Colon, Panama

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We were up with the 6am alarm clock this morning. Breakfast was at 7am in Terrace and it was already pouring rain. We've brought rain every where we've been since Vancouver! Today was the last of our Shore Excursions Group excursions. We had better luck today. We set out from Regatta at 8am for our 9am meeting and pickup since we had no idea how long it would take us. We asked a Panamanian man onboard in front of Destinations Services about how to walk to Arrecifes Restaurant and he told us to go downstairs! Not promising. Clay showed him the Google map on his phone and he agreed it was correct, but it wasn't convincing at that point. We got a few more ominous warnings about walking out as we walked out. As we were approaching the car entry gate security guard a dock worker we'd passed earlier called out to us not to go out that way. He came to us and asked us what we were doing and where we were going. He very kindly walked us back to a little hidden but paved path around the back side of the security building and pointed out the fenced in and covered block-long sidewalk down to a shopping center at the other end of a construction site and the restaurant on the waterfront a block to the left of the end of the covered walkway. He saved us! It was only about a 5 minute walk. We were only harrassed by a shouting taxi driver in the shopping center parking for a block. The Safarick's van was already in the Arrecifes Restaurant parking lot! The couple sitting inside waiting for us was Rita and Antonio. They were a couple of young Canadian expats from Montreal and they are the owners/founders of Safarick's Zoo, an animal rescue facility. (Yes Mom, they both speak Spanish as well as English. Antonio spokek 5 languages!) The name of the 5.5 hour tour we booked today at $131pp was Ruins, Rescue and Beach Combo Tour. We were mostly interested in the ruins when we booked but didn't object to the rest. It turns out that Rescue was the focus and that was fine. Safarick's Zoo is closed on Monday and Tuesday except when a cruise ship is in town and they have tourists like us booked. They said we were their first ship of the season. So, we not only had a private tour but they opened the zoo for our private tour. It was special.

After the zoo, we continued on along the Caribbean coast to Portobello to see the Spanish fort ruins. It was a short break in the rain and we discussed that we had no plans to swim so we didn't mind skipping the beach portion. Also we discussed stopping at a grocery store, an ATM and that there was an important church with a black Christ statue we could see. So, we went in the church and saw the fort ruins and a restored colonial building between as well as Portobello's government buildings. As we didn't need the beach, Antonio asked if we'd like to go for lunch at his favorite restaurant, Captain Jack's. I had not realized lunch was included but we agreed right away anyway. The food was good. Clay got a Balboa beer. It was a beautiful waterfront location and it would probably be really stunning on a sunny day. We were told that on a clear day you could see the ships lined up waiting to enter the Panama Canal, but not today. (BTW, the Captain announced after we started sailing away today that in response to passenger queries he had learned that as part of a frequent customer discount program for Panama Canal transits that Regatta had paid $166,000USD to cross yesterday. Also, BTW, though Panama has a coin-based currency called Balboas, they actually use US Dollars. Hence, Clay's ATM request.) We stopped on the way back to Colon and bought Antonio's favorite coffee which he assures us puts Tim Hortons to shame and Clay got a can of Panama Arctic beer for 54 cents! His best beer deal ashore since Walvis Bay, Namibia.

We had a great day in Panama. Tomorrow we return to Cartagena Colombia for a Segway tour. Dinner tonight in the Grand Dining Room.

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