 socks, 1 shoe, a shirt (tee shirt) and toothpaste. Checked baggage can exceed the weight limit but you will need to get your wallet out and make it lighter! We did go over our weight limit but instead of paying a fee, we left my father-in-law to work the counter while we went to have a pastry and coffee.

Arriving at David was uneventful, good thing if you think about it. So we collected our bags and headed for the rental car agency. Now, having been educated by the home owner I was already aware of the “mandatory” insurance. (Remember Mexico!). Budget car rental was the only agency that provided the cost of this insurance before we arrived so there were no surprises. Still, I was ready to leg wrestle if needed to secure our Kia. We checked in, signed the agreement for our $19.95 / day car which was now $49.00 / day, and got ready to head out. We did a thorough, very thorough, walk around of the Kia and documented the damages, loaded our bags and off we went. Having driven the route on Google Earth several times, I felt confident I could navigate the local streets and get us to Las Olas.

Wrong! We wanted to stop and buy groceries before heading to the house, just had to find a grocery store.  We did find one, the David 99 which was similar to a small Safeway store. The store was well stocked and carried quite a variety of food as well as other goods. Produce was a little weathered and the selection limited but the beef and chicken was plentiful. All you had to do was try to make out what the cuts were, pick a number and wait to be called – in Spanish. Most of the dry goods, chips, bread, cookies, etc. were packaged in small servings. Seems the humidity gets to these items fairly quick so a small package made a lot of sense. Best of all there was a substantial liquor aisle with everything you could want.  Prices were very reasonable and there were some name brands we recognized. Wines were mostly Chilean, beer was a mix of domestic and import, gin and other liquors were also a mix of domestic and imported.

Complete with our groceries, we headed off to the house. Damn if I didn’t forget which way we came in the store so we enjoyed a tour of David for about 40 minutes until we saw a landmark to get us on the right road to Las Olas. The drive was pleasant and turned out all we had to do was follow the Las Olas signs that were along side of the road, and about the size of a good post card!

Las Olas Resort

Our rental home was located in the resort area of Las Olas approximately 25 minutes outside of David, if you don’t get lost.  Located directly on the beach, this 6,000 sq. ft. home was nice. Only a couple of issues but they were minor and didn’t affect our stay.

Our house manager, Joshua, met us at the door and began to walk us through the operations of the home.  He also provided a telephone number that could be used to reach him any time of the day. This is very important, if you rent a home make sure you know how to get in touch with the manager. Its best to try making a call to them while they are still at the house just to make sure you know how your phone works.

With 4 master bedrooms, 2 large living areas, 7 bathrooms and oh yeah, one sweet pool, there was plenty of room for the three of us. Bob, or Don Roberto as he is known in Panama, immediately laid claim to the seating area on the first floor and built his nest of books, clothes, and other assorted personal items. Collette and I hurried upstairs and claimed what we believed to be the best master bedroom suite. Our room had sweeping vistas of the Pacific ocean and a bathroom that you could get lost in. Plenty of space for us to relax.

We unloaded our groceries and began the adventure with a glass of wine. The perfect beginning to an excellent adventure. Sure beats sitting in a 600 sq. ft. hotel room!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was a relaxing adventure so we had a couple of down days where we sat around the pool, walked on the beach, read books and just enjoyed the wonderful Panamanian weather. But, there was the adventure part of this trip so off to David for lunch at Stella’s Marina Restaurant. We read about Stella’s in Lonely Planet and decided to give it a try. Of course seafood is the main fare but they do have a limited selection of chicken dishes such as chicken fingers and chicken and rice, etc. I usually prefer something other than seafood but occasionally I agree to seafood just for the entertainment factor. You see, Collette often orders the fish special which more times than not, turns out to be some rather ugly looking whole fish with a green, chunky sauce. Not appetizing at all, but she smiles and proceeds to eat it. I prefer to take as many pictures as possible just in case we end up in the emergency room. I did get a little adventurous and ordered the butter fried shrimp which didn’t really have any butter or margarine for that matter, while Don Roberto had shrimp cocktail and fried fish with plantains. Yummy!

So a summary of Stella’s. Pretty much as expected, food was hot, good quantities, flavorful and comparable to what you would spend for lunch in the US. My meal of shrimp and fries was $14.80. Collette’s “fish special” served in white wine and herb sauce was $9.50, and Bob’s grilled filet with plantains was $7.50. Add a couple of Atlas beers and a pitcher of sangria and your at $55.00 for lunch.

Boquete – Panama’s Premier Coffee Region

We had read a few articles about Boquete and decided to travel there for a day of touring and a chance to visit a local coffee plantation. First let me say that the reviews we read were written by authors who had spent much more time in Panama than we have. Listed as a “must see” destination that was called “the Napa Valley of coffee” set certain expectations. Maybe we were there at the wrong time of the year or perhaps we didn’t visit the right area of Boquete but having been to Napa Valley on numerous occasions, Boquete doesn’t come close. There were no flower lined streets or artisan shops lining the sidewalks. As a matter of fact, there were few sidewalks, mostly cars parked so close to the shop doors you had to walk around them or in single file to get through.

Don’t get me wrong, we enjoyed Boquete but for what it really is, an agricultural town. Boquete’s streets are a collection of shops selling everything from clothing, electronics, and appliances, what you would expect in a small town that supports local farmers. There were a few restaurants, some ran by expats, some local, serving a variety of foods. The town square did have a small garden area that was well maintained and there was a garden tourist attraction just down the street aptly named “Boquete Garden Inn” that had a beautiful display of flowers and arrangements.

Of course, no trip would be complete without eating at a local establishment, even if it is owned and operated by an expat. Big Daddy’s restaurant was where we were to meet our coffee plantation tour guide so it made sense to eat there. The menu had a fair selection, surprisingly it included a lot of seafood. Boquete is a long way from the ocean but that doesn’t mean they don’t have fresh seafood. Each morning the owner travels to the coast, about 1.5 hours, to buy fresh catch of the day.

Finca Dos Jefes

The purpose of coming to Boquete, besides eating, was to tour a working coffee plantation. We chose Finca Dos Jefes, translates as: land of two bosses, based on the reviews it received on Trip Advisor. Rich Lipner, a retiree who graduated from Cal Berkley (don’t hold that against him) now lives in Boquete and is making a difference. Knowing nothing about coffee farming, he and his wife made a snap decision to purchase and restart an abandoned plantation as part of their retirement in Panama.

It’s not so much that Finca Dos Jefes is now selling coffee beans to the local market, somewhat of a success for someone who knew nothing about coffee, but what they are doing to help their workers. First let me say that in meeting Rich one quickly learns he is compassionate about having a positive impact both on the environment and in the community. For example, his choice of processing methods, air drying, requires greater time and much more labor than most farmers.  This method has a much smaller impact on the environment than wet processing.

Rich is compassionate about the worker community as well. His rate of pay is greater, almost double that of other local farms, and helps his workers improve and maintain a better quality of life. His farm hands are hard working and very loyal which helps with keeping a constant rhythm on the farm. In addition, Rich’s farm buys and donates chickens to local boarding schools to help teach sustainable farming. A more thorough explanation and demonstration of how a coffee plantation operates can be enjoyed at Finca Dos Jefes plantation tour. Each tour costs $30.00 and subsidizes Rich’s philanthropic activities, well worth the cost. You also get a great lesson in coffee processing and a complimentary bag of you choice of coffee at the end of the tour. If you’re interested in buying some excellent Panamanian coffee, Rich sells online at http://www.boquetecoffeetour.com/.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boca Chica – The Adventure!

Continuing the adventure, we set out one morning for the costal town of Boca Chica. About 1.5 hours from Playa Los Olas, this town reportedly has beach access and ferry service to some of the 25 islands in the Golfo de Chiriquí. We found our way through David, no small task since none (yes none!) of the streets are marked or named, and onto the Pan American highway.  Known by the locals as  the Carr Panamericana, the road was in pretty good condition for Central America. But as we all know, you should never stop improving so the Pan American highway is undergoing major improvements. Currently these improvements include expansion of the 4 lane highway and resurfacing. My estimate this work will complete sometime just before the next ice age. So our 1.5 hour journey became a little longer, closer to 3 hours. The maximum speed in the construction zone (the entire length of the road from Panama to Antarctica) was posted as 30kmhr or about 18mph, whichever is faster.  Being a foreigner in this lovely country I obeyed the traffic signs only to quickly learn that these were more of a suggestion rather than a rule. I was passed by everything having a motor, including mopeds. If you’ve read our tips and suggestions on driving you’ll know that I am adamant about not driving like a local. However, not wanting to see if this Kia could withstand a rear-end collision, I decided to speed up to about 40kmhr. At least the mopeds were now eating my dust!

At last we arrive at Boca Chica and quickly realize that the town is nothing more than a boat ramp and a couple of fishing charter operators. Not wanting to give up, we forged on to Playa Hermosa, a nearby town just on the other side of the bay. We arrived at Playa Hermosa and quickly realized that the town was nothing more than a boat ramp and a couple of fishing charters. Sound familiar? But now that we were here, we were going to do something, anything, to make this trip worth while so we drove the Kia down the ramp and out onto the beach.  We figured that if the car got stuck we could just pick it up and carry it back to land.

 

 

 

 

 

Had enough fun so time to head back to Playa Los Olas for a bit of relaxation and some fine Chilean wine. What a day!

The Return to Panama City!

Our time was through at Palacio Del Sol so we headed back to the airport, turned in our rental car – with no problems at all, and went to check in at Air Panama. Having experienced this airline once, we were well versed at what would lie ahead so we didn’t expect any surprises. Well, that changed quickly. We checked our bags with no problems and even had time for a coffee. Just when youn thought it was safe…..they strike! Something was amiss in the carry on bags. You see, Bob (Don Roberto) has a habit of buying coffee mugs from his various travel destinations. Panama was no exception so he bought a coffee mug in a gift shop before we headed to the gate. Now, any other time we would not have given it a second thought but Air Panama, with their supreme security regulations doesn’t allow coffee mugs in carry on bags. Don’t ask, guess you could break one and use it for a weapon but then why sell them, never mind. So back through security to retrieve Don Roberto’s checked bag to add the coffee cup. Wasn’t a real problem, the bag was still sitting on the floor behind the counter, just opened it up and shoved in the cup. Done! Now back through security. Wait a minute, we didn’t have to go back through the screening, just simply walk around and wave at the security agent like we were good friends.  I guess they saw we weren’t carrying a coffee cup so we didn’t pose a threat.

The final leg of our adventure ended with two days in Panama City and of course, a tour of the canal. Once again we used Tony, owner of TRT tours, to show us around. We started the day with a trip to Colon.  Colon is a seaport on the Caribbean side of Panama. It was established in 1850 by Americans, of all people, to serve as a railroad terminal for the Panama Railroad to get gold seekers and settlers to California. Today Colon is a different kind of city. Most of the time we were surrounded by decrepit buildings in need of repair, not just paint. Lots of people hanging out in the open space and road medians that didn’t give one a feeling of welcome. Now I’m sure there are places in Colon that are modern and well kept but those weren’t on our tour. Tony assured us that we were safe but I can’t recommend anyone travel to Colon without a guide, or at least doing a thorough check of where you want to go. This is not a place to wander.

 

 

 

 

 

Although Colon today is a poor city, you can see from the architecture that it was once a vibrant, beautiful seaport. It’s still possible today to see the French influence with wrought iron balconies and buildings that somewhat resemble those in New Orleans. But Colon’s vibrance was a long time ago.

Traveling on we arrive at the Gatun (pronounced Gat-toon) locks on the Panama canal. Tony recommended Gatun versus Milaflores because they are the best locks for a close viewing the canal operations.  Most visitors to Panama chose to go to Milaflores locks because they are closer to Panama City. But the Colon locks not only have smaller crowds, they are a lot closer to the canal operations. From here you can get a feel for the size and complexity of this 24 X 7 operation. Massive container ships, tankers and cruise ships pass through the gates with little more than 24 inches from each wall.  Each ship has “trains” attached to it, not to pull it along, but to ensure it is centered within the canal. Tug boats also follow behind to help maneuver the ship once it has cleared the lock.

Short history lesson. Yeah, history so keep reading. The construction of a sea level canal was first started January 1, 1881 by the French. Although they had success digging the Suez Canal, the Panama Canal would prove to be much different and much more difficult. The major setback for the project wasn’t just the fact they had millions of tons of rock and soil to remove, not like the sand that was removed for the Suez, but also the various disease that plagued the area. Malaria and yellow fever were relatively new to doctors and attempts to prevent them were haphazard. Mosquitoes had not been identified as the transmitters of these diseases so treatment often consisted of bed rest with water pans under the bed legs to keep bugs from crawling up into the bed. Of course this stale, stagnant water was a breading ground for mosquitoes so…….

So you add the tropical disease problem to the fact that most of the leaders for this project were not engineers and you have a real mess. In 1887 it became obvious that a sea level canal would not work. Instead an elevated canal would be needed. Anyway, 1889 the French company financing the canal went bankrupt and was down for the count.  But just like Donald Trump, a phoenix arises from the bankruptcy ashes. The French form yet another company in 1894 to try and salvage what they could for the investors and work starts once again. Now in the US, there was this thing called the California gold rush which, believe it or not, actually spawned interest in a canal between the oceans. The Maritime Canal Company was created and given the task of building a canal, in Nicaragua.

So, the US is busy building their own canal when guess what, yep, they lost funding. The only logical thing to do was stop work on the Nicaragua canal and buy the Panama canal. In 1902, for a measly $40M we got a pretty good start on a canal. A year later we suggested a treaty with Colombia (they owned Panama), Hay-Herran Treaty, but it didn’t pass the Colombian Senate. Nothing left to do, now that we gave the French $40M, but to convince the Panamanians they needed to revolt against Colombia, and just maybe the US Navy would help. They did, we did and bam, just like that we have a treaty to build a canal.

Fast forward to 1977 and Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States. Jim, as his friends call him, convinces Congress we need to give back the canal, and we do. Another treaty, actually two treaties, Torrijos-Carter treaties, which returned control of the canal back to Panama by the year 2000 and granted the US the right to defend the canal. End of lesson!

So today the canal is a profitable asset for Panama providing more then $1.9B in revenue and $800M in profit. Remember way back at the beginning of this blog I said there was a lot of glass and cement in Panama City, here’s where the money comes from. Because this is good business, Panama is in the midst of completing a third set of locks that will double capacity.

Chagres river and San Lorenzo

OK I know, more history, but you can’t tell the story of the Chagres and San Lorenzo without using history. Way back when, 1527, the Spanish founded the town of Chagres at the rivers mouth and built San Lorenzo fort. The river was the highway for goods and precious metals to be transported to Europe. Naturally you want to protect that highway so the fort was necessary. Side note, the Chagres river is the only river in the world that empties into two oceans. But we were not there for the river, our journey was to San Lorenzo.

 

 

 

 

 

San Lorenzo fort lies on a promontory about 8 miles west of Colon. The purpose of San Lorenzo was to protect the Spanish gold route against pirates who had begun to attack Panama’s coast around 1560. The first fort was built on the mouth of the river Chagres and was attacked and destroyed by the buccaneer Morgan in 1670. Morgan would use this site and the river Chagres for his attacks on Panama City. In 1671, Morgan went on to sack Panama City defeating Don Juan Perez de Guzman and his army. Most of the city was torched by the retreating Spanish but Morgan was able to find sufficient booty to make it worth mention.

In 1680, the Spanish constructed a new fort located about 80 ft above the mouth of the river which is the one we see today.

Panama City, the sequel

Once again we travel to Panama City but this time we’re there to tour the city itself.  Tony, TRT Tours, provided our transportation and commentary about the many sites.  Although Panama City proper is very developed and modern, there are parts that are not. These are areas in the city that you simply don’t wander around. With Tony’s guidance, we were able to navigate through the barrio and learn more about the culture and lifestyle of those living under basic conditions. This is the Panama City that tourists usually pass up. Housing that consists mostly of tenement apartments with their occupants sitting outside on the door step listening to music. Children, adults and teenagers all enjoying the warm but comfortable weather in modest, well worn clothing. Open street vendors selling fruits and vegetables mixed in with stores that have barred windows and doors. And around almost every corner is a building with murals remembering those who lost their lives during the American invasion.  Yes, America invaded Panama in 1989 under Operation Just Cause.  No more history lessons, look it up. Clean but in need of upgrading would be a good description of this area.

Panama City’s  new Biomuseo and impressive skyline are a stark contrast to that of the old city.

Casco Antiguo (Old Quarter) or as it is known by locals as Casco Viejo, is where Panama City began it’s new life after being destroyed in 1671. Located in the San Felipe district, Old Panama City has many national monuments and landmarks. Marked by narrow streets and French architecture, Old Panama City is well worth a few hours of touring on foot.

Well, finally we come to the end of our adventure in Panama. Great time, good food, wonderful people and excellent weather. What more could you ask for?