Old Meets New
Panama Canal
(Click for Slideshows)
We visited Panama City for a week of vacation in July 2009. Panama City is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. We stayed at a resort about an hour outside the city, but did get to spend some time visiting both the city and the Panama Canal and came away quite impressed.
Panama City
(Click for Slideshows)
We found Panama City to be a city of interesting juxtapositions of old and new and many contrasting images. The city has spectacular views as it sits on the Pacific end of Panama Bay. It has the man-made, wonder of the world Panama Canal on one side and nature's mountains rising behind it on the other side. To the east sit the suburbs and Spanish Catholic church ruins of the old Panama City, which was the first European city founded on the Pacific coast of the Americas.
On the southwest end of the bay stands the old city center of San Felipe, which is a collection of old colonial churches and nineteenth-century mansions, while to the northeast rise the many modern skyscrapers of the banking and commercial district called El Cangrejo.
Click the photos above for slideshows and videos.
Click on any of the photos below for panoramic photos.
Read on below for descriptions of The Resort and The Panama Canal
Click on any of the photos below for panoramic photos.
Read on below for descriptions of The Resort and The Panama Canal
The Panama CanalThe Miraflores Locks
Miraflores is the name of one of the three locks that form part of the Panama Canal and the name of a small lake that separates these locks from another set of locks called Pedro Miguel upstream. The Miraflores Locks, due to their close proximity to Panama City and easy public access, is probably the most visited tourist site in all of Panama. It has a splendid visitor center.
In the locks, ships are lifted (or lowered) in three stages totaling about 10 meters, allowing them to transit to or from the Pacific Ocean port of Balboa (near Panama City). Ships cross below the Puente de las Americas (Bridge of the Americas) which connects North and South America.
Depending on the size of each ship, one can see anywhere from 1 to 3 vessels, perhaps more, make the transit simultaneously. From the minute the ships enter the locks, it takes approximately 10-40 minutes for the process to be completed.
The process is fascinating to watch. Twenty six million gallons of
water is transferred in only minutes.
Water enters and leaves the locks using gravity. There are no pumps or other man-made devices that assist in this process.
For larger commercial vessels, there are several, land based, electric cars that run alongside both sides of the canal, attached to the vessel by long cables. The cars help guide the vessel through the locks, although the ships move under their own power.
The visitor's center allows tourists to have a full view of the Miraflores locks operation. Throughout the day a bilingual narrator comments through a loud speaker and tells you about the canal itself, as well as makes reference to the boats that are passing through the locks at that particular time.
The visitor's center faces the locks, just in front of the control tower, and has four floors; from any of the three floors photos can be taken of the locks from the balconies.
The 4th floor has a large observation deck where tour groups overlook a lock station. We got to see a short film presentation at the visitor center theater and traveled through a very interesting museum exhibit.
We throughly enjoyed the trip. The Miraflores Locks Visitor Center is definitely the best way to see the Panama Canal.
In the locks, ships are lifted (or lowered) in three stages totaling about 10 meters, allowing them to transit to or from the Pacific Ocean port of Balboa (near Panama City). Ships cross below the Puente de las Americas (Bridge of the Americas) which connects North and South America.
Depending on the size of each ship, one can see anywhere from 1 to 3 vessels, perhaps more, make the transit simultaneously. From the minute the ships enter the locks, it takes approximately 10-40 minutes for the process to be completed.
The process is fascinating to watch. Twenty six million gallons of
Water enters and leaves the locks using gravity. There are no pumps or other man-made devices that assist in this process.
For larger commercial vessels, there are several, land based, electric cars that run alongside both sides of the canal, attached to the vessel by long cables. The cars help guide the vessel through the locks, although the ships move under their own power.
The visitor's center allows tourists to have a full view of the Miraflores locks operation. Throughout the day a bilingual narrator comments through a loud speaker and tells you about the canal itself, as well as makes reference to the boats that are passing through the locks at that particular time.
The visitor's center faces the locks, just in front of the control tower, and has four floors; from any of the three floors photos can be taken of the locks from the balconies.
The 4th floor has a large observation deck where tour groups overlook a lock station. We got to see a short film presentation at the visitor center theater and traveled through a very interesting museum exhibit.
We throughly enjoyed the trip. The Miraflores Locks Visitor Center is definitely the best way to see the Panama Canal.
The Resort
All of Latin America Visits
The Royal Decameron Golf Beach Resort & Villas is advertised as a 5-star resort. The honest truth is that although it is not a bad place to stay it is certainly not a resort of that calibre and should not be listed as such.
There are both good and bad things to share about the resort and I don't want to come off as being too critical, but I've been lucky enough to spend a lot of time at much better resorts in Cancun, Punta Cana, Barbados and this resort simply pales in comparison to resorts in those nations.
Perhaps the time of year may have been a factor shaping my opinion. We were there during the low season and very low hotel rates were passed on to Panamanian locals and also to neighboring countries (Ecuador, Columbia) in order to help fill rooms that would normally be vacant in the low season.
Unfortunately those that took advantage of the savings ($50 a night) were for the most part staying only 2 to 5 nights. This brought in loud, drunken and unsavory types that were up at all hours of the night and could be heard through the paper-thin walls of the rooms.
The Decameron is perhaps a 3-star resort. I'm writing this so that anyone considering visiting Panama City (which is a fine city, but is relatively new to tourism), will be aware that they can get both better accommodations and a closer spot in the city.
Nevertheless, we had a good time at the resort, the grounds and the pools were pretty and very well maintained. One actually doesn't mind the 1-1/2 hour bus ride from Tocumen International Airport because it gives you a chance to see the country side of Panama.
The rooms were fair. They are clean but there are no added amenitiies that one might be used to elsewhere. Fluctuations between the hot and cold water proved to be a challenge in the shower. The buffet food was nothing to rave about while the various a-la-carte restaurants ranged from fair to very good.
The nightly shows were very entertaining,
but seating in the atrium area where the shows are held was difficult to obtain unless you arrived very early. The dancers and master of ceremonies are imports from Columbia and the Dominican Republic, but they are extremely athletic, very talented and a joy to watch and listen to.
There are both good and bad things to share about the resort and I don't want to come off as being too critical, but I've been lucky enough to spend a lot of time at much better resorts in Cancun, Punta Cana, Barbados and this resort simply pales in comparison to resorts in those nations.
Perhaps the time of year may have been a factor shaping my opinion. We were there during the low season and very low hotel rates were passed on to Panamanian locals and also to neighboring countries (Ecuador, Columbia) in order to help fill rooms that would normally be vacant in the low season.
Unfortunately those that took advantage of the savings ($50 a night) were for the most part staying only 2 to 5 nights. This brought in loud, drunken and unsavory types that were up at all hours of the night and could be heard through the paper-thin walls of the rooms.
The Decameron is perhaps a 3-star resort. I'm writing this so that anyone considering visiting Panama City (which is a fine city, but is relatively new to tourism), will be aware that they can get both better accommodations and a closer spot in the city.
Nevertheless, we had a good time at the resort, the grounds and the pools were pretty and very well maintained. One actually doesn't mind the 1-1/2 hour bus ride from Tocumen International Airport because it gives you a chance to see the country side of Panama.
The rooms were fair. They are clean but there are no added amenitiies that one might be used to elsewhere. Fluctuations between the hot and cold water proved to be a challenge in the shower. The buffet food was nothing to rave about while the various a-la-carte restaurants ranged from fair to very good.
The nightly shows were very entertaining,