We were able to spend a lot of time (this visit) exploring the abandoned miltary base (which the jungle slowly is reclaiming), and its collection of wildlife: howler monkies, capuchin monkeys, coatie (racoon related), and more
And we finally caught up properly with the crew of Maia (Dick and Laura, with bonus since Connor was visiting them) - before they went off to transit the cana several days ahead of us
Our canal transit was also much more straightforward. Since we had done it before, the procedure was old hat to us now. Our hired line handlers did most of the work. Maryanne cooked and all I had to do was steer.
We also got lucky this time because we had a four a.m. report time. That sounds rough, but it virtually assured that we would get through the same day. That reduced the number of meals that needed preparing and eliminated the need for us to find somewhere for everyone to sleep while anchored in Lake Gatun for the night.
We also got lucky with our lock transits. For our first two at Gatun Locks, we tied up alongside the tugboat that had steered in our accompanying ship. The tug went up along the wall. All we had to do was tie alongside them as if they were a dock. No other line adjustments necessary.
For our downbound three locks, we rafted (called a "nest" by the canal authority) with another catamaran, riding down in the center of the locks ahead of the main ship. Once we were connected, we had one bow and one stern line to handle, they had their opposite compliment. There were no delays and no annoying snobs to deal with, like the last time. At 4:12pm, in bright sunlight, the last of the Miraflores lock doors opened and we emerged into the Pacific. We untied, bid the other boat farewell and then we both headed a few miles down the channel to the anchorage at La Playita for a few days' rest before heading into the adjacent marina.
A full day - and pain free transit of the Panama Canal (with our excellent professional linehandlers)
We got our remaining provisioning and laundry done the first day there so that we could have the whole next day free to go to Casco Viejo, our favorite part of Panamá City. It is beautiful and old and picturesque at every turn, with plenty of places to stop and enjoy the view over a delicious meal or a tropical drink.
On the pacific side we were based in La Playita, and were kept busy with various chores including a couple of visits to the GIANT Albrook Mall (the 2nd largest in all the Americas!; Kyle hates it!)
And we repeated our previous visit to the Smithsonian's Tropical Research Institute situated right next door! It's small, but with a trove of animals to discover:sloths, poison dart frogs, butterflys and more.
Casco Viejo (old town), Panama City. We included visits to Chocolatiers, churches, and roof-top bars. The statues on a table (in the pics above) is all chocolate!
One of our favorite finds there was the well-done (and free) Mola Museum. This is where you can learn about the intricate and labor-intensive textile work of the indigenous Cuna people from the San Blas Islands, on the Atlantic side of the country. Their traditional garb is absolutely gorgeous and after visiting the museum, we have a better understanding of the symbolism behind the outfits we have seen on the Cunas in town.
I was curious about the Mola Museum, and cajoled Kyle into finding the time to visit - but we were both amazed by the great presentation and detail shared about the way it is made, and the Cuna culture generally, and of how cloth Mole came to be (historically it would have been body painting)
We then had one last day of formalities to complete before leaving Panamá, plus making sure our tanks and fridge were all at the tippy top for our subsequent months in the Pacific. Most of the formalities were not for the Panamanian authorities, but instead to comply with Ecuador's many requirements for entering the Galápagos archipelago. Begonia had to be fumigated and her bottom cleaned of any hint of growth. This were were advised (maybe incorrectly) had to be done by professionals, as we would need certificates from each testifying the work had been done immediately prior to our departure and to the appropriate standard.
Roy met us in the afternoon to hand over all the relevant paperwork and to drive us to Immigration for our outbound stamps. While we were with him, Maryanne mentioned having difficulty finding an ATM that will issue us cash (Ecuador uses the US dollar as official currency and a lot of the places in Galápagos only take cash). What we thought would be a few suggestions from him (we could get money from some banks, but not others) turned out to be an all-afternoon ordeal as Roy took it upon himself to drive us all over town in a hunt for cash. He even went into bank after bank to help translate. By the time the errand was done, crippling rush-hour traffic had started, pretty much guaranteeing Roy wouldn't make it home before dark.
Despite this, he kept referring to us as his "favorite clients" and other such things. I'm not sure how that could possibly be true, but it was nice of him to say. We bid him a warm farewell. We then had one last meal out and a fitful night's sleep before sailing away. Man, it seems like Panamá really flew by this time.
Anchorage location >> On google maps
