We disembarked the QM2 at the dock in Colon, Panama. They loaded us all in air-conditioned buses for a short ride to the train depot. Onboard, the bench seats faced each other with a table in between. There was a bathroom in the car. The…Read More

We disembarked the QM2 at the dock in Colon, Panama. They loaded us all in air-conditioned buses for a short ride to the train depot. Onboard, the bench seats faced each other with a table in between. There was a bathroom in the car. The train ride was narrated and cute young cabin girls brought us boxed snacks and coffee. Other snacks and drinks were available for purchase.

The scenery was lovely during March, with tall yellow-flowered trees (Guayacans?) and some others that were purplish/blue. Then the girls sang us some native songs while other girls in white native costumes danced. We disembarked the train just outside of Panama City and boarded another bus. This bus took us to a government building and monument square surrounded by tall trees with funny seedpods. Then we crossed a bridge over the canal and back, with a short stop for picture taking and native craft shopping. Then it was on to a resort peninsula that had more shopping and a good view looking back at the city.

It was then time to drive back to the ship. The train ride takes about an hour and the ride back a little longer. This tour doesn't focus on the inner workings of the locks, it is mainly an overview with nice photo opportunities.

Panama was an excellent vacation, and we will be traveling there again. We ventured out to new restaurants every night and the casinos, and the local food is good and cheap. The taxi driver who picked us up at the airport became our unofficial but official…Read More

Panama was an excellent vacation, and we will be traveling there again. We ventured out to new restaurants every night and the casinos, and the local food is good and cheap. The taxi driver who picked us up at the airport became our unofficial but official tour guide for the week. Mr. Yard (686-5680) spoke excellent English, and I could test his history knowledge of the canal since I had read the book "Path Between The Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914" by David McCullough (an excellent book, in my opinion).

I would recommend renting a car, but since we did not know that ahead of time, he was an excellent substitution, and the cost of taxis are nowhere near what they are here in the States. Using Mr. Yard instead of tours allowed us to see more of the normal tourist areas, like old Panama City, new Panama City, the causeway, Malafores locks, and other off-the-beaten-track locations at a more leisurely pace than if we took a tour.

We did give him a couple of breaks and took the tour to the Indian Village, which included a hike to a waterfall. While the waterfall was not the best, the hike there was adventurous because of the rainfall from the morning’s rain. The undercurrent was strong, and we had to make human links to pass people from one bank to the other. At the village we did a tour, saw a show of native dances, purchased local baskets, got temporary design tattoos like those that they wear on their body, and ate another excellent lunch of fresh fish and fruit.