With past trips, I try to ask my travel companions to share their thoughts. Especially with the global pandemic going on, I think some of my companions relished the thought of reflecting on a past trip! I sent all three of my travelling companions a list of questions so they can share their impressions Panama with us! First up is Gimpy!
If you’re interested in reading through the whole trip from beginning to end, please click here.
Top 3 Highlights
Highlight #1: Snorkelling in San Blas
The beaches were gorgeous in San Blas! Think clear blue waters that keep you cool in the warm, warm weather. I enjoyed being able to go from one island to the next, jumping in the water and swimming around looking at fish in the water! A word of advice, wear a t-shirt when you go snorkelling, it’ll prevent sunburns on your back!
Highlight #2: The road to the San Blas Islands
The drive to get to the boats to San Blas took around 3 hours from Panama City. I remember we were on the last leg of the drive but it would take us a long while on this road because it had so many potholes! There was no way we could drive straight on this bumpy and unpaved road! The Biggest potholes I’ve ever seen, which meant the driver had to drive side ways on the road. I definitely had to pull out my ginger candies to prevent myself from throwing up. A highlight because I couldn’t believe we were able to drive through that road. It definitely took a seasoned driver to drive that road!
Highlight #3: Casco Viejo
I really love seeing old cities and their architecture so I really enjoyed seeing the buildings in old Panama. It was a warm day so I enjoyed sneaking into different spots such as a nice breakfast, cooling off at the rum bar and eating fruit pops!
What was your favourite meal or thing you ate?
I enjoyed eating at the fish market, in particular the $2 ceviche!
If I could change the itinerary…
I think I would want an extra day in Panama so that it would give us to visit a beach town for a couple of days!
What caught you by surprise on this trip?
I was surprised how anti-climatic the Panama canal was. There was a guy who worked there who really loved his job. He enjoyed telling tourists about the locks, history of the locks and everything you wanted to know about how ships get across the Panama Canal. I felt that was more interesting than watching the ships cross. It was…slow.
Share one memorable story from this trip
On our last night in Panama, we met up with FunkyCat’s friend who had a layover there. We were in a really neat area to have drinks, almost like an outdoor garden area. It was surrounded by vendors and you can just sit, drink and eat from the different vendors. We hopped from one place to another until they closed. On our way home we encountered a slightly unfortunate event that left our night a little sour.
Did you pack properly for this trip? What would you have done differently?
I think I packed properly for this trip, knowing that it would be a warm and humid country. I made sure to pack enough change of clothes for the day and for after our activities.
Any regrets?
I regret not looking into Panama a bit more before booking the trip. In some ways I wasn’t sure what there is to do in Panama and I kind of wish we had more time outside of the city.
Any advice for people considering similar trips/destinations?
If you’re considering going to Central America, I would suggest deciding what you want to accomplish on your trip. Is it for the beaches? to see wildlife? or just to see a city? I would say skip the city and venture to the beaches!
Final thoughts?
I really enjoyed going somewhere sunny during the cold months in Canada. And I think I can see myself as a snowbird at some point in my life! I rarely go away during December so it was actually quite nice to get away before the Christmas festivities. I enjoyed my travel companions because we got to do what we wanted and there was also no need to do everything together. But when we did spend time together I really enjoyed their company!
Thank you Gimpy for joining us on this awesome trip! Like you said, part of the joy of travelling is the people you travel with and you were awesome! Hopefully we can travel again in the near future!
Yes! I can see myself being a snowbird too!