This is one of the ports I was looking forward to visiting. Fortunately the ship was able to dock and we did not tender in.
Again like Puerto Limon, the port is industrial but there was a block of shops and Crown Hotel and Casino outside the pier. The ship's crew told us to go there and get a drink and we can use the free wifi.
When we took our cruise through the Panama Canal in 2008 the ship did not stop in Panama. This cruise provided a stop so we can visit both the Panama Canal and Panama City.
Yesterday when we went to the lecture on this port we were able to view all the excursions and chose the long excursion to the Canal and to Panama City (which included a short walking tour of the central tourist area).
Once we got onboard the bus we drove through the really run down part of Colon to get on the road that would take us to the Gatun Locks and over the new Canal being built. It was about a 30 min drive to the Locks. Our bus drove over a bridge of the new Canal to the locks. Per the guide the new Canal opening was delayed until sometime this year.
NEW CANAL
We got off at the Gatun Locks and were surprised to see so many buses and tourists there. We headed towards the top of the bleachers where we heard a guide explain the process of moving a ship along the canal and watching the "mules" pull the ship through the canal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal_locks.
After hearing the explanation and watching the ship pass through the lock we headed to ground level to watch other ships entering the canal and lock and taking photos. After 45 mins. here our guide told us to be ready to get on the bus again.
This visit was a great experience as we really could see how the locks worked and the mules pulling the ships through. It is one thing to be on a ship going through and another to watch the process on land. This is one of my personal highlights of this cruise.
Our bus driver is now taking us on the hour drive to Panama City where we will be driven through the city for sightseeing and a stop to take a short walking tour of the Old Quarter or Casco Viejo .
During our drive our guide pointed the large skyscrapers including some Trump towers and the corkscrew building (F&F building). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%26F_Tower.
Panama City is one of great contrasts- very very poor areas and then very upper class areas, modern malls and skyscrapers.
We began our walking tour near the French Embassy and then walked to the promenade by the shore. From this point we could see the Bridge of the Americas which spans the Pacific entrance to the Canal and connects the Pan American Highway. When we sailed through the canal we passed under this bridge.
BRIDGE OF
THE AMERICAS
After our walk we stopped for a cold drink, shopping and bathroom break before we boarded the bus to go back to the ship. We drove along the shore and saw some old American bases and made one last stop at a tourist pavillion in case someone wanted to buy a few souvenirs before starting the hour drive back to the port.
We got off outside the pier and the block of tourist shops and hotel. Since we had been on the bus for an hour we decided to take a walk around the shops looking for a souvenir t shirt of the Canal without success.
Once we passed security at the pier we saw some more shops and kiosks and found my Canal T shirt.
We boarded our ship tired and thirsty so we went to the buffet got a cold drink and then to the cabin to veg out.
All in all this was a great day- good weather and two interesting visits!
Again like Puerto Limon, the port is industrial but there was a block of shops and Crown Hotel and Casino outside the pier. The ship's crew told us to go there and get a drink and we can use the free wifi.
When we took our cruise through the Panama Canal in 2008 the ship did not stop in Panama. This cruise provided a stop so we can visit both the Panama Canal and Panama City.
Yesterday when we went to the lecture on this port we were able to view all the excursions and chose the long excursion to the Canal and to Panama City (which included a short walking tour of the central tourist area).
Once we got onboard the bus we drove through the really run down part of Colon to get on the road that would take us to the Gatun Locks and over the new Canal being built. It was about a 30 min drive to the Locks. Our bus drove over a bridge of the new Canal to the locks. Per the guide the new Canal opening was delayed until sometime this year.
NEW CANAL
We got off at the Gatun Locks and were surprised to see so many buses and tourists there. We headed towards the top of the bleachers where we heard a guide explain the process of moving a ship along the canal and watching the "mules" pull the ship through the canal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal_locks.
After hearing the explanation and watching the ship pass through the lock we headed to ground level to watch other ships entering the canal and lock and taking photos. After 45 mins. here our guide told us to be ready to get on the bus again.
This visit was a great experience as we really could see how the locks worked and the mules pulling the ships through. It is one thing to be on a ship going through and another to watch the process on land. This is one of my personal highlights of this cruise.
Our bus driver is now taking us on the hour drive to Panama City where we will be driven through the city for sightseeing and a stop to take a short walking tour of the Old Quarter or Casco Viejo .
During our drive our guide pointed the large skyscrapers including some Trump towers and the corkscrew building (F&F building). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%26F_Tower.
Panama City is one of great contrasts- very very poor areas and then very upper class areas, modern malls and skyscrapers.
We began our walking tour near the French Embassy and then walked to the promenade by the shore. From this point we could see the Bridge of the Americas which spans the Pacific entrance to the Canal and connects the Pan American Highway. When we sailed through the canal we passed under this bridge.
BRIDGE OF
After our walk we stopped for a cold drink, shopping and bathroom break before we boarded the bus to go back to the ship. We drove along the shore and saw some old American bases and made one last stop at a tourist pavillion in case someone wanted to buy a few souvenirs before starting the hour drive back to the port.
We got off outside the pier and the block of tourist shops and hotel. Since we had been on the bus for an hour we decided to take a walk around the shops looking for a souvenir t shirt of the Canal without success.
Once we passed security at the pier we saw some more shops and kiosks and found my Canal T shirt.
We boarded our ship tired and thirsty so we went to the buffet got a cold drink and then to the cabin to veg out.
All in all this was a great day- good weather and two interesting visits!
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