We had
one final full day in Panama before heading home. Rather than disembarking from
the M/S Panorama to immediately head for the airport, we decided to spend a day
in Panama City. Our original idea was to explore further this gleaming metropolis,
the largest city in all of Central America, but we ended up staying at the
small rooftop pool at the Doubletree Hilton for most of the day before
venturing out for dinner. Afterall the next day we would be back in the cold
wintry Northeast; better to bask in the blazing heat with refreshing dips in
the pool while nibbling at those fabulous Doubletree Hotel Chocolate Chip
Cookies!
Our small
ship adventure with Variety Cruises took us along the Pacific coasts of Costa
Rica and Panama. Every day we were very busy with shore excursions to national
parks and idyllic islands. These mini adventures were informative and fun and
exposed us to the beauty and biodiversity these two Central American countries
offered. We saw a vast array of plants, birds, fish and animals, from sloths to
whale sharks to howler monkeys. Even prior to our departure we hiked in the
rainforests of Monteverde and drank enough coffee at a plantation to keep us
awake for weeks.
By the
time we reached Panama City we were spent, and it was a good day to just relax.
The only items on our agenda that last day were eating Doubletree Chocolate
Chip Cookies and to swim in the pool.
GREAT
NEWS
If you,
my well-traveled reader, have ever stayed at a Doubletree you know about their
cookies. Warm, gooey, chocolatey, nutty; these cookies are delicious. Well,
just recently Doubletree posted their recipe for these delightful confections
so you may bake them at home.
PANAMA
CITY SIGHTS
We had already
seen two of the main tourist attractions in Panama City; the Miraflores locks
of the Panama Canal, and Casco Viejo, the old quarter of the city. It might
have been nice to stroll some more along the cobblestone streets of Casco Viejo
and perhaps linger over a drink at a tapas bar, but this section of the city
was too far away from the pool at the hotel.
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| JW MARRIOTT PANAMA CITY |
We could
have gone to visit the remnants of Panama Viejo, the original site of the city
that was ravaged by the pirate Captain Morgan in 1671. It’s a popular tourist
attraction, but that too was far from the pool.
We could
have explored the gleaming modern city that now bristles with unique architecture
that just seemed so fantastic and futuristic. Until 2000 there were barely any
tall buildings but construction has accelerated since and now there are nearly
200 buildings rising dramatically into the sky, including the JW Marriott looking like a massive sail unfurled in the wind and the F&F Tower or
Revolution Tower, nicknamed the “Tornillo”, ‘screw’ in Spanish. Turns out we
could see the Screw from the pool. We could also see from our pool La Iglesia
De Carmen a beautiful church in a gothic style that is a popular visit with
tourists. It was just around the corner from the hotel and we nodded in
agreement that it was beautiful from our chaise lounges.
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| Revolution Towers in a store |
CEVICHE
FOR ALL
We did manage
to visit the Mercado de Mariscos earlier in the day. It is a sprawling,
bustling fish market at the edge of Casco Viejo popular with local families, restaurateurs
and tourists. Our driver suggested we stop. We had arranged for the ride
through the cruise line and she picked us up at the Flamenco Marina on the
Amador Causeway and after taking the Cinta Costera, a viaduct several hundred
feet off shore that wound around the Casco Viejo peninsula which alleviated heavy
traffic in the area and preserved the UNESCO World Heritage status, we parked
curbside and entered a swirling world of just caught seafood.
Outside there are a number of food stalls and ceviche stands. It was
too early in the day to have the little restaurants open, but our driver
pointed out that ceviche is very cheap, and obviously very fresh in these little
no-frills places. You can also order fries or patacones (fried plantain) which
make for a great snack as you walk around. There is also a more formal dining
area on the second floor where chefs will cook your purchase for you.
TINAJAS
It might have
been a great adventure to return to the market for dinner later in the day, but
we opted to stay close to the hotel. A couple who had also traveled on the Panorama met us at the hotel and we walked around the corner to Tinajas Restaurant. Tinajas serves typical Panamanian fare and several days a week there is a very entertaining show of
Panamanian music and dancing on a small stage at one end of the restaurant. Given the food and the culture, Tinajas was an ideal place to end our trip.
There is great food at decent prices at Tinajas. There is a modest
cover charge, for the folk dancing show, but it was worth it for the experience. Our typical Panamanian meals did not disappoint. We split an appetizer of Patacones topped with Ropa Vieja and for her
main Janet had Grilled Octopus and I had a whole Red Snapper grilled Caribbean-style.
The best part of the evening was the show though. We were one of the first patrons that evening and the restaurant was empty, but by showtime, the place was packed.
We were greeted
at the door by a woman wearing a very ornate and colorful pollera, a long one-piece
skirt used in traditional festivals. Her hair was festooned with a pearl
headdress and her make-up was immaculate. She looked preternaturally perfect,
like a Disney character. Later she proved to be one of the dancers in the show. Several
other women in the show also wore pollera which they would proudly unfurl as
they swirled around the dance floor with their partners who wore plain sackcloth
clothes and hats.
Shows are
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
CAUTIONARY
TALE
This was our
last stop in a last-minute trip. We had booked the cruise, flights and hotel
stays in mid-December for a mid-February departure. Costa Rica and Panama was
not on our original list as traveling destinations, but serendipity and chance came
to our rescue. We were also very fortunate that the Covid-19 pandemic did not
affect us while there or in our travels home. We were lucky that we were not
stranded or have gotten sick before “social distancing” had become a standby
approach to a healthy life.
Doing
research for this final article I have seen how the pandemic has shuttered many
places in Panama City. The Doubletree is listed as temporarily closed. The fish
market has pandemic measures in place. Tinajas is currently closed.
Please be
smart. Safe travels.
Thanks
for reading.
Love
Janet and greg
© 2020 by
GREG DUNAJ
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