Group photo

Unfortunately, a day after arriving in Panama the virus that I caught on a preview cruise out of Miami hit me ,and it was doozy too — 103 degree temp. for three days and an upper respiratory infection. Obviously, I wasn’t able to do all the exploring that I was planning on doing. But I did get to see the Panama Canal, a sneak peek of the new Frank Gehry-designed BioMuseo and I stayed in the very comfortable and new Westin Playa Bonita Panama.

The Westin Playa Bonita Panama Dec 2012 -009

Why Panama?
It’s a destination that’s been on my radar for a long time and I’ve always wanted to see the Panama Canal. What’s nice is that Panama is a short, 2.5 hour, flight from Miami and it has just been listed as one of Conde Nast Traveller’s hot destinations for 2013.

PTY Airport
When my wife and I arrived we were pleased to see an army of immigration workers, so there were no long waits to get our passports stamped. Why can’t America do the same for our visitors? Although the main currency in Panama is the U.S. dollar, the immigration agent didn’t speak much English, so I was worried that I would have a difficult time communicating during my stay. But that wasn’t the case. I would state the majority of Panamanians in the tourism industry do speak some English.

Panama Dec 2012 -015

Traffic
Indeed Panama City has world class traffic. Natalie and I were guests of the new Westin Playa Bonita Panama which can take anywhere between 25 minutes to three hours to get to from the airport. It took us 55 minutes on a Wednesday at 4pm, but the return (early Sunday morning) was only 25 minutes.

The Westin Playa Bonita Panama Dec 2012 -002

Westin Playa Bonita Panama
The Westin Playa Bonita Panama opened a year ago (January 2012). It cost $100 million and is a destination in itself. There are six restaurants, three freshwater pools, four bars, 611 luxury rooms, and an open-air VIP lounge on the 19th floor with views of the Pacific Ocean, rainforest, and Panama Canal. Because they have 62,000 square feet of meeting and event space – the largest meeting space in Central America – it’s become a popular hotel with business travelers.

The Westin Playa Bonita Panama Dec 2012 -005

I was so sick that I didn’t get to the pool or get to experience their swim-up pool bar or beach bar. Heck, I didn’t even walk on the beach or workout in their state-of-the art gym. What I did do is use their in room dining that’s available to guests 24-hours a day.

The Westin Playa Bonita Panama Dec 2012 -003

Being laid up in the room I appreciated the Westin Heavenly Bed, 42″ LCD Television and Wi-Fi the most. What I liked least about the hotel is that they play music at the pool so you can’t listen to the waves, and it doesn’t stop until 1am on weekends. I also read that the ocean water is polluted because it’s at the base of the Panama Canal.

The Panama Canal Dec 2012 -030

Panama Canal
The Panama Canal’s Visitor’s Center at the Miraflores Locks is about a twenty minute drive from the Westin. It’s open every day from 9am to 5pm and it costs $8 for adults and $5 for kids 6-17. Once inside you will learn the canal is 48-miles (77.1 km) long and that it connects the Atlantic Ocean (via the Caribbean Sea) to the Pacific Ocean. There are three locks that are 110 feet (33.5 m) wide that lift ships 85 feet (26 m) above sea-level.

Work on the canal was completed in 1914 and it allowed ships to avoid sailing around the southernmost tip of South America. The ownership of the Panama Canal was first Colombian, then French, and then American. Since 1999 it’s been under the control of the Panamanian government and they are making a ton of money. It’s one reason why Panama is becoming a hot destination.

The Panama Canal Dec 2012 -019

Here’s some things I learned about visiting the canal:

  • In the morning ships go from the Pacific to Atlantic
  • It takes eight hours to pass through the whole canal.
  • The locks and gates are original equipment dating from 1914 – still working perfectly – and it is all done with gravity flow water, no pumps!
  • There’s a 15 minute video on the making of the Panama Canal and a small museum.
  • A great place to have lunch and see how the Canal works is by reserving a table on the patio at the Miraflores Restaurant. The buffet lunch costs $30 per person.
  • More info on the Panama Canal

Museo de la Biodiversidad de Panama Dec 2012 -001Panama’s BioMuseo
One of the major future attractions of Panama is going to be the BioMuseo, designed by Frank Gehry (architect and designer of the acclaimed Guggenheim Museum). What’s interesting is that Frank Gehry (born Frank Goldberg in Toronto) is married to a Panamanian, which is why he took on the project. We got a hard hat tour (you can too) of the state-of-the-art museum which will open later this year. The museum highlights the importance of biodiversity and conservation, and illustrates the significant impact the geological creation of Panama had on planet Earth.

The Panama Canal Dec 2012 -012

Good to know: We had an awesome driver/guide named Eddie. He works for Gamboa Tours and he was always on time and just a great guy who spoke perfect English. I look forward to going back to experience some of Panama’s natural side, including seeing some of their 500 species of birds.

Panamanian bus
Panamanian bus
Panama City traffic
Panama City traffic
Westin Playa Bonita Panama lobby
Westin Playa Bonita Panama lobby
Westin Playa Bonita Panama Front desk
Westin Playa Bonita Panama Front desk
They give you bracelets
They give you bracelets
View from room
View from room
Panama Sunset
Panama Sunset
Westin Playa Bonita Panama room
Westin Playa Bonita Panama room
Bathroom
Bathroom
Shower
Shower
Westin Playa Bonita Panama breakfast
Westin Playa Bonita Panama breakfast
Friendly workers
Friendly workers
Westin Playa Bonita Panama pool
Westin Playa Bonita Panama pool
ran into friends from L.A.
ran into friends from L.A.
Sick from a cruise ship virus
Sick from a cruise ship virus
Panama bus
Panama bus
Driving in Panama
Driving in Panama
Panama City
Panama City
Panama tour bus
Panama tour bus
Group photo
Group photo
Panama Canal Visitor's Center
Panama Canal Visitor's Center
Security
Security
Panama Canal crowd
Panama Canal crowd
View of Panama Canal
View of Panama Canal
15 min 3D film of Panama Canal
15 min 3D film of Panama Canal
Panama Canal museum
Panama Canal museum
Inside the museum
Inside the museum
Miraflores Restaurant buffet
Miraflores Restaurant buffet
Miraflores Restaurant view
Miraflores Restaurant view
Miraflores Restaurant
Miraflores Restaurant
View from Bio Museu
View from Bio Museu
Panama’s Bio Museo
Panama’s Bio Museo
Bio Museo
Bio Museo
Hard hat tour of Bio Museo
Hard hat tour of Bio Museo
Eddie from Gamboa Tours
Eddie from Gamboa Tours

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