Panama (1)-Panama City 巴拿马市
Jan 26: The ship docked at seven this morning, and we disembarked after a quick breakfast at the Garden Café.
Colon is on the Caribbean Sea side of Panama City and is about 50 miles from Panama. There are several options to get to Panama City from Colon. The best option was the direct train, but the service was suspended due to the pandemic. Our cruise offers the airport transfer for $100 per person but not to the downtown area where we stay, which is still far from the airport. Another option is to take a taxi to Panama City, which costs $200+ for booking online. The cheapest option is to take an hour and a half bus ride, but we must walk 20 minutes from the Colon cruise terminal to the Colon bus station or by Taxi. The town of Colon is said to be unsafe; walking with luggage on the street is not recommended.
To us, the best option is to take Uber. While the ship docked at Colon, we tried to schedule an Uber ride, but no cars were available. Not sure what exactly we would do, we decided to get off the ship first and figured the thing out later. As soon as we stepped on the pier, we were surrounded by a mob of people selling taxi services to us, and the price was sky-high. Ignoring them, we continued to look for Uber ourselves. We saw a couple standing next to us who seemed to be waiting for a car, so we chatted with them. It turned out that they had already called Uber successfully and immediately offered to share their Uber with us after learning that we also wanted to go to Panama City. What a kindness. We happily accepted their offer. Chatting with the Canadian couple along the way to the city was fun. One hour Uber ride went fast, and we arrived at the hotel smoothly. We were very grateful for their kindness, so we offered to pay 2/3 of the $60 total Uber cost as our way of saying thank you. The world is full of good people willing to help each other.
Our room was not ready when we arrived at the hotel around 10 am. So we stored our luggage in the office and explored the city. We walked straight toward the Gulf of Panama. Along the shore is a beautiful waterfront pathway called the Ciclovia Cinta Costera, which has a panoramic view of the Gulf of Panama and the skyline of Panama City designed for biking, walking, and running. The modern Cinta Costera area gave us an excellent first impression of the city. We walked to the Panama Fish Market under the scorching sun. The market has two sections, one for selling fresh seafood and the other for seafood restaurants. Both areas were very clean and organized. Picking one restaurant to sit down from so many restaurants in the area was challenging for us. We like deep-fried whole fish, and with that in mind, we found one reasonably priced restaurant. We had deep-fried whole fish, grilled octopus, and a cup of ceviche. All dishes come with a green salad and deep-fried plantains or rice. All of them tasted very fresh and delicious.
After lunch, we walked to the old Chinatown nearby. Although a traditional Chinatown arch existed, there were almost no true Chinese stores. The place was run-down with poorly maintained buildings. We didn't stay there for very long. Tired of strolling under the hot sun, we needed a coffee break. Surprisingly, we couldn't find any decent coffee café along the path back to the hotel, even with Google Maps Search help. Ultimately, we went to a bakery café just across from our hotel with two lattes and an Empanada. They were pricy, as we expected, but the coffee and empanada didn't meet our standards.
In the evening, we went to a local restaurant near our hotel, Concolon Street Food Cafe, with a Central America vibe. We had paella with green rice, fried bread, and a "glutinous rice" triangle. We didn't know green rice was popular in Central America. All dishes were one of the best on this trip. During the dinner, a couple walked to our table to ask if we were on the NCL Jewel Cruise. The husband said he talked to one of us a few days ago. Of course, we remembered it. What a small world.
Jan 27: Two friends from Philadelphia arrived last night to join us on our trip to Latin America. Early this morning, our friends went separately to the Miraflores Visit Center outside Panama City since we already went through the Panama Canal. We visited the highly-rated Biomuseo, a museum focused on the natural history of Panama. We learned that Panama's isthmus was raised above the water to form a land bridge 3 million years ago, starting the Great American Interchange, with a significant impact on the ecology of the Western Hemisphere. During the Great America Interchange, animals and humans immigrated from south to north and vice versa. Located on the Amador Causeway in Panama City, Panama, the museum's architectural design is unique and beautiful. There are many visitors, primarily passengers on cruise ships, and the cruise ship terminal is nearby. We took an Uber at the cost of $4 to get there.
After seeing the Biology Museum, we slowly strolled along the Amador Causeway toward Flamenco Island. The west of the causeway is the mouth of the canal, with the Bridge of Americans in the backdrop. The entire area was the former US military base used to defend the canal operation. The causeway is very well built, and the scenery on both sides is incredible, but it was tough to walk without shadow for an hour on a humid and hot sunny day. Our friends arrived at Flamenco Island before we did, and a delicious seafood lunch awaited us at Sirena Seafood Restaurant.
After lunch, the four of us walked back on the causeway for a while and then called Uber to take us back to the hotel for a short rest. Uber and taxis in Panama City are convenient and very cheap, about $3-$5 in the city. We sometimes checked the Uber price first; then, if Uber were unavailable, we would wave down the Taxi to ask if they would match the price. The chance was about 50%/50%.
As our friends took a break in the hotel, we went out to find a coffee shop. We did not want to return to the same bakery café across from our hotel; instead, we had a cup of Coffee and French Palmier Cookies at the coffee shops we spotted yesterday. The coffee was from a cheap coffee machine and wasn't good. We were not surprised since it was cheap. For dinner, we went to the Golden Unicorn Chinese restaurant hidden on the fourth floor of the Evergreen Building. We ordered lobster, steamed fish, four other dishes, and soup, which tasted good. We hadn't eaten such delicious Chinese food for a long time.
Jan 28: Today, we went to Casco Viejo (the old town), built in 1673, after the completed destruction of Panama Viejo (the old Panama City) by pirates. The old town was isolated by sea and more defensible than the previous one. The town later became the canal construction headquarter for finance, management, and engineering. Ruined by corruption and drug trafficking under dictators in the last century, the area was only rebuilt in the nineties and became a UNESCO site. Today, this old town is a collection of elegant, beautiful, and prosperous French, Spanish and American architecture, making it a must-see when visiting Panama. We joined a free walking tour for over two hours and learned much about Panama from the tour guide. It is a free tour, but the guide expects everyone to pay the tip. Panama is the second country in Central America to disband the military besides Costa Rica, which we learned from this trip.
After completing the tour in the old town, we took an Uber to the Lung Fung Chinese restaurant for DIM SUM. The dishes were excellent. Then we took another Uber to Panama Viejo, the first European settlement on the Pacific coast, which was the capital of Panama at that time before Casco Viejo. But the city's location was not easy to defend and often attacked by pirates. In 1671, the Englishman Morgan destroyed the entire capital with a group of pirates, after which the locals moved the capital city to the current old town (Casco Viejo), where the unique terrain was easier to defend. Unbeknownst to Morgan, Britain, and Spain had signed the Treaty of Madrid, which ended hostilities between the two countries. He was arrested for violating the treaty and sent back to London, but the British welcomed him with a heroic ceremony. Morgan was released because he proved he didn't know the treaty. The site has an excellent museum of Panama's history and is also on the World Heritage List. We found Panama Viejo was more interesting historically than Casco Viejo. The Casco Viejo was a little more commercial and had too many tourists.
Our tour guide recommended we go to Panaviera Sky Bar on the JW Marriott's 66th floor, the highest rooftop bar in Central America. The bar has a stylish lounge next to the fantastic infinity pool. We got breathtaking panoramic views over the ocean and Panama City from there. As the sun set, we sipped Mango Margaritas and small snack bites and enjoyed the scene of the sunset over Panama City.
While our friends decided to skip dinner, we went to a nearby Spanish restaurant, Casa Alejandro. The menu was Spanish, and they didn't speak English, so we ordered two dishes without knowing too much about what we ordered from the menu. Both dishes turned out to be prawns, but the taste was quite good.
Jan 29: We went to the Metropolitan Natural Park in the heart of Panama City in the morning. It was the only refuge for a wildlife preserve and the tropical forest in the city. After paying the entrance fee, they gave you a wristband to put on. There are five trails to choose from. We took the Monkey Trail to the top of Cerro Cedro for panoramic views of Panama City and the Canal. We hiked for two hours over 2.6 miles. To our surprise, over the 2.6-mile trail, we saw a lot of wildlife, including mother and daughter sloths, white-nose coati, white face monkeys, turtles, deer, and trogons. We highly recommend the place to visit and hike.
After the hike, we took a Taxi to a Hongkong-style café called Hong Kong Bakery and Café and had delicious Dim Sum. Then we returned to the hotel for a short break.
We went to the seaside again in the afternoon. This time, we walked along the Ciclovia Cinta Costera to Mirador Paitilla Park, where more high-rise condos are opposite the fish market. It seemed not much scenery beyond the point, so we called an Uber back to Casco Viejo to visit a few sights we didn't have time to see yesterday. There was heavy traffic in the old town in the afternoon. Probably 5 minutes ride in the normal traffic became 30 minutes. We felt terrible for the driver and gave him an extra tip to compensate for the waiting time. In the town, we had fresh coconuts for $2.5 a piece. The price was slightly higher than Costa Rica's, but the size was much larger.
In the evening, we went to another Chinese restaurant for dinner. Just in time to see the local Zhu family Spring Festival party, the gongs, and drums were noisy, and the lion dance was lively. It is said that 90+% of the Chinese in Panama are from Guangdong, and 90+% are from Huadu, Guangzhou. Our Philadelphia friends were originally from Guangzhou and jokingly said they celebrated the Spring Festival with their fellow villagers.
Since we left Shanghai, we can't remember having that many Chinese cuisines in just four short days outside the home. We will leave Panama City tomorrow to begin our rainforest/cloud forest journey.
1/26: 昨天过运河后，终点站Colon码头就在附近，但游轮却不停靠码头，而是把船开到外面的加勒比海兜了一大圈，碰上大风大浪，船晃得厉害，把我们折腾了一晚。今天早上七点靠岸，吃完早餐之后我们就下了船。
Colon码头离我们要去的巴拿马城大概50英里左右。我们对怎么从Colon到巴拿马城一直找不到确定的方案。最方便的直达火车因为疫情而停运了。如今最便宜的是坐一个半小时的公交车但需要从Colon船码头到Colon大巴车站走二十分钟，据说Colon不是很安全, 都不建议在路上走，可以找出租车从码头到大巴车站。还有个选择是坐出租车去巴拿马城，网上订车要$200+。游轮也提供回城服务，但只能直接送去巴拿马飞机场，离我们住的市中心旅馆有点距离。最后我们决定下船后看情况再说。一出码头，被拉出租车生意的人团团围住，大开天价。不理他们，我们自己找Uber但是暂时无车。这时正好看到旁边一对夫妇好像也在等车，就和他们搭讪。他们已叫了Uber，听说我们也去巴拿马城，主动说可以与我们拼车，只要$30，真是天上掉下来个大馅饼🤪。一路上与这对加拿大来的老外聊天很开心，一小时后很顺利地到了旅馆。世界上热心的好人真不少。
到旅馆时才早上十点左右，房间还没有准备好，我们先注册，寄存行李，然后便沿着海边走到海鲜市场要了炸全鱼，烤章鱼和酸橘汁腌鱼（ceviche)，非常好吃😋。 晚上去了一家当地餐厅，很不错，第一次吃上绿色米饭打底的海鲜饭，油饼和＂糯米”角也很好。在饭店还碰到了另一对从我们游轮下来的乘客， 世界真小。
1/27: 昨晚从费城来的两位朋友来到巴拿马城加入我们中南美州之旅。今天一早她们俩去运河中心参观，我们则去了巴拿马生物博物馆。博物馆的建筑设计有点特色，里面的展馆一般，但因为巴拿马城游轮码头就在附近， 参观的人不少，大多是游轮上的乘客。
看完生物馆后，我们就沿着阿马多尔堤道慢慢地向Flamenco 岛走去，堤道西边是运河进出口，美国大桥，这整个区域以前是美国军事基地，为运河的运行防卫。堤道建得相当好，两旁风景很美，但在又湿又热的大太阳下走了一小时真的不容易，有点累。想着之前在船上每天吃那么多，腰围长一圈，现在该是甩膘的时候了。汗流浃背地走到Flamenco岛上，朋友已到，一顿美味的海鲜午餐等着我们。
饭后我们四人在堤道上往回走了一段，便叫车回旅馆小休一会儿。这里Uber和Taxi又方便又便宜，在市内大约$3-$5就够了。
回旅馆后我们俩又出去找了一家咖啡店喝咖啡，咖啡不怎么样，蝴蝶酥还可以。
好友对饮食很在行，总能找到好地方。晚饭去了一家中餐馆，要了龙虾，蒸鱼等四菜一汤，味道不错，我们俩好久没吃这么好吃的中餐了。光忙着吃没拍晚餐的照片，只能借朋友的照片用一下。
今天（1/28号）我们去了巴拿马老城区(Casco Viejo), 建于1673年，后来成为运河建造的财政，管理，工程的大本营。上个世纪在独裁者统治下，腐败和贩毒使得这里破败不堪，一直到九十年代才开始重建，后来成为世界遣址。如今这老城区聚集着法国，西班牙和美国式的建筑，优雅美丽，人丁兴旺，是来巴拿马的必游之地。我们参加徙步游，导游带我们走了二个多小时，一路侃侃而谈， 我们学了不少东西，也知道了巴拿马的军队在独裁者下台后被解散，如今只有警察而没有军队。
走完老城区后又来到几公里外的巴拿马遗址(Panama Viejo),是太平洋岸边的第一欧州人定居点，当时是巴拿马首都。但是那地方地势不利，常常受到海盗的抢劫骚扰，在1671年，英国人摩根带着一帮海盗把整个首都摧毁了，之后当地人把首都搬到了现在老城区的地方，那里独特的地势更容易防守。摩根全然不知当时英国和西班牙已签署了互不侵犯的协议，为此他被捕送回伦敦，但是英国人以英雄仪式欢迎他的到来。遗址也是在世界遗产名录中。
参观完了旧巴拿马后，来到了万豪酒店的66层酒吧，喝着芒果马提尼酒，俯瞰巴拿马城全景，欣赏夕阳西落的美景。
白天在参观二个旧城区之间去了一家中餐馆吃午茶，下午又在万豪观景台吃喝，朋友俩决定跳过晚餐。我们俩还是去了附近一家西班牙餐厅，菜单是西语，他们又不会说英语，我们就稀里糊涂地点两个菜，结果两个菜都是大虾，但是味道是相当好。
1/29:上午去城市自然公园, 徒步2.6英里，在那里待了二个小时，看到不少野生动物，包括树懒母女，长鼻浣熊，吼猴，乌龟，鹿和咬鹃等。
中午再次品尝巴拿马的午茶点心，不比美国的差。饭后回旅馆小休。下午来到海边散步后，再次来到巴拿马老城区，把昨天没看过的景点补上。又看到有新鲜椰子卖，$2.5 一个，价格比之前在哥斯达里加的稍稍上去了一点，但尺寸大很多。晚上又去了另一家中餐馆吃饭，正好碰上当地朱氏家族春节联欢会，锣鼓喧天，热闹非凡。据说巴拿巴90+%华人来自广东，而广东人中90+%是广州花都人。与我们同行的二位费城朋友都来自广州，开玩笑地说与同乡一起欢庆春节了。
自从离开上海后，不记得几天内连上这么多中餐馆😜。明天我们就要离开巴拿马城，开始我们热带雨林/云林的旅程。
