Off to el Valle del Anton

Today, we are off to a market in the mountains, then on to Intercontinental Hotel in Panama City. We are receiving your emails when we have wifi. Here are a few more pics to hold you over. On the boat yesterday, Alden getting a shampoo and yes that's Tilghman reading by the pool.

Jungle Boat

We were sure we were going to meet the Jungle Boat today. Dutifully, we hopped on the Jungle Bus and ground gears down to the marina. We all got life preservers and hopped on. We were all surprised to see it was a regular boat. We headed out onto Lake Gatun past huge container ships, dredging rigs and little islands. Our driver and guide led us to Howler Monkeys, iguanas, sloths, a baby caiman and a snail hawk. It turned out to really cool and being beside those ships was awe inspiring. Here are a few shots. Notice the baby crocodile on the branch and the leaf cutter ants with flowers.

Jungle Bus

All right, we have been enjoying the pool, massages and nice grounds for walking, but then there's the Jungle Bus. We were booked for an Ariel tram upon arrival and that's when we met the Jungle Bus. Tourists carrying binoculars, sunscreen, cameras and survivalist clothing get herded onto the Jungle Bus. We dutifully hopped onto the Jungle Bus and with gears grinding drove about a quarter mile to the Ariel Tram. Ironically, we almost died when the Jungle Bus stalled while cresting a short steep hill right before we disembarked. After the Ariel Tram we rode the Jungle Bus about 200 yards to the aquarium, then 50 feet to the snake house, 200 feet to the orchid gardens and finally up the hill to the hotel. At dinner the other night we saw the Jungle Bus on night time patrol on the little road right by the pool with a huge spotlight sweeping back and forth. I guess they were looking for wildlife, but the pool is right outside the hotel.
Here we are on the infamous Jungle Bus

Mystery Guest cont.

So, we've been seeing that mystery guest all over the place. Here are a few recent shots.

Gamboa

This morning we walked around the grounds. This place is a sprawling colonial hotel with a fairly recent makeover. It was warm already at seven thirty. We saw many leaf cutter ants carrying the leaf equivalent of grand pianos across their paths. It's amazing how they clear these 3 inch wide paths down to bare dirt across the grass to their nests in the trees.
By the way, we had a surprise visitor on the flight from Hacienda del Mar. He keeps popping up in unlikely places. Also, check the gecko we found in our room, the animal crossing sign and Gigi in the butterfly house.

Arrived at Gamboa Resort

We left Hacienda del Mar sadly and traveled with the Virginians (11 from Northern VA) to Panama City. We rode past the Canal to Gamboa Rainforest Resort in a National Park. It has a colonial look to it. All the rooms face lago Gatun adjacent the river and canal. It's a beautiful view. See Laura and the view.
Upon arrival we pulled all our clothes out to air. There was a distinct boys gym locker smell in the room. This place has a gorgeous pool.
We went on an Ariel tram that took us to a cool overlook.

Lucas the Christmas toucan

Lucas the Christmas toucan right now it is 7:48 and Lucas has come twice he came at 6:00 and 6:30
Lucas has a feathery tongue. This one guy out of the entire 21 of us hates Lucas. Lucas has a lot of different colors like black and yellow, pink and gray. I hope you like my post and please post comments.

Another day in Paradise

We woke up to macaws swooping over our balcony that overlooks the beach. Yesterday we walked to the hidden beach, and found thousands of hermit crabs. We then snorkeled back to Hacienda del Mar. We spotted beautiful fish of all kinds. Today we are going on a boat ride at 10!! And we are going snorkeling again!!

More pics of Hacienda

Feliz Navidad!

Merry Christmas everyone from a cloudy Hacienda del Mar. It poured last night and before breakfast, but its clearing off now. Everyone had fun opening presents. We had a visit from Lucas the Christmas Toucan to boot.

It has been gorgeous the past two days. We had a bonfire on the beach last night after a feast of fish paella (rice, veggies, fish, spices). Alden, Gigi and I went on a tour of the island with Jonnie.

We bumped all over the place and saw two gorgeous beaches, a high point that used to have cables stretching to the mainland and another island to transport heavy stuff (compliments of the U S Army) there was a training facility on the island from about 1948 through Vietnam Nam with about 4,000 people living on the island.

Christmas Eve

What a glorious day!!! It began with a cup of rich, dark Panamanian coffee and just got better and better. Sully, Gari and I went kayaking and beach combing while the kids practiced with their snorkels in the pool with Auntie Caroline. Then we all went out snorkeling. Saw a bunch of really beautifully colored fish and one big eel. Came in for a delicious lunch of fish sandwiches and fried plantains! Alden's favorite. Tilghman fell asleep at the table before lunch arrived. Still recovering from our traveling ordeal. After lunch Tilghman and I snorkeled around in the back cove while everyone else took a tour of the island with Jonny. The late afternoon was spent swimming in the ocean, napping in the shade of the palms along the edge of the beach and other general laziness. It is lovely to be so lazy. We are now all washed up for dinner. The plan is to build a bonfire on the beach tonight and do some caroling with some of the other guests (who are, oddly enough, from Alexandria). Merry Christmas Eve, keep warm! We are not having any probs with that down here... It was 95 today!

Arrived in Paradise

Ok, people say this place is paradise, there's no place like this on earth. Hacienda del Mar lives up to the name especially after all the trouble it took to get here.

We arrived in Panama City this AM from Cancun and caught a tiny plane to a grass covered runway on this little island. Laura kept saying this is like Fantasy Island. It is. We walked up the hill to find this view. We are staying in these little cabanas with shutters covering the windows. We went snorkeling at the nearby beach and we're planning on kayaking, riding ATV's and exploring the island. More pictures to flow. We're exhausted, but relaxed now.

Great expectations...

Well, the best laid plans sometimes come with hurtles, like flight delays and full flights. We arrived early this AM to find that the flight crew "had timed out," in other words had to rest. That delayed our flight out and missed our next two connecting flights. However, the nice gate agent figured a way for us to get down to Panama City tomorrow morning, and we get to stay the night in Cancun on the way. I may not think its so glamorous once we arrive, but I'm enjoying the thought of it while we wait in a sunny spot in the Miami Airport. It's a frigid 68 degrees out there in Miami. Brrr!!!

Sully

Hi, this is Alden. We are psyched for Cancun! Another country to tack on the list! The airport is paying for the hotel, too. We are enjoying a leisurely layover between now and Cancun. I still can't wait till paradise though!

Alden

On Saturday morning the Carter Clan is flying to the Pearl Islands off the west coast of Panama for a tropical island Christmas, and I for one, cannot wait.  92 degrees, Sun, Surf and Snorkeling...what more could any halfway sane person want for Christmas.  I know, it sounds a bit anti-ho ho ho --- a little different maybe but we're game for an adventure as usual so here we go!  More to follow!