In June 2019 me and 2 of my girlfriends traveled to the beautiful country of Panama.
We enjoyed staying at the RIU. The staff there were very nice and the food was delicious.
The canal provides a handy shortcut between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. This saves vessels around two weeks if they were to navigate all the way around the tip of South America, and avoids the perilous Cape Horn and Drake Passage. Synonymous with Panama, it’s an engineering feat that has to be seen in person to be believed.
Once the ship enters the locks, the massive gates close and water fills the container until the ship is high enough to pass to the next lock. The system used to fill or empty the locks uses the force of gravity so you don’t see any water pouring into the container, just the water level slowly rising.
United States Involvement with the Panama Canal
Panama was under Colombian control and the leadership was not in support of the United States building the Panama Canal. President Teddy Roosevelt supported Panama independence from Colombia and the revolution lasted just one day.
In 1904, the United States took over the project and worked with Panama to complete it.
When to visit Panama
A quintessential tropical country, Panama has two seasons: the dry season from December to April, and the rainy season. Visiting Panama in the rainy season implies more difficult conditions on the road, but also cheaper prices.
TIP: Please note that while on the Pacific coast the distinction between dry and rainy season may make sense, it won’t on the Caribbean side of the country.
El Valle de Anton is a town in central Panama. It's in the crater of an extinct volcano, surrounded by mountains and cloud forest. To the north, Cerro Gaital National Park protects 3 hills: Cerro Gaital, Cerro Pajita and Cerro Caracoral. Its trails have ocean views and the park is home to hundreds of species of native birds, including the red-legged honeycreeper, the bay-headed tanager and the blue-crowned motmot.