Howdy friends and family,
Did you think we missed Travel Tuesday? Never fear! We might be late, but we wouldn’t miss it. 🙂
On our journey further south to Brazil, we had a long layover at in Panama. Perry suggested that we could zip on out to the Panama Canal and then zip on back to the airport.
“Sure,” I (Pete) said, despite the gnawing fact that I hate going through airport security. Sometimes the price of adventure is cab fare and getting a shake-down at an airport.
Perry’s Travel Diary
Why Panama?
Booking travel while you’re already traveling is surprisingly more difficult than I anticipated before we started our journey.
Given the limited time between our adventures, I booked the first and cheapest points flight I could find to get us from the USA onto the South American continent – Colombia. Being so much closer, I figured it would be easier, cheaper, and more direct to find our connecting flights once we were there.
I later learned that while I wasn’t exactly wrong about that, I also wasn’t exactly right.
From Colombia, I couldn’t find any reasonably priced points-based options to fly directly to either Brazil or Argentina. There are some direct cash flights, but they were too pricey for our backpacker-style budget.
We’d have to backtrack to Panama, Copa Airlines’ hub, and proceed to Iguazu Falls, Brazil, via a grueling series of four total flight segments. With economy seats, we could book these flights via United Airlines’ MileagePlus for 42,500 points and $77 in fees per person.
If we were going to do this, then we were going to book the longest possible Panama layover so we could go see the famous canal and at least get some enjoyment out of the two-day journey.
We started our day very early in Baranquilla, Colombia, where we took a taxi at 4:00 AM to the airport. Colombia’s exit immigration proved to be just as lacksadaisical as our entry, but we made it through with enough time to cram down breakfast in the Priority Pass lounge.
Upon landing in Panama at 8:00 AM, there was no line to pass through immigration. We were clear – and in our taxi – in exactly 33 minutes, a refreshing change of pace.
Panama City… or Oz?
While I had researched how to get back and forth to the canal, I did not do any other research on Panama prior to our arrival in Panama City.
Shortly after leaving the airport, I was shocked to see Panama City appear in front of us. Gorgeous white skyscrapers extended into the blue sky and were surrounded by the blue ocean, save for the narrow strip of highway we were driving on.
I thought it looked like that scene where Dorothy first lays eyes on the Emerald City in The Wizard of Oz.
As soon as you pass by those towering skyscrapers, though, the city abruptly changes. It’s gritty, dirty, and often graffiti-filled. The apartment buildings are older and run-down. There’s a homeless problem and a drug problem, not unlike parts of American cities.
On our return trip, our driver took us through one of these neighborhoods en route to the main road. He turned back to look at us and said, “This is the real Panama.”
Pete’s Travel Diary
“Teddy Stole it Fair and Square!”
In the interest of keeping shipping vessels from having to sail around Cape Horn and pass through the perilous Drake Passage, the first documented proposal for a canal or channel to be made through Panama sprang up in 1534 by the King of Spain. The canal project would trade hands between Spain, France, and eventually, the United States of America, until the canal was mostly operational by 1914. It is still an active construction site to this day as more canals, expansion, and fine-tuning take place.
Needless to say, this feat of engineering was challenging – it took the better part of 400 years to go from dream to reality. Having crossed the Drake Passage (twice) in a more modern ship, we can sympathize with the desire to take a shortcut, even if that shortcut took 380 or so odd years.
How does Theodore Roosevelt tie into all of this? While the United States had already constructed the Panama Railroad by 1855 to fuel the construction of the canal, signifying the international interest in the success of this project, the US would not acquire the canal project for another 50 or so years.
In 1903, the Panama rebels sought to (violently) secede from the country of Colombia. Teddy Roosevelt, wishing to avoid paying Colombia some 10 million dollars as an initial payment along with a steep annual payment for use of the canal once complete, decided to throw support towards the rebels and to recognize their independence as a nation separate from Colombia. In return, the US took possession of the Panama Canal in its entirety and US troops occupied the area, shoring up the Panamanian rebels’ strength before Columbia could muster any forceful response. Perhaps as a sign of eagerness, when the peace treaty was arbitrated by the US between Panama and Colombia, US engineers were already on the scene to quickly initiate designs for the newly acquired canal land.
When I wrote my favorite high school history teacher letting him know we had gone to see the canal, he responded in his usual good humor, “Teddy stole it, fair and square!”
Perry’s Travel Diary
Visiting the Panama Canal
The United States no longer owns the Panama Canal. Originally announced during the Carter administration, the transition of the canal to Panamanian authority was completed on December 31st, 1999. Today, the canal is a profitable enterprise for Panama, which instituted profit-based criteria for the canal after years of the United States managing it as a breakeven-only enterprise.
It is also a popular tourist attraction. Tourists, including us, are directed to the Miraflores Locks Visitor Center, where you can visit an informative museum and observe ships passing through the docks from an observation deck. Admission is $17.22 per person as of October 2022.
The best time to visit if you want to see a ship passing through is first thing in the morning, between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM, or in the afternoon, after 2:00 PM. We arrived just as a bulk dry goods ship was passing through the first set of locks.
I was shocked to learn what the tolls are for passing through the canal. Container vessels pay average tolls of $300,000 – $400,000 to pass through the old locks. The bulk dry goods boat that we watched would have paid $200,000 – $400,000 according to the announcer. Larger container ships pay $500,000 – $600,000 to pass through the new locks due to their greater cargo volume. (The new locks, completed in 2016, are 40% longer and 60% wider than the old locks. Ships transiting the new locks can carry up to 14,000 containers versus 5,000 containers in the old locks.)
We learned in the museum that the lowest toll ever paid was in 1928 by athlete Richard Halliburton, who paid just 36 cents to swim through. Go him.
And let’s talk about that announcer: An announcer is stationed on the visitor center’s observation deck to explain what’s going on to all the tourists. If you were wondering what Latin American soccer announcers do for their day job, it has to be this. The announcer brought an incredible amount of enthusiasm to the tediously slow process of moving a ship through the locks. He also included birthday, wedding, and anniversary announcements; fun facts; and the countries from which current tourists had traveled, including a contest for the furthest distance. I think there was even an engagement.
On our way out, our taxi driver pointed out the red-tile-roofed buildings surrounding the canal and explained that they used to be the US military base. They now serve as various local government and school buildings.
We thought this whole visit was very interesting – and it was definitely one of our better uses of a layover.
Costa Mirador, Panama
After 1.5 hours at the canal, we had seen everything there was to see. We headed back to our driver, who asked where we wanted to go next.
Again, my lack of knowledge about Panama showed. I had no idea what else to see, but we had hired him for another hour.
Our driver offered a stop at a shopping/handicraft center, which we politely declined. We had no room for souvenirs at this point.
“How about Costa Mirador? There is a big sign you can take a picture with.” Sure!
Costa Mirador was a beautiful drive that ended at the cruise ship port. The wide avenue, lined with sidewalks and benches, reminded me of San Diego, California’s Shelter Island. Lots of pedestrians and bike riders were out and about enjoying the views that look back at the city.
And we did get a photo at the big sign.
Like most cruise ports, Costa Mirador is a bit lacking in authenticity and appears wealthier than the surrounding area. Our guide told us that in addition to the larger ships, there are smaller charters here that take tourists on fishing expeditions or day trips to surrounding islands.
It was immediately after Costa Mirador that our driver then took us through the “real Panama,” which was a contrast, to say the least.
If you have an 8-hour or longer layover like us, I’d recommend researching one other spot that you’d like to visit after the canal. Costa Mirador was a pretty drive and a convenient add-on to a canal trip, but I am left wishing we had seen something more relevant to Panama’s history or culture.
An Important Lesson About Both Spanish and Traveling With Hot Hands
When we returned to the airport for our flight, we had to re-clear security.
We went through the usual procedure, and Pete’s backpack was flagged for inspection. (We checked our roller bags in order to have our hands free for our canal adventure.) This isn’t unusual and happens with some regularity since Pete carries a variety of first aid and medical supplies.
Pete gestured to the usual culprit – his suture kit, complete with doctor’s note – but no, this wasn’t what the security agent was looking for.
The agent began pulling everything out of Pete’s bag. We knew what the second culprit might be – Pete’s stash of Hot Hands. With our Antarctic cruise looming, we had both packed a full 10-day supply of Hot Hands and Hot Feet in our suitcases. This is an unusually large quantity of black powder-filled packets (yeah, I know) to be traveling with, so I wasn’t shocked that they triggered an inspection.
When the agent reached the package, we pointed to them and said, “It’s this.” The agent didn’t seem to understand us. I thought fast.
“Manos calientes,” I said, proud of my on-the-fly translation. We pointed furiously. “Manos calientes por Antarctica!”
No, no, the agent shook his head. He continued his quest to remove every single item from Pete’s backpack. He looked at the lining and pressed around the metal frame. No pocket was spared. He was baffled.
“Manos calientes,” we tried again. “Vamos a Antarctica despues de Brazil.” I tried the most advanced Spanish grammar I could muster from Spanish 101. The agent didn’t seem to understand a word we were saying.
Finally, the exasperated agent showed Pete the x-ray. “Metal,” the agent said, with a heavy accent. “Metal.”
Pete looked at the picture. The agent was pointing to “metal” in the exact location of the Hot Hands.
For those who didn’t know (including me prior to this incident), Hot Hands contain iron oxide and do, in fact, look like a large metal item on an x-ray machine.
We finally convinced him with enough pointing to run the Hot Hands back through the x-ray and confirm that they were indeed the culprit. After doing so, the agent came back to us with a puzzled look on his face.
“Manos… calores?” he asked. (“Calor” is another Spanish word for “warm” or “hot.”)
“Si, si!” I said, finally thrilled to have found the correct translation. “Manos calores! Por Antartica!”
I have no idea what the agent thought we were saying or, frankly, what we were actually saying. It seemed that “caliente” was the wrong word to use when referring to your body. It’s not clear if we were furiously insisting that we had “spicy hands” or if we were just using a food-specific heat-themed word.
And of course, we were standing in Panama, where it was no less than 90 degrees with humidity… and these two crazy tourists are going on about Antarctica and very cold? The agent must have thought we’d lost our minds. Nothing in Panama was cold. And hands aren’t spicy.
A woman in the adjacent security line, who had been silently watching this entire incident despite being bilingual, laughed. “You are going to Antarctica? It is very cold there.”
“Yes,” we rolled our eyes, “muy frijo.”
We were allowed to proceed on our way with a good laugh.
Itinerary
Hotel
We didn’t stay at a hotel in Panama! If you have a long layover, the Copa Lounge does offer private nap booths in addition to a variety of comfortable seating. You can access the Copa Lounge with Star Alliance Gold Status or a business-class ticket.
Food
We also didn’t eat while actually in Panama. We ate at the Copa Lounge, though we will admit that the “light fare” was definitely on the very light side.
Transportation
We chose to hire a private taxi driver to take us to the canal and back since we needed to ensure that we would arrive back at the airport in time for our flight. There is a taxi stand immediately after exiting immigration. Three hours with a driver cost us $80. We were able to leave our large backpacks in the car, where the driver waited, while we visited the museum.
Uber also works in Panama and may be cheaper than hiring a private driver. I was concerned that we may have trouble getting a ride back to the airport if we used Uber to get to the canal, but that fear was unfounded. We did have cellular data at the canal and could have easily requested a return Uber, and there was also a group of ride-less taxi drivers standing at the canal exit asking, “Taxi? Taxi?”
Currency
US Dollars are widely used in Panama. Bring pristine bills without stains, rips, or tears.
Panama’s official currency is the Panamanian Balboa. The exchange rate has always been tied to the US dollar – $1 Balboa equals $1 USD. If you pay using cash USD, you may receive change in Balboas.
Credit cards were accepted at the airport, canal, and tourist-oriented shops. We needed cash to pay the taxi driver.
Perry’s Travel Tip of the Week
Handy-Dandy Hat Clip
Pete and I both have hats that we love to wear during our travels, both for sun protection and *fashion.*
That said, a good felt hat can be difficult to pack – and you don’t always want to wear a hat when you’re on a plane (or four) or otherwise indoors. We’d been rolling or smashing our hats into our bags and hoping for the best.
Until that is, I discovered this handy-dandy magnetic hat clip on Amazon!
Comprised of a flap with two magnets, it will grab any hat without damaging the brim. It hooks onto your bag using a carabiner for easy access. Simple and genius.
It’s also cheap, so order a few as gifts for yourself and the travelers in your life.
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See you next time,
Pete and Perry