Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
As much as I appreciate the economic inportance of the canal. I went to one of the places to see the locks and after about 5-10 minutes I had my head phones on, was listening to music and was ready to get out of there. I also do appreciate that Panama has the tallest building in Central America. However for someone who comes from a major city in North America these were the least interesting parts of Panama for me. I worry that a place like Panama that has so much else to offer in terms of tourism looses track of that. Local music, entertainment, eco-tourism, beaches ( the amazing beaches) and local cuisine is really something special. I was personally more interested in the older building then the newer ones.
As much as I appreciate the economic inportance of the canal. I went to one of the places to see the locks and after about 5-10 minutes I had my head phones on, was listening to music and was ready to get out of there. I also do appreciate that Panama has the tallest building in Central America. However for someone who comes from a major city in North America these were the least interesting parts of Panama for me. I worry that a place like Panama that has so much else to offer in terms of tourism looses track of that. Local music, entertainment, eco-tourism, beaches ( the amazing beaches) and local cuisine is really something special. I was personally more interested in the older building then the newer ones.
Ok you said it, someone who comes from a major city in North America, but what about the thousands of others who don´t.
I thought the canal was pretty amazing considering when it was built. Now, looking at it through a "tourist" perspective (Miroflores I suppose?) I could see it quite boring and monotonous after just one ship going through. I had done several passages on sportfish vessels and each time was somewhat different. The first we hired the 4 required line handlers and just sat back and watched. Other times I have assisted. I much prefer it in the daytime for the visual but when crossing actually prefer the night as it's much cooler!. Can be quite nerve wracking if your the first in the lock in a 60 ft sportfish and seeing the bow of a 700 footer coming towards you. It makes you appreciate those little electric mules and how they can stop a freighter within feet of your stern. I think they do a good job with scheduling and filling the locks considering the number of vessels/day that go through there. And being on the smaller class boats going through, when your at dock waiting you need to be prepared for that call at any time. Basically when they say "your freighter" (the vessel your sharing the lock with) is on the move it's time to untie and go. The yachts are low priority!
Overall, and I hate city's, I like Panama city but it could also be that my typical experience there is when I have spent month's in that part of the world (mainly Costa Rica) and when stopping by Panama City it gives me a few days to be in familier territory. As in restaurants to get a taste from home, provisioning in stores much like in the US and assorted other amenities more available in a US city then a Latin American one. Don't get me wrong as I like to go full local when in other country's but after a few month's away from home it's good to have a few things familiar to you. To me Panama City is a reversed Miami, as in it has a lot of Americanization and English is widely spoken but it's in Latin America where as Miami has a very Latin feel with Spanish spoken widely but in the US.
I thought the canal was pretty amazing considering when it was built. Now, looking at it through a "tourist" perspective (Miroflores I suppose?) I could see it quite boring and monotonous after just one ship going through. I had done several passages on sportfish vessels and each time was somewhat different. The first we hired the 4 required line handlers and just sat back and watched. Other times I have assisted. I much prefer it in the daytime for the visual but when crossing actually prefer the night as it's much cooler!. Can be quite nerve wracking if your the first in the lock in a 60 ft sportfish and seeing the bow of a 700 footer coming towards you. It makes you appreciate those little electric mules and how they can stop a freighter within feet of your stern. I think they do a good job with scheduling and filling the locks considering the number of vessels/day that go through there. And being on the smaller class boats going through, when your at dock waiting you need to be prepared for that call at any time. Basically when they say "your freighter" (the vessel your sharing the lock with) is on the move it's time to untie and go. The yachts are low priority!
Overall, and I hate city's, I like Panama city but it could also be that my typical experience there is when I have spent month's in that part of the world (mainly Costa Rica) and when stopping by Panama City it gives me a few days to be in familier territory. As in restaurants to get a taste from home, provisioning in stores much like in the US and assorted other amenities more available in a US city then a Latin American one. Don't get me wrong as I like to go full local when in other country's but after a few month's away from home it's good to have a few things familiar to you. To me Panama City is a reversed Miami, as in it has a lot of Americanization and English is widely spoken but it's in Latin America where as Miami has a very Latin feel with Spanish spoken widely but in the US.
I was a tourist guide and I've experienced everything you said. And I do agree with you, after a while passing through it, the whole experience can become a boring one.
I thought the canal was pretty amazing considering when it was built. Now, looking at it through a "tourist" perspective (Miroflores I suppose?) I could see it quite boring and monotonous after just one ship going through. I had done several passages on sportfish vessels and each time was somewhat different. The first we hired the 4 required line handlers and just sat back and watched. Other times I have assisted. I much prefer it in the daytime for the visual but when crossing actually prefer the night as it's much cooler!. Can be quite nerve wracking if your the first in the lock in a 60 ft sportfish and seeing the bow of a 700 footer coming towards you. It makes you appreciate those little electric mules and how they can stop a freighter within feet of your stern. I think they do a good job with scheduling and filling the locks considering the number of vessels/day that go through there. And being on the smaller class boats going through, when your at dock waiting you need to be prepared for that call at any time. Basically when they say "your freighter" (the vessel your sharing the lock with) is on the move it's time to untie and go. The yachts are low priority!
Overall, and I hate city's, I like Panama city but it could also be that my typical experience there is when I have spent month's in that part of the world (mainly Costa Rica) and when stopping by Panama City it gives me a few days to be in familier territory. As in restaurants to get a taste from home, provisioning in stores much like in the US and assorted other amenities more available in a US city then a Latin American one. Don't get me wrong as I like to go full local when in other country's but after a few month's away from home it's good to have a few things familiar to you. To me Panama City is a reversed Miami, as in it has a lot of Americanization and English is widely spoken but it's in Latin America where as Miami has a very Latin feel with Spanish spoken widely but in the US.
Ya the design and purpose is amazing .... But I could have watched a YouTube clip. It could just be me, but mentally I was like holly cow can someone fast forward this. I had no interest watching a ship pass through something in slow montion. It was getting painful ... Like watching water boil. Then again I am not easy to impress. I have photos ... But I think they all have the person I was with in them ... not sure they would be okay with me posting them lol. I am glad I went to see the canal/ locks just to see what it was all about, but to me it was not the high point of my trip. I would of more liked walking around the city seeing people and places. Every tourist is different. The person I was with would have been more interested in going around trying out local coffee and tobacco culture (ex. Sitting in cafes drinking coffee and smoking ... Or shopping for different types of fruit, coffee or tobacco).
Ya the design and purpose is amazing .... But I could have watched a YouTube clip. It could just be me, but mentally I was like holly cow can someone fast forward this. I had no interest watching a ship pass through something in slow montion. It was getting painful ... Like watching water boil. Then again I am not easy to impress. I have photos ... But I think they all have the person I was with in them ... not sure they would be okay with me posting them lol. I am glad I went to see the canal/ locks just to see what it was all about, but to me it was not the high point of my trip. I would of more liked walking around the city seeing people and places. Every tourist is different.
Quote:
The person I was with would have been more interested in going around trying out local coffee and tobacco culture (ex. Sitting in cafes drinking coffee and smoking ... Or shopping for different types of fruit, coffee or tobacco)
.
Why didn´t you?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The canal
