Monday, February 8, 2016

Panama

Day 1 
Natural Diversity Museum and Miraflores Locks Observation Center


Oh and Old Panama City Ruins 





He loves it when I take his picture. 



 Day 2 Expansion Center


This place was really cool and not very crowded, here is a panoramic of the place. 
These are new Panama Canals that will open this year. 

And Gamboa Rainforest Boat ride Tour

We took a front row in the boat and we nearly got heat stroke from the sun, but it was all worth it when the monkeys jumped onto the front of the boat!










The Gamboa Rainforest Resort is one of my most favorite hotels, ever!

 Day 3 Gamboa Rainforest Resort

We had this day all to ourselves. No touring. 


There was NO ONE but our tour group at this hotel. It was amazing. Gorgeous and empty!






Just down from the Hotel is a little zoo, where they take care of rescued animals. So we took a little bus down to it and it was awesome!
Baby Alligators 
 Sleeping Sloths


I fell in love with this Iguana

And then there is the love of my life....this sloth!

He turned and smiled at my camera and I couldn't have been happier! 

They also had a Cheetah, I didn't like him so much. 

The zoo came to the hotel that night to talk about sloths and I got to get up close and personal. 


We hated saying  goodbye to this hotel! We had so much fun there!

Good food, SLOW elevator, 


 lots of pictures and awkward dancing, 


And we took some really awkward photos. 




 Day 4 Indian Village

Back in the orange life jackets to leave Gamboa! 




I bought four handmade masks from these people. They are so cute!











 Butterfly Farm

This place was terrifying. Butterflies are so cute until you are locked in a hot house with hundreds of them flying around you, and then they are terrifying!

Vince bought me a new lens for my camera right before we came to Panama and I was able to get some great photos with it! 




Angelina Jolie???



Westin Beach Resort

Then it was off to the beach resort for 2 nights. 


Where we did some late night crab hunting when the tide went down. 




 Day 5 Tour through the Panama Canal

I woke up this morning not feeling good. Couldn't quite put my finger on it, and then it hit. KIDNEY STONE! We were supposed to leave at 9 for the tour. Then it got pushed to 11am, so I was hoping I could get rid of the kidney stone before that, otherwise I couldn't go. Then it got pushed to 1pm and oh happy day, I passed the stone just in time to leave for the boat!
Vince with Herman the German Crane, now called the Titan




The walls of the Panama Canal!!!



The opening of the locks!


 Our boat ride was supposed to be 3 hours, and then we were delayed when two bigger cargo ships needed to go through the locks before us, so we ended up being on the boat for 8 hours! It was a long day for all. Poor George, he was ready for bed!

I look like a cancer patient here, but seriously one of the best days!


Day 6 Panama City and Happy Birthday to me!



The last day in Panama was my birthday and shopping day! Yippee!


Then we headed to the Intercontinental Miramar Hotel in Panama City for the last night. 
Our room had a killer view!

These Red Devil buses are the public transit and the are all painted differently.

We had some time to kill before dinner so my great husband took a walk along the bay with me and my selfie stick. Only because it was my birthday!


And then I got pulled up on stage during the evening show and I had to stand there like an idiot while they sang to me and I was holding a cake, and then I had to dance too. *facepalm I looked like the biggest idiot! 





After dinner everyone headed to bed, and once we got up to our room we decided to be crazy and take a cab over to the other side of the bay where Carnival was taking place! 

You had to have a Passport to get in, so we had to go back to the hotel and grab them, but it was very loud and crazy! I thought we might die multiple times, but we are still here!



And then it was time to go home!

The plane delays and mishaps on this trip were crazy! 
Our flight to panama was cancelled because the Denver airport closed up for a storm, so we had to drive to Pocatello at 4:30 in the morning to catch a new flight. 
The flight from Pocatello was delayed once we were on board because of a fueling problem.
Once we got to SLC, our plane broke and we had to run to another gate, where that plane was delayed too.
We BARELY made the flight from Houston to Panama. Barely.

But on the way home, we had better luck, until we were about to land in Idaho Falls and the pilot announced we couldn't land because of fog and would be going to SLC. Our cars were in Pocatello so we had arranged all sorts of people to pick us up at the airport in Idaho Falls, and now weren't even going to land there. Sheesh!

So we landed in SLC, made some phone calls, and rented a van and drove home. It was 2 in the morning Panama time!



There was luggage on people and people on luggage. I could NOT keep my eyes open on the drive home and kept falling asleep while trying to keep Vince awake. 
But we made it!

It was such a great trip!