arriving in Panama City from airport

We left for our adventure in Panama on Monday morning at 3Ñ00 a.m., with snow on the ground and the temperature negative six degrees. We had our jackets and socks on, for certain. We drove to Toronto, with clear roads and picked Dylan up at his place around 4:15 a.m. Then we drove to the airport, Dylan driving away in the very cold morning.

Our five hour flight to Panama City was direct. However, it was certainly an unusual crowd and somewhat of a culture shock to us.

As we waited for our flight, we looked to see other travelers that resembled us, but to no avail. The birders looked somewhat like us, ready to walk for miles, but the other travelers did not. Most were well tanned, some in shorts and sandals, while we were in our jackets and socks feeling cold.

The plane and its service, Transat was certainly not the Qatar Airlines, or other airlines that we have been on which provide individual movie screens with the updated movies available. Blankets, eyemasks, pillows, socks called the comfort package were available for a fee, not provided as a courtesy. However, we did wonder when they offered wine with our wonderful breakfast. Surprisingly, many people did have wine with breakfast and during the entire flight. We began to make sense of the behaviours, realizing that many of the passengers were going to resorts.

As we neared our destination, some passengers began lining up to go to the bathroom. Imagine our surprise when we realized that they were going to the bathroom to change into their bathing suits, flip flops, tee shirts getting ready for the beach. We realized that they must be in Panama for a short time and making most of the experience. We felt like we were on the wrong plane.

When we landed in Panama, we realized that the passengers on the flight must have traveled this way many times, as we hit the wall of heat of 34 degrees with humidity.

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According to Lonely Planet:
Unfettered by tourist crowds, Panama’s natural gifts shine. Although most backpackers to Central America set their sights on tourist-soaked Costa Rica and Guatemala, it’s hard to shake the feeling in Panama that you’re in on a secret the rest of the traveling world has yet to discover. Although the ‘gringo trail’ has already swung south to the Caribbean archipelago of Bocas del Toro, the careless overdevelopment plaguing most Costa Rican beach towns is still refreshingly absent here. In fact, Panama’s highlights are still very much off-the-beaten-path destinations, though it’s likely that this will change in the years to come.



Until its anticipated tourism boom explodes, however, Panama remains accessible to backpackers on a budget, and there’s no shortage of beaches, mountains and rain forests to explore. The Archipiélago de las Perlas in itself could occupy your entire trip, with its endless islands and islets, sublime beaches and pristine waters. Parque Nacional Volcán Barú is home to Panama's only volcano and some incredibly scenic trekking opportunities, while the Interior is a veritable bonanza of colonial towns, exquisite handicrafts and the country's friendliest people. Panama is also home to one of Central America’s most independent indigenous groups, the Kuna, who live autonomously in the Comarca de Kuna Yala; as well as one of the last true frontiers in the Americas, the infamous Darién Province.

First entry

this is a placeholder blog for the trip to panama.