Panama
by Gil on Mar.17, 2018, under Flying
On Sunday, February 25th, we did the most demanding day of the trip. Because of the drive from Antigua to Guatemala City and customs uncertainty, plus a refueling stop for 12 airplanes we had to leave Antigua very early in the morning (6:00am departure). When we arrived in Guatemala City in the morning we had to re-position our planes to customs, clear customs, then take off. We flew two and a half hours to Liberia, Costa Rica, did the approach, had the normal 30 knot gusts, landed, refueled and with the help of the great handlers were back in the air for the two hour and forty minute flight to Panama City’s GA airport. The FBO and customs in Panama were very good (customs in the FBO) and we were off to our hotel in the center of the old city. The first full day we went to the canal exhibition site to view the original canal Miraflores locks (first Pacific side locks), in the distance we could see the Pedro Miguel Locks (Lake level). The exhibition center included a museum that told the history and the operations as well as information about the new larger locks that operate in parallel to the original canal. The history is very interesting and the engineering and construction are clearly an amazing human accomplishment. The French tried and failed in the 1880’s and the US finished in 1914. The original canal consists of three sets of locks, a man made lake (Lake Gaton) that span roughly 45 miles across the isthmus of Panama and some of the most inhospitable swamp, jungle and mountains in the world. There were over 25,000 lives lost between the French and American efforts, mostly to yellow fever and malaria.
- Starting the tour
- On the Bus to the Canal
- Tour Guide Explains Canal
- Pacific Entrance to Canal
- Panama Lock
- Ships going through locks
- Ship exiting first locks
- Second Locks
Our second day we had several choices for tours, one being taking the train to the Caribbean side and visiting Colon and the one we choose which was to take a boat trip onto the lake. We got a taste of the jungle that borders the lake and ships transiting this part of the canal. An interesting factoid is the lake took seven years to form after completion of the locks, supplied primarily by the Chagres river.
- Tour Boat
- Marsh bordering lake
- Monkey
- Lake Gatun
- Ship transiting the lake
We had a good time in Panama with shopping near our hotel, and most everyone was sporting a new Panama hat, we had group dinners in local restaurants in addition to one night in the hotel, lunch on roof top restaurants gave us a great view of the new skyline. The last night after dinner we enjoyed a show that featured local dancers in local costumes.
- Dinner Show
- Dan and Bob
- Jerry and Joanne
- Panama Folk Dancers
Panama was extremely interesting and for those interested David McCullough’s “Path between the Seas” is a must read. This was another stop on the trip that was worth the trip alone. The next morning we fly back to Liberia for an overnight then on to Tapachula.