Carefully checking our passports and taking notes

After breakfast we all waited in the lounge for the Panamanian officials to review all of our passports and give us another stamp. We could watch their progress as they were also sitting at a table in the lounge.This took quite a while as they spent quite some time perusing each passport (and there were not that many of us), and taking notes. Nothing like the quick process going through the airport. What made it even odder was the fact that the ship had never left Panama. Oh well.

Finally we were reunited with our passports, said goodbye to the crew (a few hugs were exchanged), and loaded onto the awaiting bus. We wound around through Colon and were soon on the expressway to Panama City. Colon did not look like a city for hanging around in, and indeed we had been told that it would not be safe to spend time in.

Downtown Colon

Colon apartment building

The trip back to Panama City took about an hour, roughly paralleling the canal (though not within view of it). Along the way we spotted wildlife! A sloth was hanging from the wire between two telephone poles, slooowly making his way along… to the next pole?

Once again back to the city, we headed out to walk along the waterfront for as long as we could take the heat, then ducked inside an air-conditioned mall to find a cold drink. Fortuitously, there was a shop where Tami found herself a  Panamanian flag for this summer’s deck collection. Then there was a shop where Mike found a very bright and amazingly lightweight SPF shirt. He did point out the warning tag that said it might lead to more outdoor adventures. Tami said that was okay.

Waterfront trail

Bird spotted while on the waterfront trail

Panamanian flag (now flying on our back porch)

Tami did also have to take a picture of a Panamanian mannequin in the window of a women’s clothing shop. Let’s just say that you would not see this in the US (at least anywhere we have traveled). Another couple from the US were similarly agog and snapping pictures.

Seen in store window (Mike did NOT take this picture)

And then, of course, we came across a sporting goods store so off Tami went looking at soccer turf shoes, which are so hard to find in the US. She found a beautiful yellow and blue pair after much inept discussion with the clerk who spoke no English. Inept on Tami’s part, that is. After leaving the shop, Tami wondered aloud what that poor young man thought of this old fat American woman buying a pair of futbol shoes. Mike said he probably wondered what on earth she was going to do with those shoes? Surely not play soccer.

FUTBOL!!!

We had dinner in the hotel restaurant since it had the reputation as one of the best restaurants in Panama City and we were not disappointed. We started with a grilled octopus ceviche and a beef tenderloin with cassava. Both were excellent, but we had just scraps left before we even thought about taking a picture. We did remember for the entrees, though. Tami had the sea bass with a tamarind sauce and Mike had the pork belly on polenta. Both were wonderful preparations and we were very happy as we waddled up to our spacious room.

Wonderful cocktail

Porkbelly – YUM!

Some time was spent working on updating the blog and then we caught the second half of the Sounders game on ESPN. Best that we don’t talk about what happened there.