The weeist little trp to Panama
Trip Start
Nov 19, 2009
1
4
Trip End
Nov 28, 2008
Panama City, Panama
Thursday, November 19, 2009
We kept the plan loose this trip because traveling with a 4 year old and a 17 moth old seemed like enough work for two parents. With our usual mix of chaos and organization we got packed up while only forgetting a few small items. We even arrived at the airport hotel well before midnight. With two flights ahead of us the next day we figured staying near the airport might help reduce the travel time a little and force us to be prepared a little bit sooner than we really needed to be. The flights were OK and luckily we brought some sandwiches with us because for some reason Ani had a voracious appetite eating 3 or 4 sandwiches on her own! We arrived in Panama City late (10 PM) and had a seamless transition to the hotel we had reserved from home. Even as we exited the plane that first night, you could feel the heat and humidity of the Panamanian climate pouring in as we exited toward terminal.
Day 1 – Panama City and Monkey Island
Even thought the previous day was a long day of travel, Salem was up bright and early at 5:30 AM. And since I often tout to Sarah how I am a morning person, it seemed that I should be the one getting up with him. So we got up, had some fruit (which was always available at this hotel, met the early morning staff and enjoyed the sights right outside the hotel balcony. We were staying at a place called La Estancia and we chose this hotel to start our trip from because of it's location – far from the bustling streets of Panama City (yet still in the city) nestled in Ancon hill (a relatively undeveloped area that has protected status in Panama City). From the common area’s balcony we saw humming birds, agouti, and tamarind monkeys all before Ani or Sarah were even up!
After breakfast we headed to the Gamboa in the Soberenia National Park and about halfway across the isthmus for a boat tour of Gatun Lake. Gatun Lake constitutes the majority of the actual canal and while we did see some barges on our tour, we were there to see "Monkey Island" and enjoy the cool breezes that a ride in a speedboat can offer. The view of the lake and surrounding jungle was beautiful. We spotted a sloth coming out of the lake from a swim and did see some monkeys. However, I feel like a place called Monkey Island should really have more than one family of monkeys.
After the time on the lake and a long day of travel behind us, it was naps for all but Sarah….Ahhh…
