Panama: Day 7

Great day to visit 2 of our favorite restaurants. Los Anos Locos ("the crazy years") and Restaurant 1985. Kooky names, but terrific food.

We walked to the first restaurant for lunch and ate ceviche (no, I never learn and keep repeating the same behavior), shrimp cocktail and corvina (sea bass).

Met a sign painter along the way.

Walking back several blocks to the hotel, we worked up an appetite for dinner at Restaurant 1985.

Located close to the business district, this complex has a full bar, French restaurant and Swiss restaurant. Aside from the terrific food, they had a musician who played my favorite, "Cielito Lindo".

Panama: Day 6

Rough day on the road, and a good day for some R&R. Despite my best efforts, some of the spicy ceviche was hard to tame. Spent most of the day reading Vince Flynn, while Tom manned the internet.

Got both laptops up and running, and Slingbox - a real treasure for those of us who don't speak the local language.

It's easy to communicate with the folks, but TV broadcasting is another matter altogether - although it was interesting to see the playoff games en Espanole last weekend. (I've gotta get a copy of Rosetta Stone software!)

Panama: Day 5

Sunrise in Panama City.

Time to move to the other side of town. Four years ago we stayed at the Caesar Park Hotel. Had a spectacular view of the ships lining up to sail through the Panama Canal.

Today, although the room is terrific, the view is blocked by several buildings. We catch a squint of the ocean, but the broad vista is interrupted.

Tom says they're doing so much building here, the "state bird" must be the crane.

They've even changed the name of the hotel to the Sheraton Panama. Service remains terrific. The Cafe Bahia on the lower level still serves a terrific ceviche.

Panama: Day 4

There's so much to eat in Panama. Starting with lunch at the Continental Hotel - lots of ceviche, followed by dinner at Gauchos. Bife de chorizo rivaled anything we had in Buenos Aires. We met up with our new friend from New Zealand and had a great dinner and lots of laughs. The photo above is poolside at the Continental Hotel.

This is the grand staircase at the Continental Hotel. Yes, there's a Continental/Copa Airlines office right in the building. This is what led us there - to change flight times.

Entrance to Gauchos Restaurant in Panama City. Terrific steaks on an asada grill. (photo on the right)

One of the great things about Panama is the cosmopolitan flair it has, with folks from all over the globe stopping in to enjoy its bounty.

This is the bar at the Bristol Hotel (below).

Panama: Day 3

Top 10 Things I like about Panama City

1. Friendly people

2. Ceviche - you can get it everywhere and anywhere3. Sailing across the Panama Canal - or even watching the ships from shore

4. $5 taxis to any spot in the city
5. $USD is the official currency
6. Casco Viejo - the 400+ year old city

7. You CAN drink the water

8. Plantains
9. Most everyone speaks English

10. 110 Volt electricity - leave the converter at home

... and so much more!

Panama: Day 2

Ever building skyward. The city seems much cleaner and the automobile traffic more disciplined than four years ago, our last visit. From the street in front of our hotel - about four blocks from the ocean - we can see at least seven more condo buildings under active construction.

The newly-elected President is putting in a new public transportation system. Today there are plenty of colorful busses around town, and visitors can still hail a taxi to take them just about anywhere for $5.

We stopped for ceviche at the poolside bar in the El Panama hotel. Cool breezes off the Pacific ocean, pina coladas, and football play-off games on FOX TV.

Chicago to Panama: Day 1

Panama sunset at 37,000 ft.

Another cold, grey January day in Chicago. Time to leave for one of our favorite Latin American cities: Panama.

First leg: 2-1/2 hours from Chicago to Houston, then another 3-1/2 hours from Houston to Panama. Ran into some weather just outside of Houston (all the way to Cozumel). 90-minutes of heavy chop - so bad, it shut down the in-flight Direct TV. The seatbelt sign never went dark. Then, when they could finally navigate the aisles, the flight attendants passed out a lunch that included a large serving of (meat or fish) and spiced lentils. As if the bumpy ride didn't produce enough intestinal disturbance ... they load you up on enough legumes guaranteed to set off a smoke detector. Who thinks these things up !?!?!

Our flight attendants were from Columbia, and asked if I spoke any Spanish - to which I replied, "I know 3 words: ceviche, cerveza and banos". They assured me this would cover all my needs.

Arriving early in the evening, we stowed the luggage, we headed down for dinner at Barandas in the Bristol Hotel - in the heart of the business district.