The Panama Blog

Panama Travel and Living

First concrete poured for new Panama Canal locks

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(Prensa.com) The first concrete was poured Friday in the new set of locks that will be the largest component of the Panama Canal expansion. George Quijano, executive vice president of Engineering and Administration of Programs of the Canala Expansion, called the event Friday a "special day for Panama." The concrete was poured in the locks on the Atlantic side of the Canal. … [Read more...]

Cruise through the Panama Canal

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(Democrat Herald) Roughly two feet.  That’s how much clearance our ship had on each side when crossing through the Gatun Locks on the northern entrance of the Panama Canal. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience — crossing the canal on a cruise ship — and I was lucky to do it in May. On a 15-day westward itinerary on Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas, we spent nearly an … [Read more...]

Exploring two sides of Panama

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(Des Moines Register) Some have asked my husband, Tim, and me why we chose to vacation in Panama earlier this year, maybe thinking it an unlikely destination. But there we found the perfect combination of cosmopolitan city and primal jungle. We planned a tour to one of the indigenous tribes in Panama. Our tour guide, Garceth Cunampio (www.emberatourspanama.com), is an … [Read more...]

Panama Canal Traffic Poised to Reach Record

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(Bloomberg) Shipments through the Panama Canal are on pace to climb to a record this year, surpassing levels set before the global economic slump, canal Chief Executive Officer Alberto Aleman said. Traffic volume increased about 20 million metric tons from October through March from the same period a year earlier, a 13 percent gain, Aleman said. Shipments for fiscal year … [Read more...]

Reality vs. Real in Panama:Transformation, Identity and the Future

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(Panama Gringo) I can recall, during my first few weeks in Panama, my Panamanian friend Charlie and I discussing random topics about the city over dinner.  As a very “well endowed” young lady walked by the restaurant, catching attention from every man in a two block radius, I chuckled as Charlie nearly choked on his patacone. He looked at me in all seriousness and said … [Read more...]