February 03, 2010
Hotel Santana: A review of Hotel Santana in Santa Ana, Panama City, Panama
We spent two nights at Hotel Santana in Santa Ana, Panama City, Panama.
Here is our review of the hotel.
I remember hearing something about Manuel Noriega when I was a child.
I remember thinking he was in Nicaragua - "Noriega" sort of sounds like "Nicaragua", especially to a 9 year old.
Why do I bring it up in a review of Hotel Santana in Panama?
The United States invaded Panama in 1989?
To some of you, this isn't news.
To me, and I imagine to many of us under 35, this is surprising news.
The United States invaded a country as close as Panama?
Continue reading "Hotel Santana: A review of Hotel Santana in Santa Ana, Panama City, Panama" »
Panama Viejo and Casco Viejo in Panama City, Panama are not the same thing
Panama Viejo and Casco Viejo in Panama City, Panama are not the same thing...
(Pictures coming soon....we are waiting on internet at our apartment.)
I don't know why, but for some reason, I thought that Panama Viejo (old town Panama City) was Casco Viejo. I was wrong.
This morning, Jonathan and I decided to go see Panama Viejo and then have lunch at one of the many new and fun places in Casco Viejo.
We grabbed a taxi right out front of our hotel (Hotel Santana), and were taken to Panama Viejo. Our driver also told us where it was safe and where it wasn't if w wanted to walk around the old city.
Panama Viejo is the ruins of the original Spanish settlement in Panama City. It was abandoned in 1671 after pirate attacks and fires destroyed it.
They are currently working on restoring the ruins, and there are some pretty amazing places to see.
We saw the ruins of an old convent that was newly built when the city was destroyed. It also looked like they were setting up for a wedding reception. What a cool place!
Then we walked to the tower. But, unlike London, city's tower was used primarily as a church tower, with the added benefit of serving as a lookout for pirates.
During the restoration process, they put a roof over the tower. But they wanted to make in invisible from the outside. So, the water drains go down through the staircase to the top.
It was really amazing to get to look out the same windows, and see all the ships waiting to go through the canal and pretend they were pirates. Hello Pirates!
From there we realized that Panama Viejo and Casco Viejo were not the same thing. So, we asked a woman who was working at Panama Viejo for a good lunch recommendation.
She suggested Restaurante Jimmy. So, all 3 of us grabbed a taxi together, and we went for lunch (dropping her at her destination along the way).
I am so glad that we asked her where we should go, and that we listed to her!
The food was amazing with lots and lots of options. It was delicious. I highly recommend that you try Restaurante Jimmy in San Francisco district of Panama City, Panama.
Then we caught another taxi and asked to go to Casco Viejo. We stopped outside the National Cathedral. Then we walked along the water.
We saw the ruins of a club that was right on the edge of the ocean. It looked like it was a pretty amazing place.
We walked a little further and found a fun path that was covered with vines and flowers. We later learned that this path was built on the remnants of an old city wall.
We did some more walking in the area, and then decided that it was time for ice cream. Panama City is hot. Hot hot hot.
We saw a fun gelato place, so we stopped in there. They didn't accept cards, and we were out of cash, so Jonathan asked where the nearest ATM was. The woman gave him directions and he was off.
When he came back we enjoyed some lovely ice cream from ______________. I really liked all the old ice cream scoops on the walls.
Then we decided that we would walk back to our hotel. It didn't seem too far, so we thought we'd give it a shot.
It turns out that the ATM was further than the hotel! So, we had a nice little walk, even if it was one that I wouldn't want to do after dark.
They're really working to get the neighborhood cleaned up. In a few years it is going to be prime tourist area. But right now, it's a little on the sketchy side.
When we got back to the hotel, we worked in the lobby for a little bit.
We were able to make some new friends that way. We met and chatted quite a bit with Eric Goldschmidt, a pastor from Wisconson, and a Czech couple living in Portland, Or.
Then it was off to bed, since the taxi was coming at 5:30am to take us to the airport.
Continue reading "Panama Viejo and Casco Viejo in Panama City, Panama are not the same thing" »
February 02, 2010
The Panama Canal at Miraflores
The Panama Canal at Miraflores
For some reason, whenever I hear of the Panama Canal I think of "Arsenic and Old Lace". I love that show...
No trip to Panama, especially Panama City would be complete without a trip to the canal. We put it off last time, but this time we knew we'd go.
Our bus arrived at 6:00am - exactly on time! From there we went to our hotel, and they let us check in. So, we were able to grab a nap.
I read that there is a restaurant in the visitor's center of the canal, so we decided to go there, have lunch, and watch a few ships pass through.
It was awesome! The food was ok, not the best, but good enough. But it really did have the best view of the canal.
We got to see a very large cargo ship go through. It was really fun to see the workers on the ship waving and taking pictures.
It takes about an hour for a ship to go through the canal.
Then we had to basically run through the museum because we waited to long to check out the exhibit.
But, we did get to see some really fun parts. I especially liked the guy dressed in the haz-mat suit. He clearly needed it, what with his hand down at the level of his shin.
Jonathan liked the UPS guy. He decided to shake his hand, but got a little more than he bargained for.
After closing the museum, like we tend to do, we took a taxi out to the Causeway.
The Causeway took dirt from digging the canal and then used it to connect some islands off the cost of the city.
So, we went to the far island and then walked into town. We had dinner at a restaurant that was back on the mainland, and decided that for one of our last meals in Panama, we should try the "Panamanian Touch".
It was just a collection of local foods, but the name sure was interesting. It wasn't the best food I've ever had, but the experience was really great. It was a fun walk, with plenty to see, and great company.
January 31, 2010
Boquete: Two Excellent Weeks In The Mountains of Panama
A few of you have mentioned that we've been posting rather sparsely the past couple of weeks.
So, I thought I would summarize the past couple of weeks in Boquete.
(This is a long post, but I've included lots of pictures. This should help if you like to read by skimming. 
)
Carrie and I have had two wonderful weeks here in Boquete, and we've really enjoyed our time here in Chiriqui Province, Panama.
(In case you missed it, I did talk about our wonderful day at the beach at Las Olas/Playa Barqueta.)
Before heading to Florida, David and Cora had dinner for their guests/renters.
The dinner was for Nick and Joyce, friends of David and Cora's, to celebrate their 28th wedding anniversary.
The next day, we drove David (day-vid) and Cora to the airport in David (dah-veed).
Continue reading "Boquete: Two Excellent Weeks In The Mountains of Panama" »
January 30, 2010
Bugs in Boquete: Panamanian Bugs and Critters
We had a blast making this video about Panama's Bugs and critters.
It's a bit of a tribute to Steve Irwin and really was just done in silliness.
Hope you enjoy seeing the bugs and critters that we discovered in Boquete, Panama.
It's all a bunch of silliness, really.
Continue reading "Bugs in Boquete: Panamanian Bugs and Critters" »
January 28, 2010
Playa Las Olas and La Barqueta: A Day at Panama's Beach
Getting to the beach at Playa Barqueta (or) Playa Las Olas, Panama is relatively straight-forward (for a place that doesn't really have streets labeled that well).
You take the road from the Panamerican Highway into David that would take you to the David airport, and then follow the signs to las Olas.
(There are signs to Las Olas all the way, but in David, the sign and the turn is easy to miss. Heading to the airport, you take a right at the private Catholic School for boys - a 3 story building at a non-descript intersection before the turn to the airport), and then follow the road.
Las Olas/Playa Barqueta is a condominium beach resort and hotel which also has some lots and condos for sale right on the beach (from $239,000 to upwards of $400,000).
Continue reading "Playa Las Olas and La Barqueta: A Day at Panama's Beach" »
January 19, 2010
Podcast #5: The Northern Part of Central America
In this podcast, we cover about 7 weeks of travel, from the time we left Granada, Nicaragua, early in December, through today, January 18.
Download the travel podcast MP3 here
We cover our travels through places and experiences like:
Continue reading "Podcast #5: The Northern Part of Central America" »
January 15, 2010
Will Smith On Talent And Being "Realistic"
Will Smith is one of my favorite people.
He seems to truly practice what he preaches.
Two of the philosophies I hear him saying in this video that I really love:
Talent is overrated. Skill is being willing working at something until you're either really good at it, or you die getting good at it.
Being realistic is the most commonly traveled road to mediocrity.
Continue reading "Will Smith On Talent And Being "Realistic"" »
January 14, 2010
Speaking Three Languages
There's a joke that goes around quite frequently:
What do you call someone who speaks three languages?
Trilingual
What do you call someone who speaks two languages?
Bilingual
What do you call someone who speaks one language?
American.
There are lots of people in Boquete who move there from the United States. These are people who have had homes and have moved their entire lives to Boquete and have lived here for years. (I'm not talking about newcomers.)
January 11, 2010
How We've Spent The Last Few Days
There's not much newsworthy to report when you spend a few days in a hotel in Costa Rica, working on a computer and talking on the phone
(We use Skype for most of our calling - Carrie's actually on the phone with the hotel lobby in this photo).
But I think it's important to post here too about the work we do.
Alongside all of the cool things we get to do, and places we get to go, we also do spend a fair amount of time working.
So, we've spent a few days at the Adventure Inn hotel, not really going on any adventures in Costa Rica.
But the hotel is nice, relatively quiet, and the Internet is good speed (especially compared to the speeds we've experienced in many parts of Central America).
That means that this is a good time and place for us to be working.
- February 03, 2010 07:22 PM: Hotel Santana: A review of Hotel Santana in Santa Ana, Panama City, Panama
- February 03, 2010 03:46 PM: Panama Viejo and Casco Viejo in Panama City, Panama are not the same thing
- February 02, 2010 03:49 PM: The Panama Canal at Miraflores
- January 31, 2010 11:20 AM: Boquete: Two Excellent Weeks In The Mountains of Panama
- January 30, 2010 01:26 PM: Bugs in Boquete: Panamanian Bugs and Critters
- January 28, 2010 10:41 PM: Playa Las Olas and La Barqueta: A Day at Panama's Beach
- January 19, 2010 09:33 AM: Podcast #5: The Northern Part of Central America
- January 15, 2010 10:26 AM: Will Smith On Talent And Being "Realistic"
- January 14, 2010 12:34 PM: Speaking Three Languages
- January 11, 2010 01:22 AM: How We've Spent The Last Few Days
- January 04, 2010 08:25 PM: Video: Monkeys At The Mayan Ruins of Tikal
- January 02, 2010 02:35 PM: Posts you may have missed
- December 28, 2009 12:21 PM: Amazing Jump Rope
- December 25, 2009 02:17 AM: Merry Christmas!
- December 23, 2009 01:31 AM: Tourism Map of Central America: Our Map from 3 months of Travel
- December 22, 2009 05:32 PM: Carrie's Current countries visited
- December 22, 2009 04:48 PM: Carrie's current visited states
- December 21, 2009 08:58 PM: We Are Snails
- December 21, 2009 12:04 AM: Top 5 Things I'm Looking Forward To In Colorado
- December 15, 2009 11:56 PM: Tikal Mayan Ruins at Tikal, Guatemala (Lots of Photos)
- December 14, 2009 09:12 PM: Wanted: Great Travel Agent
- December 13, 2009 03:40 PM: Chichicastenango on Market Day (AKA: We ARE The Giants from the North)
- December 12, 2009 04:46 PM: The Most Terrifying Ride Of My Life...(So Far)
- December 12, 2009 03:16 PM: 3 city boat tour around Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
- December 12, 2009 03:06 PM: Hurry up and wait.
- December 11, 2009 09:30 PM: A Review of Casa Luna Hotel in Antigua, Guatemala
- December 11, 2009 09:14 AM: Thoughts On Television: From Casa Luna Hotel
- December 10, 2009 04:44 PM: Volcan Pacaya, near Antigua, Guatemala (Lava roasted marshmallows anyone?)
- December 10, 2009 07:15 AM: Geckos, Roosters, Fireworks, Car Alarms, Children, Dogs, Sneezing, Parades and Bells, Doorbells, and Construction
- December 09, 2009 06:01 PM: Casa De Cafe, Copan Ruins
