We said our goodbyes last night as Rick and Mary Pat had to leave for the Cusco airport at about 4:30 AM and I got to sleep in since I didn’t have to leave until 6:30 AM.  We had contracted with Omar for our rides to the airport which were without incident.  All of us had flights from Lima—they went to Miami and I went to Panama City, Panama.  I miss them.

I arrived in Panama at about 5:30 PM and was met by a driver holding a sign with my name – always a good sign.  The trip to Gamboa Rainforest Resort, approximately 32 miles from Tocumen airport, took almost an hour and, because it was dark, I really couldn’t see much on the drive.  Roads appear to be well-maintained as the ride was smooth.

Aerial view from website

This resort, about 30 minutes from Panama City, is located on the edge of the Soberania National Park, a 55,000 acre unique tropical ecosystem which has been protected for almost a century as part of the Panama Canal basin with large tracts of lowland tropical rainforest.  It is directly on the Chagres River, less than a mile from the Panama Canal.  Gorgeous!

View from lobby

Unlike other jungle resorts, this place is a haven for comfort and luxury.  It features a full spa as well as the jungle tours and hikes but, unlike jungle “resorts” I’ve stayed at in Costa Rica, Belize, and Peru, these rooms are fully air conditioned.  I also have a king-sized bed, unlimited OMG– HOT water, cable television, minibar, coffee pot, and room service.  After I took a twenty-minute shower, I wandered up to the bar and ate this spicy sea bass and shrimp ceviche served with plantain chips which I paired with a Chilean sauvignon blanc.   I did ask for a wine from Panama but they didn’t have one.  After I got back to my room, I did a google search and there is not much wine made here in Panama.

I retired somewhat early and checked out the tv channels.  I saw a Spanish version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”, “Dating Game”, “Judge Judy”.  These people love their cartoons as there must be ten or fifteen cartoon channels—sometimes in English with Spanish subtitles, sometimes dubbed.  There are quite a few sports channels and a few channels showing American adventure or action movies in English with Spanish subtitles.