Panama  December 2018

We took a tour in December 2018 to Panama with Caravan tours.  It was the start of the dry season and we only had a drizzle once.  A map of Panama and the group photo are here.    Panama is famous for its canal which links the Pacific to the Caribbean.  The old locks were completed in 1914 with the new larger lock completed in 2016.  Here are some pictures of the locks.    The old city of Panama is in ruins and was burned by pirates.  Here are some pictures of the ruins.  It was a stark contrast to the skyscrappers in the background.  The last locks before the Pacific are thje Miraflores locks.   We took a small boat (100feet) from Gamboa in the middle of the canal to the Pacific Ocean. Pictures are here.  The boat was owned previously by Al Capon.   At Gamboa city, which was a center of activity when the canal was built, we visited a native village and a small zoo that had butterflys, frogs, and sloths.  The pictures are here.  On the next to last night on the tour we stayed at a luxury hotel north of Panama City on the beach.  The tidal range was 20 feet which left a lot of dry land at low tide.  Pictures are here.    The last nigt we stayed at a hotel in the middle of Panama City and walked around before and after dinner.   The Christmas decorations in a nearby park were crowded with families with kids.  Lots of thin skyscrappers and one was called the screw. The pictures of the city are here.