Tuesday 24th February, Panama, very calm, 24 degrees due to rain later

We woke up to a cloudy morning but we were in sight of land. When we went out on deck there were birds circling around the ship and in the harbour area. I saw brown pelicans and magnificent frigate birds, which we haven’t seen since Brazil, and Keith saw two mangrove swallows.

I am not sure what I was expecting in Panama, but it was not as I thought it would be – a sky scraper filled city!

We were ‘parked’ in Fuerte Amador, the main port for Panama City. As it turned out the getting off the ship and showing passports was very slick and in no time we had joined our bus and were heading across the causeway that took us into Panama City.

On the way we learnt something about the infamous Panama Canal which we are going to travel through tomorrow. It is 50 miles long and takes between 8 – 10 hours to get to the Caribbean Sea on the other side.

Three countries were involved in its creation. The first attempt to build it was undertaken by the French in 1881, by the same chap who built the Suez Canal. However they were overtaken by disease (malaria and yellow fever) and financial issues and eventually sold the rights to build it to the United States in 1904. The Americans first eradicated the mosquitoes who had caused the disease and took a new approach to the project by introducing a lake and lock system which overcame the practical issues that had caused the French to fail. The Canal was officially opened in 1914. In 1999 total control was transferred to Panama and Panama was responsible for the major expansion of the Canal in 2016 to enable larger vessels to pass through it.

Ships pass through the Canal on payment of a toll which can be thousands of dollars (Panama uses US dollars as its currency). The payment, although it might be inordinately high, is still much cheaper than going all the way around Cape Horn. Apparently you have to book – sometimes years in advance – to travel through the Panama Canal and from where we are berthed you can see ships queueing to go through.

We pass through The Canal tomorrow, so let us go back to today. Our tour took us through the modern City with its high rise apartment and business blocks to the first old town known as Panama Viejo which was founded by the Spanish in the 1500’s and decimated by an English Buccaneer named Henry Morgan. By all accounts not a terribly nice chap or someone to be proud of and I will spare you the details.

Perhaps it is sufficient to say that he burnt the city to the ground and a new one was built about five miles away and is known as Casca Viejo. This has French and Spanish buildings and had a nice feel to it, with pretty squares, lots of colour and lots of palms.

Like all old streets anywhere it was pretty gridlocked by traffic.

Turning away from the old town we wended our way through the modern city back to the ship, having both taken the opportunity to buy a Panama hat en route. Now to be found adorning the cabin wall!

We then took the causeway back to the ship…..

Back at the ship we dropped off our hats and headed out again to a fish restaurant that Keith had identified near where the Aurora was berthed. Despite the breeze the temperature was by then 29 degrees.

The route looked a bit unlikely, but after about a pleasant 30 minute walk we found La Fisheria, exactly as advertised, in the harbour. An ice cold Panama beer was just what was required.

Some wonderful ceviche followed

and then Keith ate the local fish (Corvina) as a main course and I had ravioli and prawns washed down with some white wine. It was just perfect – as was the view!

Unusually for me, I was going to have a pudding, but it was not available – so I had a coffee instead. What fun!

With that we decided to return to the ship and have free time, vowing that we never need eat again! Until tomorrow!

And what excitements ahead – Aurora will leave its berth at 3.00 a.m. and pick up two pilots and two steadying boats to slow it down and guide us through. The really big action starts at 6.30am apparently as we go under the first bridge.

I think an early night is in order! (Panama has already been one of the highlights of the whole tour…Really looking forward to tomorrow! Ed)