Cayman To Panama Direct

Cayman Airways offers a seasonal direct flight to Panama. Last year they offered it from May until September but this year they did not start offering until June. When they had a seat sale we just had to jump on the opportunity!

What I had heard is that the shopping was amazing in Panama and being a shopaholic myself I was very excited about the shopping. The shopping was ok, good selection but prices are better in the USA. Panama is a good shopping option for those who need a visa to go to the USA.

The direct flight left on a Thursday and returned on a Monday. We decided to staying the city for our trip, some people go to the surrounding villages which are more beach-y but we get more then enough beach were we live.

Panama was not at all what I had expected. The locals really had an allergy to the English language. My Spanish is almost non-existent and I really had to rely on iTranslate on my iphone. Even in our hotel (Saba hotel) the staff could not go anything past simple phrases.

Also when we asked how much a cab would be to old town the guy behind the desk said $14 dollars, he must have said this because there is a cab company that works with the hotel who will not go anywhere for less then $10. We ended up catching a street cab and paid $5.

Another big attraction in Panama is the Panama Canal. We got an $8US cab ride from Albrook Mall to the Canal.In the picture below you can see the ship on the left has been lowered to go through the locks in the canal. When it came into the locks it was the same height as the ship on the right.

For the fisherman in your family (written by my guest editor because I did not have much fun sitting on the back of that little boat):

What was also rather fun was taking a day trip out onto Gatun Lake. Gatun Lake was created when the Panama Canal Locks were erected. It’s one of the largest man-made lakes anywhere in the world, and extends almost the entire width of Panama. The entire edge is covered in thick lush rainforest and filled with birdlife. We saw loads of toucans, amazonian parrots, and even a very rare wild turkey. Howler Monkeys were everywhere, although you could only hear their eerie whooping through the mist and dense foliage. That sound travels forever through the thick air! The lake itself is filled with Peacock Bass. An Amazon native that was introduced into this system when the Canal was created. American Servicemen kept fish tanks of this cichlid species and some escaped. They now make up the dominant predatory species in the canal and are great fun to catch!