#there are a couple of other species that will be onboard the Little Bird

[wolfsbaneandthistle]

Image ID: A few of the sapient aliens of the Little Bird, as represented by a couple of the crew members. At the left is Tinnsali, a Tias alien. He is tall and insect-like with long jaws, compound eyes, and a hard carapace. They’re about 6 feet tall at the shoulder. Below Tinnsali is Narihl, a common corldaxian. They’ve got a centaur-esc body plan, as well as scaly arms, long spines at their neck, and a bunny-like mouth and nose. They’re about 3 feet tall. Next to Narihl is Gary, an Atistke alien. He looks like a lobster got vertically stretched. He’s also the shortest in the lineup, coming in at a whopping one foot tall at the shoulder. Next to all three of them is Diaf, an umblan and the tallest of the group. She is slug-like, with no distinct head. She does have a horn, or maybe a stalk, that she holds upright to reach a height of nearly ten feet. But at the shoulder she’s like. 5 foot. To the right is Clatter, a zoronxie alien. She’s bipedal and raptor-like with a long tail, wings, and a segmented neck. She stands at around 4 feet tall. Finally is Hán Huì Qún, a human. She stands at around 5 foot and 6 inches tall. End ID.

Finally decided to do a lineup of most of the species that’ll feature on the Little Bird. Each originating from different planets with vastly different biology and cultures, they’ll tell you they have nothing in common.

Which isn’t really true, of course. The Little Bird is made for an oxygenated environment- there are a lot more sapient aliens in this setting, but many of them physically cannot live on the ship. So the crew all has to be at least similar enough to live in the same atmosphere. :)

[mortujamm-blog]

How to Go to the Galápagos Islands: Land or Sea?

The Galapagos Islands, set roughly 600 miles off the coast of South American nation, remained a closely-guarded natural secret for countless years. Over that point, the terra firma evolved into a home for associate all-star solid of plants and animals. someday within the 1800s, some swashbuckling pirates and unfearing explorers started inbound within the Galapagos Islands. the foremost notable early visitant was Darwin, a young naturalist United Nations agency spent nineteen days learning the islands' flora and fauna in 1835. In 1859, Darwin printed On the Origin of Species, that introduced his theory of evolution — and therefore the Galapagos Islands — to the globe.

Since then, word of those islands and their impressive beauty has steady full-grown. In 1959, the island became Ecuador’s 1st parkland, and in 1978, it had been named a UNESCO World Heritage web site. Today, quite 275,000 folks visit the island once a year to check those unimaginable animals and landscapes for themselves.

5 Things to try to to in the island The Galapagos Islands, in Ecuador, provide life and landscapes found obscurity else on earth. Play VideoYOU would possibly LIKE NEWLY DISCOVERED island turtle could offer HOPE TO A taxon specialists BELIEVED WAS EXTINCT PAIRS OF SANDALS THAT ARE improbably comfy to run IN, in step with THOUSANDS OF REVIEWERS As wonderful as you think that the Galapagos Islands are, they habitually exceed expectations. It’s an area wherever lizards swim, birds walk, and humans — for once — don’t take center stage.

How to Get to the island Islands: Land or Sea? The first call you have got to create concerning visiting the Galapagos Islands is additionally the foremost tough. does one wish to remain during a building on one in every one of the 3 underpopulated islands, exploring different islands and areas via day-trip boat rides? Or, does one wish to be supported by a live-aboard boat, that provides accommodations and transportation from island to island?

There are 3 main factors to contemplate once selecting between land and ocean.

Cost: a visit to the Galapagos Islands are often dear. However, it’s easier to craft less costly expertise if you decide on to be land-based. These days, there are hotels and restaurants at several value points on San Cristóbal Island, Santa Cruz Island, and, to a far lesser extent, Isabela and Floreana islands. Live-aboard boats are available in a variety of value points, too. However, just about the foremost bare-bones boats still add up to quite a land-based vacation. Time Management: If you decide on a land-based vacation, expect to pay plenty of your time obtaining from your building, onto a ship, resolute the day’s destination, then back to your property. On the opposite hand, live-aboard boats do most of their navigating throughout the night once travelers are asleep in cabins onboard. this suggests passengers rouse during a new destination prepared for a full day of exploration. Access: as a result of land-based explorations are restricted to the 5 islands which will be reached someday, travelers won’t be able to visit a lot of distant islands that boat-based itineraries embody. Bottom Line: Unless you’re afraid of sailing, suffer from naupathia, or hate the concept of being on a ship for per week, book a cruise. You’ll waste less time back and forth, and you’ll see as several distinct areas of the Galapagos Islands as doable.

Cruise Ships, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

ULLSTEIN BILD/GETTY pictures Scuba divers United Nations agency wish to specialize in underwater adventures have a couple of choices within the Galapagos Islands moreover. The island Sky, island Aggressor III, Humboldt someone, island Master, and Nortada are live-aboard boats that were designed specifically for breathing devices diverse. They ply the waters all the thanks to the little-visited north islands within the terra firma, where deep, cold, current-filled diving yields time with manta rays, whale sharks, sunfish, and hammerhead sharks. Note that these are for skilled diverse solely.

Land-Based supply

Many of the islands within the island terra firma are abandoned. However, a large variety of hotels are often found on Santa Cruz Island and San Cristóbal Island, and several other boats operate out of harbors on those islands moreover. make sure to book a building that’s set close to the harbor (not within the highlands), thus you'll be able to be near to the boat's boarding spot for day journeys.

For example, the 21-room Golden Bay island is located right to the harbor of San Cristóbal Island. you'll be able to watch ocean lions frisk on a tiny low beach directly ahead of the property, and day-trip boats leave from a dock that’s no quite a three-minute stroll away. Book the corner suite, that options a living-room bathing tub and glass walls that slide receptive eliminate all barriers between you and therefore nature outside.

Meanwhile, the Angermeyer city district hotel is true on Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. Their newest space has been smartly designed within an aground picket boat.

Or, book a building that owns and operates its own boats to confirm a seamless normal of service and therefore the most sensible and convenient itineraries. for instance, the unequaled Pikaia Lodge, set within the highlands of Santa Cruz Island, has its own boat that's used completely for guests on packages that embody land and ocean adventures.

The oscine Bay island-building, set in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, additionally has its own yacht, dubbed the ocean Lion. This vessel will interruption to twenty passengers and 2 guides (many different day-trip boats carry sixteen passengers and have only 1 guide). eared seal itineraries additionally comprehend all 5 islands that day-trip boats are allowed to go to.

Boat-Based supply

Most liveaboard boats provide five- to eight-day itineraries, with set departure dates and routes. Routes are set by island parkland officers to mitigate state of affairs and environmental stress. Your boat can give a northern or southern itinerary (sometimes referred to as jap and western itineraries), alternating weekly. each embodies tremendous land excursions, lots of time within the water, and ample opportunities to check the notable flora and fauna of the island.

If you’re assault seeing a specific species within the island, seek advice from the tour operator and decide the month and itinerary that may offer you the most effective probability for an observance. Some species are seasonal, and plenty of exist solely on specific islands. for instance, the waved albatross, additionally referred to as the island albatross, isn't a full-time resident. These birds simply show up for coupling within the spring and summer.

Boats within the Galapagos Islands are restricted to most of a hundred passengers, however, most carry fewer than that. The good thing about traveling on a smaller-capacity vessel may be a lot of intimate aboard expertise and quicker transfer times between your main vessel and therefore the rubber dinghies. Smaller boats additionally tend to possess a lot of character and history. for instance, the 18-passenger M/Y Grace was a marriage gift from philosopher Onassis to Kelly and patrician Rainier III. The better half couple honeymooned on the boat, and a few say their female offspring, Stéphanie, was planned aboard.

Ecoventura, that has many vessels that yield up to twenty passengers at a time, is another glorious operator. additionally, 2 naturalists take guests onshore and justify each animal and plant in nice detail. The boats additionally provide a number of the foremost eco-friendly choices around, which are of growing importance to a section already seeing the negative effects of temperature change.

And if you’re traveling with an enormous cluster, don’t worry, as larger-capacity boats tend to possess a lot of aboard services, like guest lectures and medical facilities. For reading more click here

[lindoig8]

Saturday - Monday, 26-28 June – Car problems

I have already mentioned that we spent time researching our route on from here – and it is still in a state of flux with several more alternatives being mooted during the day. But just how fickle can Fate be?

We had decided to go out to the mining port of Bing Bong and the nearby Gulf of Carpentaria this afternoon and we packed up the car ready to go – and it wouldn’t start. Apparently, a flat battery. But the cranking battery is always isolated from the other two batteries in the car to ensure it never goes flat! We also have a switch to enable the other batteries to be connected to the cranking battery if ever a problem arose – but that had no effect either. I had driven the car in the morning without a problem and an hour or so later, it was simply dead! We rang the Northern Territory Automobile Association (the equivalent of the RACV) and they were very helpful – at least they tried hard. Unfortunately, there is nobody in Borroloola who can assist us until Monday morning so we are stuck here a little longer and our latest plans are out the window yet again. It is no big deal really (Borroloola is a wonderful place to be stuck if you have to be stuck somewhere), but some odd warning lights were on when I tried to start it and the NTAA said it was risky trying to jump-start it until someone had a look at it in case it impacted all the onboard electronics – not a happy thought.

So, with time on our hands, I read for a couple of hours and then went birding for a couple more hours around the local neighbourhood. I didn’t see much, but really enjoyed it and got a few slightly(?) better photos, probably because I took more time. There are 3 Grey-crowned Babblers in the park and they have 2 nests in the tree immediately above our van. Not sure if they are a threesome or what cohabitation arrangements apply, but both nests seem to be in use – all very confusing, not to say potentially incestuous. (Addendum: I have to retract the last sentence and apologise to the Babblers. The following day, there were at least 8 of them, so any imputation of incest was almost certainly groundless.)

Sunday, 27 June

Today, we can’t even open the car. I think there must be a dead short somewhere in the system that has flattened all three of our batteries. Fortunately, I switched the car fridge over to AC power before everything died or we would have a fridge and freezer full of rotting food. Strangely, I can’t even open the car with the key – maybe I am not being rough enough but last time I got rough with the key, it broke and that created a different problem. I will leave it to the NTAA man to figure that one out – keys cost about $1000 each and I really don’t want to have to buy another one – and wait a week or so for it to become available!

We did a bit of stocktaking this morning (EOFY?) but we can’t recall exactly what is in the car fridge so until we can open the car, that remains a work in progress. And until that happens, we can’t complete our shopping list either.

We just stayed around the van all day. It was very relaxing. I finished reading my book and really enjoyed it – all anecdotes about cricket and cricketers and very nostalgic for me because I knew some of the guys mentioned and had clear memories of many of the names and incidents – even back to when I was starting primary school. There was a strange English guy at our church who took me to the WACA for a match when the Poms were out in 1954 here and as a callow 10-year-old, he got me into the English dressing room to meet people like Len Hutton, Brian Statham, Typhoon Tyson, Freddie Trueman, Tony Locke, Trevor Bailey, Peter May and the rest of the touring team and I got autographs from them all. A really big deal for such a young kid! I also got into the Western Australian dressing room, but that was a bit of a rushed visit and I can’t recall a lot – other than chatting with my soon-to-be science teacher at high school – John Rutherford. (John was the first Western Australian player to play a Test Match. He played only one Test (in 1956) before having a stroke and not recovering sufficiently to play again.)

We sat outside the van most of the day because it was cooler there and the birds came and went and sang to us for ages. There would have been upwards of a dozen species that visited the tree under which we sat on and off and it was most entertaining to watch them.

Monday, 28 June

The NTAA representative (from the local garage) arrived first up in the morning and couldn’t get into the car. He had to enlist the help of another of his colleagues and they eventually levered the corner of the driver’s door wide enough to slide a long metal rod in and pull the bonnet release up so they could access the engine compartment – and from then on, it was pretty easy. None of us can fully explain why things happened as they did (and the Toyota mechanic in Mt Isa also struggled!) but the cranking battery was utterly dead. (It was almost 4 years old so we probably can’t complain, but if it had died when we were on the Tanami or similar, we could have been in real trouble.) It could not be charged at all and was apparently in such poor condition that it couldn’t even accept a charge from our other two batteries when they were joined with it. Anyway, they jump-started us and I was able to drive to their garage where a new (bigger, better) battery was installed and extensive testing done to ensure all was in order.

We wanted to give it a bit of a test ourselves before setting off to more remote places so after completing our stocktake and finalising our shopping list, we had an excursion to the supermarket and went on the drive we almost did a few days earlier.

We drove out to Bing Bong where there is not a lot to see due to it being a major industrial plant and loading facility that is securely fenced off. But there is a viewing tower that we climbed from where I spied a couple more birds, including a Black-necked Stork (Jabiru). We then drove out to the mouth of the MacArthur River and identified some more birds en route – bringing our current tally this trip to 149 species.

On the way back to Borroloola, we detoured to the King Ash Fishing Camp – several hundred caravans crammed cheek by jowl all along the edge of the river – even if we were fishermen, we couldn’t think of anything worse. Just getting a boat into the water would be a massive challenge – and of course, fishing from the bank would be risky with all those big bities waiting in the water.

We had seen all of this when we were here 4 years ago, but the number of caravans has probably at least quadrupled in that time and the whole place felt quite gross, with absolutely nothing to do except try to catch a fish.

We just drove through the camping area and out again – it is apparently owned by a private Fishing Club – and straight back to the van – with more streams of fisher-people still heading out to the already over-crowded camp.

[lindoig1]

Our cruise - Part 1

At last, I can post some narrative about our small ship expedition. It was about 11 days so I will post it in a few separate posts so none are too long.

Thursday. Setting sail. Day 50

Our expedition cruise started today, but boarding was not until 4pm so we took our time getting organised. A late breakfast, packed and reorganised our cases a bit, dallied a while and then walked down to the pub for lunch. It was threatening rain, but it held off and we enjoyed the walk, about 2km each way. When we returned to our friendly B&B, a French couple were just arriving so we let them in with our key. The manager was not there and after a while, they were getting a bit agitated until I found out they both needed a toilet urgently. I solved that for them by pointing out the guest toilet. I also explained the the manageress had told us that she may not be back until we were leaving and the French couple seemed happy to wait. It turned out that they arrived more than an hour earlier than expected and the manageress arrived back about the time they were expected anyway - just as our taxi arrived too.

We were on board by about 4:30 and soon settled in to our cabin, right at the front (forward) at deck level on the starboard side: an excellent position within easy reach of the bar, meals area, embarking and disembarking points and so on, but a bit noisy with the anchor and all the other machinery just outside our window. Most of the other passengers and some of the crew are Aussies so there weren’t too many new accents to cope with.

We had an introductory briefing and a lifeboat drill before dinner and set sail west out of Oban. We had an excellent dinner (all the meals have been great and more than we could eat - but we did anyway) and then a briefing about Iona where we were headed next day.

We all spent time on deck and on the bridge, taking photos of Scotland and birds and were tucked up safely in our narrow little bunks by 11pm with the evening light still streaming in our windows.

Friday. Iona. Day 51

Up at 6:30, only 3 hours too late to see a magnificent dawn. Feasted on breakfast (how do they get the bacon so crisp and delicious?) and got togged up ready for out zodiac trip to Iona. It is 11 degrees outside, but by the time we get rigged out with waterproof everythings, including gumboots, hat and cosy life jacket, we are sweating something fierce. Then we go out on deck and it is cold with a freezing breeze despite the sunshine and we are glad of the extra several layers of clothing, especially when the spindrift catches us as the zodiacs skim the salty water. Despite the warnings, it was a dry landing, and we dump our life jackets in the bag provided and within a few minutes, we are sweating again from exertion as we climb the inevitable hills to wherever we go. This is the pattern every day and despite how clever we try to be, we always seem to be a little too cool or a lot too hot once we are out on the Scottish moors or mountains.

Interesting about the wet landings. They warned us nearly every time we were to go anywhere that it would probably be a wet landing and reboarding of the zodiacs, but I think there were only two landings and one boarding when our gumboots saved us getting wet feet.

Every day, there are planned excursions, mainly to prehistoric or Neolithic sites, but mostly, I just wandered off on my own or with the shipboard naturalist, Heidi, and sometimes a few other foolhardy expeditioners looking for birds, hiking the wilds or simply looking for interesting things to photograph.

We had two or three zodiac excursions each day, usually to land somewhere and enjoy time ashore, but a few times, just for some sensational cruising along the coast. A couple of times, we all stayed on board the ship and it cruised around huge bird colonies on sea stacks, massive rugged mountains of precipitous rock inhabited by tens of thousands of breeding gulls, puffins, guillemots, kittiwakes, terns, shags, skuas and fulmars, all perched precariously on ledges no more than a few centimetres wide, huddling to keep their precious eggs warm and to prevent the predators or gravity stealing the unique life inside.

There is a lot of history wherever we go and although I found a lot of it interesting, it got a bit repetitious for me and I preferred the dynamic of just roaming around looking for things to discover myself, mainly birds, instead of having a story old to me. And although I have the greatest confidence in the storyteller (Carol, our highly experienced onboard stories were often just someone’s educated guesses about what it was people were looking at or how it was used or the possible lifestyle it indicated. It was by no means fanciful, at least most of the time, but nor was it often conclusively convincing to me.. in my complete ignorance, I could imagine scenarios (or is that scenaria?) different from those being put forward as broadly accepted by the experts.

It was birding and Iona’s Nunnery and Abbey in the morning (I hiked the 3 and a bit kilometres to the end of the island and back, taking in some great beaches, stunning countryside and identifying 20-odd species of birds) and after lunch we were back in the zodiacs cruising some gobsmacking caves and coastline as we circumnavigated the island of Staffa. Our little craft were able to get right into some sea caves, including the famous Fingal’s Cave, a veritable cathedral. Thousands of birds were nesting from a little above eye level to the top of the towering cliffs and beyond and being so close to the majestic rock face in our tiny rubber dinghies was truly awe inspiring.

We landed on the island and climbed to a great vantage point where hundreds of cute puffins were breeding. We sat around on the grass at the top of the cliffs and they cam in by the scores settling to land within a couple of metres of us, posing for photographs. I wandered off on my own for a while and found a few more birds so persuaded Heidi to do a bird roundup in the bar for anyone interested after dinner. The total count for the whole expedition to date was 34, of which I had seen 32. A really great start to our trip.

Saturday. Skye. Day 52

We landed on Skye and walked and climbed a few clicks along a largish loch and explored the hillsides. It was all just a casual if energetic stroll in a wonderfully pristine environment. Returning to the zodiacs, I stabbed my thumb on some rusty wire on the ‘safety rail’ and had to visit the ship’s doctor. A minor injury, but it got infected and is now only nearly healed 3 weeks later. It did mean that there. Were a lot of things that were hard to do without putting pressure on it.

We visited a smaller loch after lunch that had been an old Viking settlement and some explored the ruins while others, including me, walked right around the loch and up into the surrounding hills just looking to see what there was to see. I roamed far and wide, mainly on my own, and had a wonderful time.

The ship’s crew are part of a campaign to clean up a lot of the rubbish on the islands so they recruited everyone to collect rubbish and they loaded a truckful back onto the ship to be disposed of in Aberdeen. The island has a history of occupation going back over 2000 years so it was good to free it of some of the recent crap accumulated by 20th and 21st century visitors and storms.

I think that only Heidi and me were really keen birders although there were other who were interested and a little knowledgeable. In the main though, I think they wanted us to find the birds for them and pose them so they could take photos.

I had a sore eye and it turned out be a stye. I used to get a lot when I was young, but haven’t had one in 40 years until Istanbul and then on the cruise. I saw the doctor again and he gave me some antiseptic cream for both eyes and they are now pretty good again. A mystery why they erupted so close together after so many year without them.

[discovernewport]

Guide to Oregon’s Sharks and Their Relationship with Humans

Newport, Oregon— Oregonians are no strangers to large animals with lots of teeth. Veterans of Oregon’s incredible wilderness know the importance of vigilance and taking precautionary steps to prevent dangerous encounters with bears, cougars or, dare we say, Bigfoot.

But as most people know—and fear—toothy animals don’t stop at the shore. The waters off the Oregon coast are home to at least seventeen species of sharks of all shapes, sizes and notoriety (let’s just say we’d rather encounter the filter-feeding basking shark than a hungry great white).

Four of the shark species native to the Oregon coast, including the 8 ft. long broadnose sevengill shark, can be found in the Oregon Coast Aquarium’s Open Sea exhibit. The Aquarium even has a Guest Dive Program that allows dive-certified guests to get face-to-face with the sharks housed in the shark habitat. 

Although sharks typically get a bad rap, most of Oregon’s sharks are actually quite harmless and non-threatening. The likelihood of a shark attack is extremely low, and in fact, there is no record of a fatal shark attack in Oregon.

This guide to the seventeen species of sharks on the Oregon coast presents basic facts of each species as well as the shark species’ historical relationship to humans:

GREAT WHITE SHARK

The great white shark may well be the most feared animal on the planet since the release of “JAWS” and subsequent media representation. While not the largest shark on this list, they certainly are the most powerful and dangerous. Great white sharks grow up to 20 feet and can weigh almost 4,000 lbs. They are found all along the west coast, typically in water temperatures between 54 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Human encounters:

Every recorded encounter with a great white shark in Oregon has been an unprovoked non-lethal attack on a surfer. Marine mammals, like seals and sea lions, are the primary prey targets for these predatory sharks. It is likely that the shark mistakes the surfer for one of their prey species, as this species is not typically labeled as aggressive. It is the shark’s size and the rapid nature of the attack, however, that make encounters with white sharks especially dangerous.

Of the 28 recorded unprovoked shark attacks in Oregon, 27 of these have involved great white sharks. The most recent great white shark attack in Oregon was in October of 2016 at Indian Beach at Ecola State park. The surfer suffered a leg injury after the white shark bit his leg.

BASKING SHARK

Growing up to 40 feet long, basking sharks top this list for largest size. With enormous gaping mouths and an uncanny resemblance to white sharks, it is easy to be intimidated by these mysterious, but harmless fish. No need to fear, though, because basking sharks are all “bask” and no bite. Literally—this gentle giant swims near the water’s surface, basking in the sun while filter feeding on plankton. Ironically, this shark still has more teeth than any other species of shark on Earth.

PACIFIC BLUE SHARK

The ubiquitous blue shark lives in every coastal water except for Antarctica. Named for their bright blue coloration, they have a long, narrow body about 10 ft. long. This threatened species is rarely hunted by other marine life, but it is a frequent victim of bycatch. These sharks feed on invertebrates like octopus and squid as well as fish and the occasional seabird.

Human encounters:

The only fatal shark attack to ever occur on the Oregon coast occurred in 1975 after a fishing boat capsized with a couple onboard, 200 miles offshore of Astoria. While the man drowned, the woman was found deceased with several shark bites believed to be those of a blue shark, which are known to frequent that area. Besides this instance, there has never been a report of a blue shark attacking a human. The blue shark is a slow scavenger that typically stays in the warmer waters offshore.

BROADNOSE SEVENGILL SHARK 

The broadnose sevengill shark is common to the waters of the Pacific northwest and are the largest shark species to reside at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. They can easily be distinguished by their seven gill slits, as most sharks only have five.

There is currently insufficient data on this shark to determine if its populations are threatened. However, because they occupy coastal waters, the sevengill shark is frequently caught as bycatch and many are unintentionally killed as a result. The Oregon Coast Aquarium has recently begun a project to tag and track broadnose sevengill sharks in the wild in order to obtain more information on this species.

Human encounters:

There have only been five recorded attacks globally (never in Oregon) by a sevengill since the 17th century—they are only known to be aggressive when feeding, mating, or provoked. Here at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, we keep our sevengills very well fed and use long poles to ensure all divers are safe while in close proximity to these sharks.

SIXGILL SHARK

The sixgill shark looks similar to the sevengill, but with six gills instead of seven (or five, like most sharks) and striking green eyes. Due to its solitary life in deep water, scientists don’t know much about it, but they think that they can live over eighty years.

Human encounters:

Sixgill sharks are considered a threatened species as they are heavily fished with a slow reproductive rate. Although there have been no attacks in Oregon, it was reported that a shoal of sixgill sharks attacked a submarine filled with camera crew while filming for Blue Planet 2. Luckily, the average beachgoer does not have to worry about encountering a sixgill since they spend most of their lives at great depths.

COMMON THRESHER SHARK

The common thresher shark grows up to 20 feet long, with an extremely long caudal (tail) fin. The fin is used like a whip for defense against predators and to capture prey. Although large in size, the shark has relatively small teeth that are used for catching fish.

Human encounters: 

Known for putting up a strong fight, the common thresher is highly prized by sport fisherman, contributing to its classification as a vulnerable species. Still, this shark is quite docile and nonthreatening to humans.

LEOPARD SHARK

Perhaps one of the most strikingly beautiful sharks, the Leopard Shark is easily identified by the variegated pattern of bars and spots that extend all along its body. This unique natural camouflage helps this shark hide in the dappled sunlight that filters through the offshore kelp forests or along the rocky seabed. Leopard sharks are highly nomadic, often traveling great distances without ever revisiting the same spot twice. They are also a particularly ancient species, with fossilized examples dating back over one million years.

Human encounters:

Leopard sharks pose little to no danger to humans due to their skittish and shy nature. 

PACIFIC ANGELSHARK

Pacific angelsharks dwell on the ocean floor near rocky reefs and kelp forests. Their flat bodies resemble that of rays and skates, but their pectoral fins are not attached and their large mouths are in front of the head, where they create an intense suction when feeding.

Human encounters:

One of 23 species of angelsharks, the Pacific angelshark is near threatened with extinction while other species are critically endangered due to overfishing. Although not aggressive or considered dangerous to humans, there are instances of angelsharks biting SCUBA divers when harassed. 

SALMON SHARK

Per their namesake, salmon shark feed on salmon, squid, birds, herring and other fish. They are found in the north Pacific and have an average length of around 7 feet. Researchers have observed significant sex composition differences with salmon sharks between the eastern and western north Pacific, with eastern populations dominated by females and western populations by males.  It is not known why this is.

Human encounters:

Salmon sharks can be kept and eaten by those who legally catch them, but typically they are just caught as bycatch and discarded. Fishermen view them as pests due to damage to fishing gear. Even though they are relatively large and related to dangerous species like the white shark, there has been no positively identified shark attack by a salmon shark on a human. Salmon sharks occasionally wash up on the Oregon coast, most recently near the Aquarium in Newport, Oregon!

SHORTFIN MAKO SHARK

Shortfin mako sharks are the fastest sharks in the ocean, clocking speeds of 45 mph. Growing up to 12 feet long and 1200 lbs, this highly migratory shark travels long distances and can be seen breaching to extreme heights when hunting.

Due to the value of their fins and meat by fishermen and accidental capture, scientists estimate that populations of shortfin mako sharks have declined substantially. But due to their migratory nature, it is difficult to determine abundance and specific fishing impacts. 

Human encounters:

Since mako sharks live in deeper waters, they are typically only threatening to fisherman or divers. Reports say that shortfin mako sharks have attacked a boat when hooked, and divers say that the sharks swim in a figure eight pattern prior to an attack.

SCHOOL SOUPFIN SHARK

This shark is known by a variety of names, including tope Shark, snapper Shark and school shark. It is one of the smaller Oregon species, and most of the shark’s fins are tipped in black.

Human encounters:

The soupfin has historically been caught in nets by commercial fishermen. Its meat is rich in vitamins, making it desirable in both Asian and European markets. The shark generally feeds on fish, squid and octopus along the ocean bottom or in the water column. Soupfin sharks are generally harmless, and they can be found alongside the other sharks at the Oregon Coast Aquarium.

SPINY DOGFISH

The spiny dogfish is an unusual shark due to its sharp, venomous spine directly in front of its dorsal fins. The spiny dogfish also has no anal fin, which is common on most sharks.

Spiny Dogfish are widely dispersed throughout the Pacific Ocean, often hunting in schools of thousands of individuals. They are opportunistic feeders, but due to their relatively small size, they prefer smaller fish, krill, squid and octopus.

Human encounters:

This small shark lives in deeper waters and is not known to attack humans. This species can also be found at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in the Open Sea exhibit.

BROWN SMOOTH-HOUND SHARK

The brown smooth-hound shark is a small, common shark species that is found in enclosed, shallow bays. It is a bottom-dweller that hunts crabs, shrimp, and small fish.

Human encounters:

Due to its small size, it is considered harmless to humans. In fact, they are often seen in Aquariums due to their adaptability to living under human care.

CATSHARK

There are three species of catshark that are native to Oregon: the brown, longnose and filetale catshark. Catsharks get their name from the way their eyes glow when reflecting light – like a cat’s eyes. An enlarged gill region allows the catshark to live in deep ocean areas with low dissolved oxygen levels.

Human encounters:

Little is known about these three species of catsharks, or catsharks in general, but they are believed to be a solitary and nocturnal species. They rarely venture into shallow water, so they are rarely (if ever) encountered by divers.

PACIFIC SLEEPER SHARK

The Pacific sleeper shark gets its name from its slow swimming through the cold, deep waters of the continental shelf all along the west coast of North America. Nonetheless, this shark is capable of silent extreme movement when hunting for octopus, rockfish, and crab. Pacific sleeper sharks have been caught that exceed 20 feet and 8000 lbs—almost the size of an adult orca.

Human encounters:

Little is known about these sharks in Oregon, but they are known to scavenge on sea lion and gray whale carcasses. Their tissue is reported to be toxic to humans due to the presence of trimethylamine, which is a neurotoxin. Due to their presence in deep, cold water, few interactions have occurred between a sleeper shark and humans.  There are currently studies in Alaska aimed at increasing knowledge of these large fish.

Sharks have survived four of the five mass extinction events and reigned as the ocean’s apex predators for hundreds of millions of years. Yet these prehistoric fish are in danger of disappearing. Overfishing, bycatch, and habitat degradation threaten shark populations worldwide. Thus, some of the species listed above, like the great white shark and basking shark, are federally protected.

The Oregon Coast Aquarium is open every day this summer from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Visit aquarium.org or call 541-867-FISH for more information or to purchase advance tickets.

The Oregon Coast Aquarium creates unique and engaging experiences that connect you to the Oregon Coast and inspire ocean conservation. An accredited Association of Zoos & Aquariums institution, this 501(c)3 non-profit organization is ranked as one of the top 10 aquariums in the U.S. Visit us at 2820 S.E. Ferry Slip Rd., Newport, OR.

www.aquarium.org

541-867-3474. Follow us on Facebook.com/OregonCoastAquarium, or Twitter.com/OrCoastAquarium for the latest updates.

[fatfitgal-blog]

Panama - A Great Vacation Destination

There are several exotic vacation places in the Caribbean that virtually every person is aware of, like Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Aruba, etc.-just to discuss a couple of. Very few think about Panama as a warm coastline place to visit. Yet, it is a really exciting as well as memorable san blas sailing.

Although the beach resort we checked out is not actually in the Caribbean (it is on the Pacific Ocean side), the Royal Decameron Beach Resort uses a beautiful golden sandy beach, the warm tropical climate that a person is searching for, as well as numerous fascinating places for sight-seeing, the primary one being, of course, the Panama Canal. There are the typical superb sunsets, cozy sea waves splashing up the coast, many swimming pools, magnificent hand trees and also polished exotic vegetation within the hotel. The all-inclusive Royal Decameron provides fantastic food with 6 a-la-carte themed dining establishments, along with 2 buffet restaurants and also various bars as well as snack-bars. They have a disco, a gambling enterprise, tennis courts, a medspa, as well as a near-by golf course-virtually whatever a tourist might ask for. However enough about the conventional beach resort amenities. Just what's special about Panama in certain? Firstly, the background of Panama and the Panama Canal is fascinating, and also I am not even a history buff. I will not enter into a big history lesson right here, however the Panama Canal is a marvel in design as well as one of the most considerable rivers on the planet. The canal extends from Panama City on the Pacific coastline to Colon on the Atlantic side, as well as is 80 kilometres (or 50 miles) in size. Over 12,000 ocean-going vessels make use of the canal annually, pushing their method through the narrow canal as well as rising and also down in the numerous locks to make up for the distinction in altitude between both oceans. There are huge systems of virgin forest on both sides of the canal. It is truly an unforgettable sight to see the massive ships go through the locks. It is a must-see when seeing Panama. Because the resort we were in was situated on the Pacific coast, we checked out the Mira Flores Locks, on the northeastern fringe of Panama City. A platform offers visitors an excellent sight of the locks in operation and also has a very intriguing museum connected. We took the City & Canal Tour (at a cost of roughly $65 US) on which we were able to get a fantastic trip of Panama City as well as see the Mira Flores Locks at work. There are, nevertheless, Partial Transit Tours (approx. $96 US) of about 4 hours in length which begin in Gamboa, situated at the north end of the Gaillard Cut where the Chagres River flows into the Canal. Your vessel would certainly pass via the Pedro Miguel Locks and also the Mara Flores Locks, where the vessel is lowered 18 metres in two actions, and your trip would finish at the gorgeous Flamenco Marina. Of training course, there is likewise a complete canal trip onboard the Pacific Queen, where you could experience the canal in close procedure. This would certainly be a when in a life time adventure where you can feel the feeling of rising or down in the locks in order to get from one sea to the other. There is additionally a rail experience available where you visit along-side the Canal while resting comfortably on a train. Panama City is also worth seeing. The city is split between the modern, growing mall extending 10 km (6 miles) along the Pacific shore as well as the old area of San Felipe, an area of rotting early american magnificence. San Felipe sticks out right into the sea on the southwestern side of town, and stands for reproductions of homes of the 3 crucial societies of the country: the Spanish, the Indian and also the Afro-Antillan. The quaint architecture is beautiful and in numerous places is being brought back to its initial majesty. The tour of the old district must not be missed out on. Situated in the modern-day part of Panama City is the Multicentro, Central America's largest shopping center with over 250 shops. Panama City is popular for its purchasing as well as provides a variety of goods including shoes, handbags, sports short articles, keepsakes, clothes, china, and so on we were privileged sufficient to be able to remain for an evening in the Radisson Decapolis Hotel in Panama City (a 5 * Hotel) which was attached by a pathway to the Muticentro. That hotel experience was genuinely memorable! The Radisson Decapolis offered an up-scale modern space as well as the eating was first-class gourmet cuisine (no beach garments right here!) The primary eating room was one-of-a-kind because it was three stories high as well as searching for afforded you a view of all-time low of the roof-top swimming pool above. As mentioned, it was only a brief jump over to the mall, which also organized a big casino site. Panama boasts several of the best 'eco' sightseeing on the planet with the Panamanian Rainforest. Over 300 species of birds have been seen in a day, as well as Panama offers great bird-watching with varieties such as the iris-beaked toucan, the tangara as well as the white-tailed sparrow hawk to point out a couple of. Inning accordance with researches by the National Panamanian University as well as the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the hills of basaltic rock at elevation add to the abundant diversity of species. An excursion of "Intro to Birdwatching at Cerro Campana National Park" prices approx. $78 United States. On our trip it was fantastic to see little vibrant hummingbirds flitting in as well as out of the hibiscus blossoms, or viewing various kinds of birds in the trees beyond our hotel space outdoor patio. We could not identify numerous of them, and also I would suggest taking a bird publication along on your trip for even more intriguing watching. Something that would be a good function in preparing a Panama vacation would be the two-centre vacation option-for a one week trip you would remain five evenings at the Royal Decameron Beach Resort and 2 evenings at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort. That would certainly provide you both a beach vacation and the 'eco' experience. We thought that would certainly be an outstanding trip alternative, however regrettably it is only offered at specific times of the year (and also not when we intended to go.). Other scenic tours that may be of passion are the Jungle Boat Tour (approx. $85 United States), the Canopy Adventure Tour (where you could ride the treetops in an eco adventure), or the Anton Valley Adventure ($ 40 US) where you visit a vanished volcano, a zoo as well as agricultural yard, and a crafts market offering handmade crafts by regional villagers. In other components of Panama you could go deep-sea angling, take a sundown sailboat cruise ship, go on the Panama Express train to Colon, or go scuba diving. In short, there are limitless opportunities for experience as well as fun, as well as at rather practical rates also. We located individuals of Panama extremely pleasant as well as companionable. Although Spanish is the official language, English is commonly talked as well as commonly times we discovered the citizens talked English so well that we can not choose if they were citizens or not. Panama has two seasons, the completely dry season (January to mid-April) and also the wet season (mid-April to December). It is best to keep these seasons in mind when planning your journey. I would additionally recommend taking a tiny traveling umbrella just in situation. They don't call it the jungle for absolutely nothing! Temperatures are around 80-90 F (25-30 C) as well as are relatively consistent year-round, although nights are generally cooler. The equatorial sun is extreme in Panama and care must be taken to use sunscreen. I also obtained sunburn sitting under the cover on the beach. Overall we believed that Panama was a terrific getaway. We welcome you to travel there and also find out on your own! Here is my best recomendation for your next sailing panama

[opinicus553-blog1]

Panama - A Great Vacation Destination

There are several unique holiday spots in the Caribbean that practically everybody recognizes, like Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Aruba, etc.-just to mention a couple of. Few consider Panama as a warm coastline area to check out. But, it is an extremely interesting and also memorable sailing in san blas.

Although the beach hotel we checked out is not really in the Caribbean (it gets on the Pacific Ocean side), the Royal Decameron Beach Resort provides an attractive golden sandy beach, the warm exotic environment that a person is trying to find, and many intriguing places for sight-seeing, the main one being, naturally, the Panama Canal. There are the regular fantastic sunsets, warm sea waves washing up the shore, various swimming pools, majestic palm trees and also manicured exotic vegetation within the resort. The all-inclusive Royal Decameron uses terrific food with 6 a-la-carte themed dining establishments, as well as two buffet dining establishments and numerous bars as well as snack-bars. They have a nightclub, a casino site, tennis courts, a health spa, as well as a near-by golf course-virtually every little thing a visitor might request. Yet sufficient regarding the conventional beach hotel features. What's special regarding Panama particularly? Most importantly, the history of Panama as well as the Panama Canal is fascinating, and also I am not even a history buff. I will not get involved in a big background lesson here, yet the Panama Canal is a marvel in engineering as well as among one of the most substantial rivers worldwide. The canal extends from Panama City on the Pacific shore to Colon on the Atlantic side, and is 80 km (or 50 miles) in length. Over 12,000 ocean-going vessels use the canal each year, pushing their way via the slim canal as well as rising as well as down in the different locks to make up for the distinction in altitude in between the two oceans. There are substantial systems of virgin jungle on both sides of the canal. It is genuinely an unforgettable view to see the big ships pass via the locks. It is a must-see when checking out Panama. Since the resort we remained in was located on the Pacific shore, we visited the Mira Flores Locks, on the northeastern edge of Panama City. A system uses site visitors a good view of the secure procedure and also has a really fascinating gallery attached. We took the City & Canal Tour (at an expense of about $65 US) on which we were able to get a terrific trip of Panama City along with see the Mira Flores Locks in activity. There are, however, Partial Transit Tours (approx. $96 United States) of regarding four hours in size which begin in Gamboa, situated at the north end of the Gaillard Cut where the Chagres River streams right into the Canal. Your vessel would go through the Pedro Miguel Locks as well as the Mara Flores Locks, where the vessel is decreased 18 metres in two steps, and also your trip would certainly end at the stunning Flamenco Marina. Of training course, there is additionally a complete canal excursion onboard the Pacific Queen, where you can experience the canal in close procedure. This would be a when in a life time journey where you could feel the feeling of rising or down in the locks in order to get from one sea to the other. There is likewise a rail adventure readily available where you explore along-side the Canal while resting conveniently on a train. Panama City is also worth going to. The city is split between the modern-day, thriving industrial facility extending 10 kilometres (6 miles) along the Pacific shore as well as the old district of San Felipe, a location of rotting early american majesty. San Felipe sticks out right into the sea on the southwestern side of town, and also stands for reproductions of houses of the three most vital societies of the country: the Spanish, the Indian as well as the Afro-Antillan. The quaint style is attractive and in lots of places is being brought back to its original grandeur. The trip of the old area need to not be missed out on. Found in the modern-day part of Panama City is the Multicentro, Central America's largest purchasing mall with over 250 shops. Panama City is popular for its purchasing as well as provides a wide selection of product consisting of shoes, purses, sports articles, keepsakes, clothing, china, and so on we were fortunate enough to be able to remain for a night in the Radisson Decapolis Hotel in Panama City (a 5 * Hotel) which was attached by a sidewalk to the Muticentro. That resort experience was genuinely unforgettable! The Radisson Decapolis supplied an up-scale modern-day room as well as the eating was excellent gourmet food (no coastline clothing below!) The primary dining-room was unique because it was three stories high as well as looking up managed you a sight of all-time low of the roof-top swimming pool over. As discussed, it was just a short jump over to the buying centre, which additionally organized a large casino site. Panama boasts several of the best 'eco' sightseeing and tour on the planet with the Panamanian Rainforest. Over 300 species of birds have actually been seen in a day, as well as Panama supplies terrific bird-watching with varieties such as the iris-beaked toucan, the tangara as well as the white-tailed sparrow hawk to mention a couple of. Inning accordance with research studies by the National Panamanian University as well as the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the hills of basaltic rock at altitude add to the abundant diversity of varieties. A scenic tour of "Intro to Birdwatching at Cerro Campana National Park" costs approx. $78 United States. On our journey it was remarkable to see little vibrant hummingbirds flitting in as well as out of the hibiscus flowers, or viewing numerous sorts of birds in the trees outside of our hotel area patio. We can not identify most of them, as well as I would recommend taking a bird publication along on your journey for even more fascinating viewing. Something that would be a nice function in preparing a Panama trip would be the two-centre vacation option-for a one week vacation you would certainly remain five nights at the Royal Decameron Beach Resort and also two evenings at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort. That would certainly provide you both a coastline vacation and the 'eco' experience. We believed that would be an outstanding trip alternative, but regrettably it is only provided at certain times of the year (as well as not when we desired to go.). Various other trips that could be of passion are the Jungle Boat Tour (approx. $85 US), the Canopy Adventure Tour (where you can ride the treetops in an eco experience), or the Anton Valley Adventure ($ 40 US) where you visit a vanished volcano, a zoo and also organic garden, and a crafts market offering handmade crafts by neighborhood citizens. In other parts of Panama you could go deep-sea fishing, take a sunset sailboat cruise ship, take place the Panama Express train to Colon, or go scuba diving. In brief, there are endless possibilities for adventure and enjoyable, as well as at fairly affordable prices too. We found the individuals of Panama really enjoyable and companionable. Although Spanish is the official language, English is commonly spoken and many times we discovered the residents talked English so well that we can not determine if they were residents or otherwise. Panama has 2 periods, the completely dry period (January to mid-April) and also the rainy period (mid-April to December). It is best to keep these seasons in mind when planning your journey. I would certainly also recommend taking a small traveling umbrella simply in case. They don't call it the rain forest for absolutely nothing! Temperature levels are around 80-90 F (25-30 C) and also are fairly constant year-round, although evenings are usually cooler. The equatorial sunlight is extreme in Panama and also treatment must be taken to use sun block. I also got sunburn sitting under the canopy on the beach. Overall we believed that Panama was a terrific trip area. We welcome you to take a trip there as well as learn for yourself! Here is my best recomendation for your next sailboat tour panama

[illegals-before-war-vets-blog]

Panama - A Great Vacation Destination

There are numerous exotic destination in the Caribbean that nearly every person is aware of, like Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Aruba, etc.-just to mention a few. Very few assume of Panama as a warm beach spot to check out. But, it is an extremely exciting as well as memorable sailboat tour panama.

Although the coastline hotel we saw is not actually in the Caribbean (it gets on the Pacific Ocean side), the Royal Decameron Beach Resort provides a beautiful golden sandy beach, the cozy exotic environment that a person is looking for, and lots of interesting locations for sight-seeing, the major one being, naturally, the Panama Canal. There are the typical wonderful sunsets, warm sea waves believing the shore, numerous pool, majestic hand trees as well as manicured tropical plant life within the resort. The complete Royal Decameron offers excellent food with 6 a-la-carte themed dining establishments, in addition to 2 buffet dining establishments and many bars as well as snack-bars. They have a nightclub, a casino, tennis courts, a health facility, and also a near-by golf course-virtually whatever a vacationer could request. However sufficient regarding the standard beach hotel facilities. Just what's unique concerning Panama in certain? Most importantly, the background of Panama and also the Panama Canal is fascinating, as well as I am not also a history enthusiast. I won't enter into a huge history lesson right here, yet the Panama Canal is a wonder in design as well as one of the most substantial rivers worldwide. The canal extends from Panama City on the Pacific coast to Colon on the Atlantic side, and also is 80 kilometres (or 50 miles) in size. Over 12,000 ocean-going vessels make use of the canal annually, pushing their means through the slim canal and also rising and also down in the various locks to compensate for the difference in altitude between the 2 seas. There are substantial systems of virgin forest on both sides of the canal. It is genuinely a memorable sight to see the substantial ships go through the locks. It is a must-see when going to Panama. Because the resort we remained in was situated on the Pacific shore, we checked out the Mira Flores Locks, on the northeastern fringe of Panama City. A system provides site visitors a great view of the locks in procedure as well as has a very interesting gallery affixed. We took the City & Canal Tour (at an expense of approximately $65 United States) on which we were able to obtain a fantastic excursion of Panama City as well as see the Mira Flores Locks in activity. There are, nevertheless, Partial Transit Tours (approx. $96 US) of regarding 4 hours in size which begin in Gamboa, situated at the north end of the Gaillard Cut where the Chagres River moves into the Canal. Your vessel would go through the Pedro Miguel Locks as well as the Mara Flores Locks, where the vessel is reduced 18 metres in two actions, and also your voyage would finish at the lovely Flamenco Marina. Obviously, there is additionally a full canal excursion onboard the Pacific Queen, where you could experience the canal in close operation. This would certainly be an as soon as in a life time adventure where you might feel the sensation of rising or down in the secure order to obtain from one sea to the other. There is also a rail adventure readily available where you explore along-side the Canal while sitting easily on a train. Panama City is likewise worth going to. The city is divided between the modern, flourishing mall stretching 10 kilometres (6 miles) along the Pacific shore and also the old district of San Felipe, an area of decomposing early american magnificence. San Felipe juts right into the sea on the southwestern side of town, and represents replicas of homes of the three most essential cultures of the nation: the Spanish, the Indian as well as the Afro-Antillan. The old-world architecture is stunning as well as in many places is being recovered to its original magnificence. The scenic tour of the old area should not be missed out on. Situated in the contemporary part of Panama City is the Multicentro, Central America's biggest shopping center with over 250 stores. Panama City is well-known for its buying as well as provides a variety of goods consisting of shoes, handbags, sports posts, souvenirs, clothing, china, and so on we were fortunate sufficient to be able to remain for an evening in the Radisson Decapolis Hotel in Panama City (a 5 * Hotel) which was connected by a pathway to the Muticentro. That resort experience was absolutely memorable! The Radisson Decapolis provided an up-scale modern room as well as the dining was first-class exquisite food (no coastline apparel below!) The primary eating space was distinct in that it was 3 tales high as well as looking up managed you a sight of the base of the roof-top pool over. As stated, it was only a brief hop over to the mall, which also organized a large gambling enterprise. Panama flaunts some of the best 'eco' sightseeing and tour worldwide with the Panamanian Rainforest. Over 300 types of birds have been seen in a day, and Panama uses great bird-watching with species such as the iris-beaked toucan, the tangara and the white-tailed sparrow hawk to mention a couple of. Inning accordance with researches by the National Panamanian University and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the hills of basaltic rock at elevation add to the rich diversity of species. A scenic tour of "Intro to Birdwatching at Cerro Campana National Park" expenses approx. $78 US. On our journey it was remarkable to see little colourful hummingbirds flitting in as well as out of the hibiscus blossoms, or watching different types of birds in the trees beyond our hotel area patio area. We could not identify most of them, and also I would encourage taking a bird book along on your trip for more interesting viewing. One point that would certainly be a wonderful attribute in intending a Panama holiday would be the two-centre vacation option-for a one week getaway you would certainly remain 5 nights at the Royal Decameron Beach Resort and 2 nights at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort. That would certainly provide you both a coastline vacation and the 'eco' experience. We believed that would certainly be an excellent vacation alternative, but regrettably it is only used at specific times of the year (and not when we wished to go.). Other trips that may be of interest are the Jungle Boat Tour (approx. $85 US), the Canopy Adventure Tour (where you can ride the treetops in an eco adventure), or the Anton Valley Adventure ($ 40 US) where you go to an extinct volcano, a zoo and agricultural yard, and a crafts market offering handmade crafts by regional villagers. In other parts of Panama you could go deep-sea angling, take a sunset sailboat cruise ship, take place the Panama Express train to Colon, or go diving. In other words, there are unlimited possibilities for adventure and also enjoyable, as well as at rather practical prices too. We found individuals of Panama extremely positive as well as companionable. Although Spanish is the official language, English is extensively talked and often times we found the citizens talked English so well that we could not make a decision if they were residents or not. Panama has 2 seasons, the completely dry season (January to mid-April) and the rainy period (mid-April to December). It is best to maintain these seasons in mind when preparing your trip. I would additionally advise taking a tiny traveling umbrella simply in case. They do not call it the jungle for absolutely nothing! Temperatures are around 80-90 F (25-30 C) and also are rather regular year-round, although nights are typically cooler. The equatorial sun is intense in Panama and care need to be taken to utilize sunscreen. I also got sunburn sitting under the cover on the coastline. Overall we thought that Panama was a terrific destination. We welcome you to take a trip there and find out for yourself! Here is my best recomendation for your next sailing in san blas

[n74jw-blog]

Panama - A Great Vacation Destination

There are several exotic getaway in the Caribbean that almost every person recognizes, like Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Aruba, etc.-just to state a few. Not many think of Panama as a warm beach spot to check out. Yet, it is a very amazing and unforgettable sailboat san blas.

Although the beach hotel we visited is not really in the Caribbean (it is on the Pacific Ocean side), the Royal Decameron Beach Resort supplies a beautiful gold sandy coastline, the cozy exotic environment that one is trying to find, and also many fascinating areas for sight-seeing, the primary one being, of training course, the Panama Canal. There are the normal superb sundowns, warm sea waves splashing up the coast, numerous pool, impressive hand trees and also polished tropical plants within the resort. The complete Royal Decameron provides great food with six a-la-carte themed restaurants, as well as 2 buffet restaurants as well as various bars and also snack-bars. They have a nightclub, a gambling establishment, tennis courts, a spa, as well as a near-by golf course-virtually everything a traveler can ask for. However enough concerning the conventional beach hotel facilities. Just what's unique regarding Panama specifically? Most importantly, the history of Panama and also the Panama Canal is fascinating, as well as I am not also a history aficionado. I will not get involved in a large history lesson below, yet the Panama Canal is a wonder in engineering and among one of the most considerable waterways in the globe. The canal extends from Panama City on the Pacific coast to Colon on the Atlantic side, as well as is 80 kilometres (or 50 miles) in length. Over 12,000 ocean-going vessels use the canal each year, nudging their means through the slim canal and rising as well as down in the various locks to make up for the difference in altitude between both seas. There are substantial tracts of virgin forest on both sides of the canal. It is truly a remarkable sight to see the huge ships go through the locks. It is a must-see when seeing Panama. Because the hotel we remained in was located on the Pacific coastline, we went to the Mira Flores Locks, on the northeastern fringe of Panama City. A system uses visitors a great view of the locks in operation and also has an extremely intriguing gallery affixed. We took the City & Canal Tour (at an expense of around $65 United States) on which we had the ability to obtain a remarkable excursion of Panama City in addition to see the Mira Flores Locks at work. There are, however, Partial Transit Tours (approx. $96 United States) of about 4 hours in length which start in Gamboa, situated at the north end of the Gaillard Cut where the Chagres River flows right into the Canal. Your vessel would pass with the Pedro Miguel Locks as well as the Mara Flores Locks, where the vessel is reduced 18 metres in 2 steps, and your trip would finish at the beautiful Flamenco Marina. Naturally, there is additionally a full canal trip onboard the Pacific Queen, where you can experience the canal in close procedure. This would be an as soon as in a life time journey where you can feel the experience of going up or down in the secure order to get from one ocean to the other. There is additionally a rail journey readily available where you tour along-side the Canal while sitting pleasantly on a train. Panama City is also worth seeing. The city is divided between the modern-day, flourishing mall extending 10 kilometres (6 miles) along the Pacific coast and also the old area of San Felipe, a location of rotting early american splendour. San Felipe sticks out right into the sea on the southwestern side of town, and also represents reproductions of homes of the 3 most essential cultures of the nation: the Spanish, the Indian and the Afro-Antillan. The old-world design is beautiful and in lots of locations is being recovered to its original majesty. The excursion of the old district should not be missed out on. Located in the modern part of Panama City is the Multicentro, Central America's largest mall with over 250 stores. Panama City is well-known for its purchasing as well as supplies a wide range of product consisting of footwears, handbags, sporting activities posts, mementos, clothes, china, etc. we were fortunate enough to be able to stay for a night in the Radisson Decapolis Hotel in Panama City (a 5 * Hotel) which was attached by a sidewalk to the Muticentro. That hotel experience was really unforgettable! The Radisson Decapolis provided an up-scale modern-day room and also the eating was first-class gourmet cuisine (no coastline apparel right here!) The main dining-room was distinct because it was 3 tales high and seeking out afforded you a view of all-time low of the roof-top pool over. As discussed, it was only a brief hop over to the mall, which likewise held a large online casino. Panama flaunts several of the best 'eco' sightseeing in the globe with the Panamanian Rainforest. Over 300 species of birds have been seen in a day, as well as Panama supplies great bird-watching with types such as the iris-beaked toucan, the tangara and also the white-tailed sparrow hawk to point out a couple of. According to research studies by the National Panamanian University and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the mountains of basaltic rock at elevation add to the abundant variety of types. An excursion of "Intro to Birdwatching at Cerro Campana National Park" expenses approx. $78 United States. On our journey it was fantastic to see small vibrant hummingbirds sweeping in and out of the hibiscus blossoms, or seeing different sorts of birds in the trees beyond our hotel area outdoor patio. We can not determine most of them, and also I would advise taking a bird publication along on your journey for even more intriguing watching. Something that would be a nice function in preparing a Panama holiday would be the two-centre holiday option-for a one week trip you would remain five nights at the Royal Decameron Beach Resort as well as two nights at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort. That would provide you both a beach vacation as well as the 'eco' experience. We thought that would certainly be an exceptional getaway alternative, however sadly it is just provided at specific times of the year (and not when we intended to go.). Various other tours that might be of passion are the Jungle Boat Tour (approx. $85 United States), the Canopy Adventure Tour (where you can ride the treetops in an eco journey), or the Anton Valley Adventure ($ 40 US) where you go to an extinct volcano, a zoo and also organic yard, and also a crafts market offering handmade crafts by neighborhood villagers. In other parts of Panama you can go deep-sea fishing, take a sundown sailboat cruise, take place the Panama Express train to Colon, or go diving. In brief, there are limitless opportunities for journey and fun, and also at relatively sensible rates also. We found the individuals of Panama extremely pleasurable and also companionable. Although Spanish is the official language, English is widely talked and many times we discovered the citizens spoke English so well that we could not determine if they were locals or not. Panama has 2 seasons, the completely dry season (January to mid-April) and the stormy period (mid-April to December). It is best to maintain these periods in mind when planning your trip. I would likewise suggest taking a little taking a trip umbrella simply in situation. They don't call it the tropical rain forest for nothing! Temperatures are around 80-90 F (25-30 C) and also are rather regular year-round, although evenings are normally cooler. The equatorial sun is extreme in Panama and treatment ought to be required to utilize sunscreen. I even got sunburn resting under the cover on the coastline. On the whole we thought that Panama was a terrific trip place. We invite you to travel there as well as discover on your own! Here is my best recomendation for your next sailboat tour panama

[molly-motivation-blog]

Panama - A Great Vacation Destination

There are many exotic getaway in the Caribbean that almost every person recognizes, like Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Aruba, etc.-just to discuss a few. Not numerous believe of Panama as a warm coastline place to visit. However, it is an extremely amazing and unforgettable sailboat san blas.

Although the coastline resort we saw is not really in the Caribbean (it gets on the Pacific Ocean side), the Royal Decameron Beach Resort offers a gorgeous golden sandy coastline, the warm exotic environment that a person is searching for, and several intriguing locations for sight-seeing, the main one being, naturally, the Panama Canal. There are the regular superb sundowns, warm ocean waves splashing up the coast, countless pool, stunning palm trees as well as polished tropical greenery within the resort. The complete Royal Decameron provides terrific food with six a-la-carte themed restaurants, along with 2 buffet restaurants and also various bars and also snack-bars. They have a disco, a gambling establishment, tennis courts, a health spa, and also a near-by golf course-virtually everything a tourist can request. However enough regarding the conventional coastline resort features. What's unique concerning Panama specifically? Firstly, the history of Panama and the Panama Canal is fascinating, and I am not also a history enthusiast. I won't enter a large history lesson right here, yet the Panama Canal is a wonder in design and one of the most significant waterways in the globe. The canal stretches from Panama City on the Pacific coastline to Colon on the Atlantic side, and is 80 km (or 50 miles) in size. Over 12,000 ocean-going vessels use the canal per year, nudging their method through the narrow canal and also climbing up and also down in the different locks to make up for the distinction in elevation in between the two seas. There are huge tracts of virgin forest on both sides of the canal. It is absolutely a remarkable sight to see the huge ships pass through the locks. It is a must-see when visiting Panama. Given that the resort we were in was situated on the Pacific shore, we visited the Mira Flores Locks, on the northeastern fringe of Panama City. A system supplies site visitors a good sight of the locks in operation as well as has a really fascinating museum connected. We took the City & Canal Tour (at an expense of about $65 United States) on which we had the ability to obtain a remarkable trip of Panama City as well as see the Mira Flores Locks at work. There are, nevertheless, Partial Transit Tours (approx. $96 US) of about 4 hrs in length which begin in Gamboa, situated at the north end of the Gaillard Cut where the Chagres River streams right into the Canal. Your vessel would certainly travel through the Pedro Miguel Locks and the Mara Flores Locks, where the vessel is reduced 18 metres in two actions, as well as your voyage would certainly finish at the attractive Flamenco Marina. Naturally, there is likewise a complete canal excursion onboard the Pacific Queen, where you could experience the canal in close procedure. This would certainly be an once in a life time journey where you might really feel the sensation of rising or down in the locks in order to obtain from one ocean to the other. There is also a rail adventure offered where you visit along-side the Canal while sitting comfortably on a train. Panama City is also worth going to. The city is divided in between the modern, prospering industrial facility stretching 10 km (6 miles) along the Pacific coastline and also the old area of San Felipe, a location of decomposing colonial splendour. San Felipe sticks out into the sea on the southwestern side of community, and also represents reproductions of homes of the 3 most vital cultures of the nation: the Spanish, the Indian as well as the Afro-Antillan. The quaint design is gorgeous as well as in lots of areas is being restored to its original majesty. The trip of the old area must not be missed. Found in the modern part of Panama City is the Multicentro, Central America's biggest buying mall with over 250 stores. Panama City is famous for its shopping and also offers a variety of product consisting of footwears, bags, sporting activities short articles, souvenirs, clothes, china, etc. we were fortunate enough to be able to stay for a night in the Radisson Decapolis Hotel in Panama City (a 5 * Hotel) which was linked by a walkway to the Muticentro. That resort experience was absolutely extraordinary! The Radisson Decapolis supplied an up-scale modern-day area and the dining was excellent premium cuisine (no coastline clothing right here!) The main dining room was distinct because it was 3 tales high and searching for managed you a view of the base of the roof-top pool above. As mentioned, it was just a short jump over to the shopping center, which likewise organized a big gambling enterprise. Panama boasts a few of the best 'eco' sightseeing and tour in the world with the Panamanian Rainforest. Over 300 varieties of birds have been seen in a day, as well as Panama supplies great bird-watching with species such as the iris-beaked toucan, the tangara and the white-tailed sparrow hawk to discuss a couple of. According to studies by the National Panamanian University and also the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the hills of basaltic rock at elevation add to the rich variety of types. An excursion of "Intro to Birdwatching at Cerro Campana National Park" costs approx. $78 United States. On our journey it was terrific to see little colourful hummingbirds sweeping in as well as out of the hibiscus flowers, or watching numerous types of birds in the trees outside of our hotel area patio. We might not determine most of them, and also I would certainly encourage taking a bird book along on your journey for more fascinating viewing. One point that would certainly be a good attribute in preparing a Panama getaway would be the two-centre holiday option-for a one week trip you would certainly stay 5 evenings at the Royal Decameron Beach Resort as well as 2 evenings at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort. That would give you both a beach vacation and the 'eco' experience. We thought that would be a superb holiday alternative, however unfortunately it is only offered at certain times of the year (as well as not when we wished to go.). Other tours that could be of passion are the Jungle Boat Tour (approx. $85 US), the Canopy Adventure Tour (where you could ride the treetops in an eco adventure), or the Anton Valley Adventure ($ 40 United States) where you check out a vanished volcano, a zoo and herb yard, as well as a crafts market offering handmade crafts by local villagers. In various other parts of Panama you could go deep-sea angling, take a sundown sailboat cruise, go on the Panama Express train to Colon, or go scuba diving. In other words, there are endless possibilities for adventure and also enjoyable, as well as at relatively sensible prices as well. We located the individuals of Panama extremely pleasurable as well as companionable. Although Spanish is the official language, English is extensively spoken as well as usually times we discovered the residents talked English so well that we might not determine if they were residents or otherwise. Panama has 2 periods, the completely dry season (January to mid-April) and the wet period (mid-April to December). It is best to maintain these periods in mind when planning your trip. I would additionally suggest taking a little taking a trip umbrella just in instance. They don't call it the tropical rain forest for nothing! Temperatures are around 80-90 F (25-30 C) and are rather regular year-round, although evenings are generally cooler. The equatorial sun is intense in Panama as well as care need to be required to use sunscreen. I even obtained sunburn sitting under the cover on the beach. Overall we believed that Panama was a fantastic getaway. We welcome you to travel there and find out for on your own! Here is my best recomendation for your next san blas sailing

[jedi-princess-rey-blog]

Panama - A Great Vacation Destination

There are lots of exotic getaway in the Caribbean that practically every person recognizes, like Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Aruba, etc.-just to mention a few. Few consider Panama as a warm beach area to check out. But, it is an extremely amazing and remarkable sailboat san blas.

Although the coastline resort we went to is not truly in the Caribbean (it gets on the Pacific Ocean side), the Royal Decameron Beach Resort offers an attractive golden sandy coastline, the cozy exotic climate that one is searching for, and also lots of interesting locations for sight-seeing, the main one being, naturally, the Panama Canal. There are the normal amazing sunsets, cozy ocean waves believing the coast, many swimming pools, impressive hand trees and also polished tropical vegetation within the resort. The complete Royal Decameron uses great food with six a-la-carte themed restaurants, as well as 2 buffet dining establishments and also numerous bars and snack-bars. They have a disco, a gambling establishment, tennis courts, a health club, as well as a near-by golf course-virtually everything a vacationer could ask for. However sufficient about the traditional beach resort services. Just what's unique about Panama specifically? Most importantly, the history of Panama as well as the Panama Canal is fascinating, and I am not even a history enthusiast. I will not enter into a large background lesson right here, yet the Panama Canal is a wonder in design as well as among one of the most considerable rivers on the planet. The canal stretches from Panama City on the Pacific coast to Colon on the Atlantic side, as well as is 80 km (or 50 miles) in length. Over 12,000 ocean-going vessels make use of the canal annually, pushing their method with the slim canal as well as rising and also down in the different locks to make up for the difference in elevation between the 2 seas. There are substantial tracts of virgin jungle on both sides of the canal. It is genuinely a remarkable view to see the huge ships travel through the locks. It is a must-see when going to Panama. Since the hotel we were in was found on the Pacific coastline, we saw the Mira Flores Locks, on the northeastern fringe of Panama City. A platform provides site visitors an excellent view of the locks in procedure and also has an extremely intriguing museum connected. We took the City & Canal Tour (at a price of about $65 US) on which we were able to obtain a wonderful scenic tour of Panama City in addition to see the Mira Flores Locks in action. There are, however, Partial Transit Tours (approx. $96 US) of about four hrs in size which begin in Gamboa, situated at the north end of the Gaillard Cut where the Chagres River moves right into the Canal. Your vessel would travel through the Pedro Miguel Locks as well as the Mara Flores Locks, where the vessel is reduced 18 metres in 2 steps, and your trip would finish at the stunning Flamenco Marina. Of course, there is likewise a full canal tour onboard the Pacific Queen, where you could experience the canal in close procedure. This would be a when in a life time journey where you can feel the experience of rising or down in the secure order to obtain from one sea to the various other. There is additionally a rail experience offered where you tour along-side the Canal while sitting comfortably on a train. Panama City is also worth seeing. The city is divided between the modern, growing mall stretching 10 km (6 miles) along the Pacific coastline and also the old district of San Felipe, a location of rotting early american magnificence. San Felipe juts right into the sea on the southwestern side of town, and also stands for replicas of residences of the three essential cultures of the nation: the Spanish, the Indian as well as the Afro-Antillan. The quaint design is beautiful and also in several areas is being recovered to its initial majesty. The tour of the old district ought to not be missed out on. Found in the modern part of Panama City is the Multicentro, Central America's largest shopping center with over 250 stores. Panama City is famous for its buying as well as offers a variety of goods including footwears, handbags, sports short articles, mementos, garments, china, etc. we were lucky adequate to be able to stay for a night in the Radisson Decapolis Hotel in Panama City (a 5 * Hotel) which was connected by a walkway to the Muticentro. That resort experience was truly extraordinary! The Radisson Decapolis supplied an up-scale contemporary area as well as the dining was top-notch exquisite food (no coastline garments below!) The primary eating area was distinct in that it was three tales high and also looking up managed you a view of the bottom of the roof-top swimming pool above. As discussed, it was only a short hop over to the shopping center, which additionally held a big casino. Panama boasts some of the best 'eco' sightseeing worldwide with the Panamanian Rainforest. Over 300 varieties of birds have been seen in a day, and Panama offers excellent bird-watching with species such as the iris-beaked toucan, the tangara and the white-tailed sparrow hawk to state a couple of. According to researches by the National Panamanian University and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the hills of basaltic rock at elevation contribute to the rich diversity of species. An excursion of "Intro to Birdwatching at Cerro Campana National Park" expenses approx. $78 United States. On our trip it was fantastic to see little colourful hummingbirds flitting in and out of the hibiscus flowers, or checking out numerous sorts of birds in the trees outside of our hotel space patio. We might not determine much of them, and I would encourage taking a bird book along on your journey for even more interesting watching. One point that would be a great feature in intending a Panama getaway would be the two-centre vacation option-for a one week holiday you would certainly remain 5 nights at the Royal Decameron Beach Resort as well as 2 evenings at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort. That would give you both a coastline holiday and the 'eco' experience. We assumed that would certainly be an exceptional getaway alternative, but however it is only offered at particular times of the year (and not when we desired to go.). Other trips that could be of rate of interest are the Jungle Boat Tour (approx. $85 US), the Canopy Adventure Tour (where you can ride the treetops in an eco experience), or the Anton Valley Adventure ($ 40 United States) where you see a vanished volcano, a zoo and organic garden, and also a crafts market offering handmade crafts by neighborhood citizens. In other components of Panama you could go deep-sea angling, take a sundown sailboat cruise, take place the Panama Express train to Colon, or go diving. Basically, there are limitless opportunities for experience and also enjoyable, and also at relatively sensible prices also. We located individuals of Panama very pleasant and companionable. Although Spanish is the official language, English is commonly talked and most of the times we found the citizens talked English so well that we can not choose if they were locals or otherwise. Panama has 2 seasons, the dry season (January to mid-April) as well as the rainy season (mid-April to December). It is best to keep these periods in mind when preparing your trip. I would also advise taking a tiny traveling umbrella just in case. They do not call it the rainfall forest for nothing! Temperatures are around 80-90 F (25-30 C) and are rather regular year-round, although nights are typically cooler. The equatorial sunlight is extreme in Panama and care ought to be required to utilize sun block. I also obtained sunburn sitting under the cover on the beach. Overall we thought that Panama was a great holiday area. We welcome you to travel there and also learn on your own! Here is my best recomendation for your next sailing panama

[buzcutt-blog]

Panama - A Great Vacation Destination

There are numerous exotic getaway in the Caribbean that virtually every person understands, like Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Aruba, etc.-just to state a few. Very few consider Panama as a warm beach area to check out. However, it is a very interesting and also memorable sailboat san blas.

Although the beach resort we saw is not really in the Caribbean (it is on the Pacific Ocean side), the Royal Decameron Beach Resort offers a stunning golden sandy coastline, the warm exotic environment that is searching for, as well as numerous intriguing areas for sight-seeing, the major one being, certainly, the Panama Canal. There are the typical fantastic sunsets, cozy ocean waves washing up the shore, various swimming pools, magnificent hand trees and polished exotic plants within the resort. The extensive Royal Decameron offers fantastic food with 6 a-la-carte themed dining establishments, as well as two buffet restaurants as well as countless bars and snack-bars. They have a disco, a gambling enterprise, tennis courts, a spa, as well as a near-by golf course-virtually whatever a traveler could request. However sufficient concerning the typical beach resort facilities. Exactly what's unique about Panama particularly? Most importantly, the background of Panama and the Panama Canal is fascinating, and also I am not also a background aficionado. I will not get involved in a huge background lesson here, yet the Panama Canal is a marvel in design as well as one of one of the most considerable waterways worldwide. The canal extends from Panama City on the Pacific coast to Colon on the Atlantic side, and also is 80 km (or 50 miles) in length. Over 12,000 ocean-going vessels use the canal per year, nudging their way via the slim canal and also rising and also down in the various locks to compensate for the distinction in altitude in between the two oceans. There are huge tracts of virgin forest on both sides of the canal. It is genuinely an unforgettable view to see the substantial ships travel through the locks. It is a must-see when seeing Panama. Given that the hotel we remained in was situated on the Pacific coast, we visited the Mira Flores Locks, on the northeastern edge of Panama City. A platform offers site visitors an excellent sight of the secure operation and has a really interesting gallery attached. We took the City & Canal Tour (at an expense of approximately $65 United States) on which we had the ability to obtain a fantastic scenic tour of Panama City in addition to see the Mira Flores Locks in activity. There are, however, Partial Transit Tours (approx. $96 United States) of about four hours in size which begin in Gamboa, situated at the north end of the Gaillard Cut where the Chagres River moves right into the Canal. Your vessel would certainly travel through the Pedro Miguel Locks as well as the Mara Flores Locks, where the vessel is lowered 18 metres in 2 actions, and also your voyage would finish at the stunning Flamenco Marina. Naturally, there is also a complete canal scenic tour onboard the Pacific Queen, where you could experience the canal in close operation. This would certainly be an once in a lifetime adventure where you could really feel the experience of going up or down in the locks in order to obtain from one ocean to the other. There is also a rail journey readily available where you explore along-side the Canal while resting conveniently on a train. Panama City is also worth seeing. The city is divided between the modern, flourishing mall extending 10 km (6 miles) along the Pacific shore and the old area of San Felipe, an area of rotting colonial grandeur. San Felipe juts into the sea on the southwestern side of town, and also represents replicas of houses of the three crucial societies of the nation: the Spanish, the Indian and also the Afro-Antillan. The old-world style is lovely and in many places is being recovered to its initial majesty. The trip of the old area need to not be missed out on. Situated in the modern part of Panama City is the Multicentro, Central America's biggest mall with over 250 shops. Panama City is renowned for its buying and offers a wide range of product consisting of shoes, handbags, sporting activities articles, souvenirs, garments, china, etc. we were fortunate adequate to be able to remain for a night in the Radisson Decapolis Hotel in Panama City (a 5 * Hotel) which was connected by a pathway to the Muticentro. That resort experience was truly memorable! The Radisson Decapolis offered an up-scale contemporary room and also the dining was excellent premium food (no beach garments right here!) The major dining area was distinct in that it was 3 stories high and seeking out managed you a view of the base of the roof-top pool over. As stated, it was only a short hop over to the shopping center, which also hosted a huge casino. Panama flaunts a few of the greatest 'eco' sightseeing and tour on the planet with the Panamanian Rainforest. Over 300 varieties of birds have been seen in a day, and also Panama supplies terrific bird-watching with species such as the iris-beaked toucan, the tangara and the white-tailed sparrow hawk to mention a couple of. According to researches by the National Panamanian University and also the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the hills of basaltic rock at elevation add to the abundant variety of species. A tour of "Intro to Birdwatching at Cerro Campana National Park" prices approx. $78 US. On our journey it was remarkable to see tiny colourful hummingbirds flitting in as well as out of the hibiscus flowers, or watching numerous kinds of birds in the trees outside of our resort space outdoor patio. We can not determine many of them, and I would suggest taking a bird publication along on your journey for even more fascinating viewing. Something that would be a good function in planning a Panama getaway would certainly be the two-centre holiday option-for a one week trip you would stay five nights at the Royal Decameron Beach Resort and 2 evenings at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort. That would certainly provide you both a coastline holiday and also the 'eco' experience. We assumed that would be a superb holiday option, yet sadly it is just offered at certain times of the year (and not when we wished to go.). Various other trips that could be of rate of interest are the Jungle Boat Tour (approx. $85 US), the Canopy Adventure Tour (where you could ride the treetops in an eco experience), or the Anton Valley Adventure ($ 40 US) where you visit a vanished volcano, a zoo as well as botanical garden, as well as a crafts market offering handmade crafts by local villagers. In other parts of Panama you could go deep-sea fishing, take a sundown sailboat cruise ship, go on the Panama Express train to Colon, or go scuba diving. Simply put, there are unlimited opportunities for journey and also fun, and at rather affordable rates as well. We found individuals of Panama really enjoyable and also companionable. Although Spanish is the official language, English is extensively talked as well as often times we discovered the residents spoke English so well that we could not choose if they were residents or not. Panama has 2 seasons, the completely dry season (January to mid-April) and also the wet period (mid-April to December). It is best to maintain these seasons in mind when preparing your trip. I would certainly likewise suggest taking a little traveling umbrella just in situation. They do not call it the jungle for nothing! Temperature levels are around 80-90 F (25-30 C) as well as are rather constant year-round, although evenings are usually cooler. The equatorial sun is extreme in Panama and also care ought to be taken to make use of sun block. I also obtained sunburn sitting under the canopy on the coastline. Overall we assumed that Panama was an excellent getaway spot. We welcome you to take a trip there and find out for on your own! Here is my best recomendation for your next sailing in san blas

[valendiles-blog]

Panama - A Great Vacation Destination

There are many exotic destination in the Caribbean that practically every person recognizes, like Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Aruba, etc.-just to point out a couple of. Few think about Panama as a warm beach area to go to. But, it is an extremely amazing as well as remarkable sailboat tour panama.

Although the coastline resort we visited is not really in the Caribbean (it is on the Pacific Ocean side), the Royal Decameron Beach Resort provides a beautiful gold sandy coastline, the cozy tropical climate that one is seeking, and lots of interesting areas for sight-seeing, the primary one being, obviously, the Panama Canal. There are the regular amazing sundowns, warm ocean waves splashing up the shore, many swimming pools, majestic hand trees as well as manicured tropical plants within the resort. The all-inclusive Royal Decameron provides excellent food with six a-la-carte themed dining establishments, along with two buffet dining establishments as well as various bars and also snack-bars. They have a disco, a casino site, tennis courts, a day spa, and also a near-by golf course-virtually whatever a vacationer could request for. Yet enough concerning the traditional coastline hotel amenities. What's unique regarding Panama in certain? Most importantly, the history of Panama and also the Panama Canal is interesting, as well as I am not also a history lover. I will not get into a big history lesson right here, but the Panama Canal is a wonder in engineering as well as among the most significant waterways in the globe. The canal stretches from Panama City on the Pacific coast to Colon on the Atlantic side, and is 80 km (or 50 miles) in length. Over 12,000 ocean-going vessels use the canal per year, nudging their means with the narrow canal and also rising and also down in the numerous locks to make up for the distinction in altitude between both seas. There are vast tracts of virgin forest on both sides of the canal. It is genuinely an extraordinary view to see the huge ships travel through the locks. It is a must-see when going to Panama. Given that the resort we remained in was located on the Pacific coast, we went to the Mira Flores Locks, on the northeastern edge of Panama City. A platform offers visitors a good view of the secure operation and also has a really intriguing museum attached. We took the City & Canal Tour (at an expense of around $65 US) on which we were able to get a wonderful scenic tour of Panama City as well as see the Mira Flores Locks at work. There are, nonetheless, Partial Transit Tours (approx. $96 United States) of concerning 4 hours in size which begin in Gamboa, situated at the north end of the Gaillard Cut where the Chagres River streams into the Canal. Your vessel would certainly pass with the Pedro Miguel Locks and also the Mara Flores Locks, where the vessel is reduced 18 metres in two actions, and your voyage would certainly end at the stunning Flamenco Marina. Certainly, there is additionally a full canal tour onboard the Pacific Queen, where you could experience the canal in close operation. This would be an as soon as in a lifetime journey where you might feel the sensation of going up or down in the locks in order to obtain from one ocean to the other. There is likewise a rail journey available where you visit along-side the Canal while sitting pleasantly on a train. Panama City is also worth going to. The city is divided in between the modern-day, thriving mall stretching 10 kilometres (6 miles) along the Pacific coast and also the old district of San Felipe, an area of rotting early american magnificence. San Felipe sticks out right into the sea on the southwestern side of community, and stands for replicas of residences of the three crucial societies of the country: the Spanish, the Indian and also the Afro-Antillan. The quaint design is lovely as well as in numerous areas is being recovered to its original splendour. The trip of the old district ought to not be missed out on. Found in the modern-day part of Panama City is the Multicentro, Central America's largest buying mall with over 250 stores. Panama City is well-known for its buying and provides a wide range of merchandise including shoes, bags, sports write-ups, mementos, clothing, china, etc. we were lucky enough to be able to remain for an evening in the Radisson Decapolis Hotel in Panama City (a 5 * Hotel) which was linked by a sidewalk to the Muticentro. That hotel experience was genuinely memorable! The Radisson Decapolis supplied an up-scale modern area as well as the dining was first-class premium cuisine (no coastline apparel right here!) The major dining-room was one-of-a-kind because it was 3 tales high and looking up afforded you a sight of all-time low of the roof-top pool above. As stated, it was just a brief hop over to the shopping center, which also organized a huge casino site. Panama flaunts some of the best 'eco' sightseeing and tour in the globe with the Panamanian Rainforest. Over 300 types of birds have actually been seen in a day, and Panama supplies fantastic bird-watching with species such as the iris-beaked toucan, the tangara and the white-tailed sparrow hawk to point out a few. Inning accordance with studies by the National Panamanian University as well as the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the mountains of basaltic rock at altitude add to the abundant variety of types. An excursion of "Intro to Birdwatching at Cerro Campana National Park" prices approx. $78 US. On our trip it was fantastic to see little colourful hummingbirds sweeping in and also out of the hibiscus flowers, or seeing various types of birds in the trees outside of our hotel space outdoor patio. We might not identify a number of them, as well as I would suggest taking a bird publication along on your journey for even more intriguing viewing. One thing that would be a great function in preparing a Panama holiday would certainly be the two-centre holiday option-for a one week getaway you would stay five evenings at the Royal Decameron Beach Resort as well as 2 evenings at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort. That would give you both a coastline holiday and also the 'eco' experience. We thought that would certainly be an outstanding vacation alternative, but however it is only offered at particular times of the year (as well as not when we wished to go.). Other excursions that may be of passion are the Jungle Boat Tour (approx. $85 United States), the Canopy Adventure Tour (where you can ride the treetops in an eco journey), or the Anton Valley Adventure ($ 40 US) where you check out a vanished volcano, a zoo and also arboretum, and a crafts market offering handmade crafts by local villagers. In other parts of Panama you can go deep-sea angling, take a sunset sailboat cruise ship, take place the Panama Express train to Colon, or go scuba diving. Basically, there are countless opportunities for adventure as well as enjoyable, and also at relatively practical rates also. We located the individuals of Panama very enjoyable as well as companionable. Although Spanish is the main language, English is widely talked and also frequently times we found the residents talked English so well that we might not decide if they were residents or not. Panama has two seasons, the dry season (January to mid-April) as well as the stormy period (mid-April to December). It is best to keep these seasons in mind when preparing your journey. I would likewise advise taking a little taking a trip umbrella just in case. They do not call it the tropical rain forest for absolutely nothing! Temperatures are around 80-90 F (25-30 C) as well as are fairly consistent year-round, although evenings are typically cooler. The equatorial sun is intense in Panama as well as treatment need to be required to use sun block. I even got sunburn sitting under the canopy on the coastline. On the whole we believed that Panama was a wonderful destination. We invite you to take a trip there and also discover on your own! Here is my best recomendation for your next sailing in san blas

[willblogforcake-blog1]

Panama - A Great Vacation Destination

There are several unique getaway spots in the Caribbean that nearly every person is aware of, like Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Aruba, etc.-just to point out a few. Few think about Panama as a cozy coastline spot to go to. However, it is a really exciting and also memorable sailing panama.

Although the coastline resort we checked out is not really in the Caribbean (it gets on the Pacific Ocean side), the Royal Decameron Beach Resort uses a lovely gold sandy coastline, the cozy exotic environment that one is trying to find, and many intriguing places for sight-seeing, the major one being, certainly, the Panama Canal. There are the common wonderful sunsets, cozy ocean waves believing the coast, countless pool, stunning palm trees as well as polished exotic vegetation within the resort. The complete Royal Decameron offers fantastic food with six a-la-carte themed dining establishments, as well as 2 buffet dining establishments as well as many bars and snack-bars. They have a disco, a casino site, tennis courts, a spa, as well as a near-by golf course-virtually everything a visitor might request. Yet enough about the standard beach hotel services. Exactly what's special concerning Panama specifically? Most importantly, the background of Panama as well as the Panama Canal is fascinating, as well as I am not even a background buff. I will not enter a big background lesson below, yet the Panama Canal is a marvel in design and among the most significant waterways worldwide. The canal stretches from Panama City on the Pacific shore to Colon on the Atlantic side, as well as is 80 km (or 50 miles) in length. Over 12,000 ocean-going vessels use the canal each year, pushing their way with the narrow canal as well as rising as well as down in the various locks to make up for the difference in altitude in between the 2 seas. There are vast systems of virgin forest on both sides of the canal. It is truly a remarkable view to see the substantial ships pass via the locks. It is a must-see when checking out Panama. Since the resort we remained in was located on the Pacific coast, we checked out the Mira Flores Locks, on the northeastern edge of Panama City. A platform provides visitors a good sight of the locks in procedure as well as has an extremely interesting gallery attached. We took the City & Canal Tour (at an expense of around $65 US) on which we were able to get a fantastic tour of Panama City as well as see the Mira Flores Locks at work. There are, however, Partial Transit Tours (approx. $96 US) of about 4 hours in length which begin in Gamboa, situated at the north end of the Gaillard Cut where the Chagres River flows into the Canal. Your vessel would go through the Pedro Miguel Locks and also the Mara Flores Locks, where the vessel is reduced 18 metres in two steps, and your trip would certainly end at the gorgeous Flamenco Marina. Obviously, there is likewise a complete canal excursion onboard the Pacific Queen, where you could experience the canal in close procedure. This would be a when in a lifetime journey where you can really feel the sensation of going up or down in the secure order to obtain from one ocean to the various other. There is likewise a rail journey offered where you visit along-side the Canal while sitting easily on a train. Panama City is also worth visiting. The city is split between the contemporary, growing mall stretching 10 km (6 miles) along the Pacific shore as well as the old district of San Felipe, a location of rotting early american magnificence. San Felipe sticks out right into the sea on the southwestern side of community, and represents reproductions of houses of the three essential cultures of the country: the Spanish, the Indian and the Afro-Antillan. The old-world architecture is stunning and also in numerous locations is being restored to its original grandeur. The trip of the old area need to not be missed. Situated in the modern-day component of Panama City is the Multicentro, Central America's biggest buying mall with over 250 shops. Panama City is famous for its buying as well as supplies a wide array of merchandise including footwears, purses, sporting activities write-ups, mementos, clothing, china, etc. we were privileged adequate to be able to remain for a night in the Radisson Decapolis Hotel in Panama City (a 5 * Hotel) which was connected by a pathway to the Muticentro. That hotel experience was really unforgettable! The Radisson Decapolis supplied an up-scale modern-day area and the eating was first-class gourmet cuisine (no coastline apparel below!) The major eating area was special in that it was three stories high as well as searching for managed you a sight of the bottom of the roof-top swimming pool over. As pointed out, it was just a short jump over to the mall, which likewise organized a huge online casino. Panama boasts some of the best 'eco' sightseeing on the planet with the Panamanian Rainforest. Over 300 species of birds have actually been seen in a day, and also Panama offers great bird-watching with species such as the iris-beaked toucan, the tangara and also the white-tailed sparrow hawk to point out a couple of. According to studies by the National Panamanian University and also the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the mountains of basaltic rock at elevation add to the abundant diversity of types. An excursion of "Intro to Birdwatching at Cerro Campana National Park" prices approx. $78 United States. On our journey it was terrific to see little vibrant hummingbirds flitting in as well as out of the hibiscus blossoms, or viewing numerous types of birds in the trees beyond our hotel room patio area. We can not recognize numerous of them, and also I would certainly advise taking a bird book along on your trip for more interesting viewing. One point that would be a good function in intending a Panama vacation would be the two-centre holiday option-for a one week holiday you would stay five nights at the Royal Decameron Beach Resort as well as two nights at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort. That would certainly offer you both a beach holiday as well as the 'eco' experience. We believed that would be an excellent trip choice, but however it is just used at specific times of the year (as well as not when we intended to go.). Various other trips that may be of interest are the Jungle Boat Tour (approx. $85 US), the Canopy Adventure Tour (where you could ride the treetops in an eco adventure), or the Anton Valley Adventure ($ 40 United States) where you visit a vanished volcano, a zoo as well as botanical garden, and a crafts market offering handmade crafts by regional villagers. In various other parts of Panama you could go deep-sea angling, take a sundown sailboat cruise, go on the Panama Express train to Colon, or go diving. In other words, there are unlimited possibilities for adventure and fun, as well as at relatively affordable prices too. We located the individuals of Panama very pleasant as well as companionable. Although Spanish is the official language, English is widely talked and also many times we located the residents spoke English so well that we might not choose if they were locals or not. Panama has two periods, the completely dry period (January to mid-April) and also the stormy season (mid-April to December). It is best to keep these seasons in mind when intending your trip. I would certainly likewise suggest taking a tiny taking a trip umbrella simply in situation. They don't call it the jungle for nothing! Temperature levels are around 80-90 F (25-30 C) and also are relatively constant year-round, although nights are generally cooler. The equatorial sunlight is extreme in Panama and care should be taken to use sunscreen. I even got sunburn sitting under the canopy on the beach. Overall we believed that Panama was a fantastic trip area. We invite you to take a trip there as well as discover for on your own! Here is my best recomendation for your next san blas sailing

[future-slp-blog1]

Panama - A Great Vacation Destination

There are numerous exotic destination in the Caribbean that practically every person is conscious of, like Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Aruba, etc.-just to mention a few. Very few consider Panama as a warm beach spot to visit. However, it is an extremely interesting and also unforgettable sailboat san blas.

Although the beach resort we went to is not really in the Caribbean (it gets on the Pacific Ocean side), the Royal Decameron Beach Resort supplies a beautiful golden sandy coastline, the cozy exotic environment that one is seeking, and also lots of intriguing locations for sight-seeing, the main one being, naturally, the Panama Canal. There are the common amazing sundowns, cozy ocean waves believing the coast, countless swimming pools, impressive palm trees and also polished exotic plants within the resort. The all-inclusive Royal Decameron provides excellent food with 6 a-la-carte themed dining establishments, along with 2 buffet dining establishments and also numerous bars and snack-bars. They have a nightclub, a casino site, tennis courts, a health club, and a near-by golf course-virtually whatever a traveler can request. But sufficient concerning the typical beach hotel services. Just what's unique concerning Panama specifically? Primarily, the background of Panama and also the Panama Canal is interesting, and I am not also a history enthusiast. I will not enter a big history lesson right here, but the Panama Canal is a wonder in engineering and also among the most substantial rivers worldwide. The canal stretches from Panama City on the Pacific coast to Colon on the Atlantic side, as well as is 80 km (or 50 miles) in size. Over 12,000 ocean-going vessels utilize the canal annually, nudging their means with the narrow canal and rising and down in the different locks to make up for the distinction in altitude in between the 2 seas. There are huge systems of virgin forest on both sides of the canal. It is truly a remarkable view to see the significant ships pass via the locks. It is a must-see when visiting Panama. Given that the hotel we were in was located on the Pacific shore, we visited the Mira Flores Locks, on the northeastern edge of Panama City. A platform offers visitors an excellent view of the locks in operation and has a really interesting gallery affixed. We took the City & Canal Tour (at an expense of around $65 US) on which we were able to get a fantastic trip of Panama City along with see the Mira Flores Locks in action. There are, however, Partial Transit Tours (approx. $96 US) of about 4 hours in length which begin in Gamboa, located at the north end of the Gaillard Cut where the Chagres River moves right into the Canal. Your vessel would go through the Pedro Miguel Locks and also the Mara Flores Locks, where the vessel is reduced 18 metres in 2 steps, as well as your voyage would certainly end at the attractive Flamenco Marina. Obviously, there is also a complete canal excursion onboard the Pacific Queen, where you can experience the canal in close procedure. This would certainly be an as soon as in a life time journey where you can really feel the sensation of going up or down in the locks in order to get from one sea to the various other. There is likewise a rail adventure readily available where you visit along-side the Canal while sitting pleasantly on a train. Panama City is also worth going to. The city is divided between the contemporary, flourishing industrial facility stretching 10 km (6 miles) along the Pacific coast and also the old area of San Felipe, an area of decomposing early american majesty. San Felipe sticks out right into the sea on the southwestern side of town, and stands for reproductions of houses of the three most vital societies of the country: the Spanish, the Indian and also the Afro-Antillan. The quaint design is lovely and also in several places is being brought back to its original magnificence. The excursion of the old area need to not be missed out on. Located in the modern part of Panama City is the Multicentro, Central America's biggest shopping mall with over 250 shops. Panama City is famous for its buying and supplies a variety of goods including shoes, handbags, sporting activities posts, mementos, garments, china, and so on we were privileged enough to be able to stay for a night in the Radisson Decapolis Hotel in Panama City (a 5 * Hotel) which was attached by a pathway to the Muticentro. That hotel experience was genuinely remarkable! The Radisson Decapolis provided an up-scale modern-day area as well as the dining was first-class exquisite food (no coastline garments here!) The major dining-room was one-of-a-kind because it was 3 tales high and searching for afforded you a sight of the base of the roof-top pool over. As mentioned, it was only a short hop over to the purchasing centre, which additionally held a big gambling establishment. Panama boasts some of the best 'eco' sightseeing worldwide with the Panamanian Rainforest. Over 300 species of birds have actually been seen in a day, and also Panama supplies excellent bird-watching with types such as the iris-beaked toucan, the tangara and also the white-tailed sparrow hawk to discuss a couple of. Inning accordance with studies by the National Panamanian University and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the hills of basaltic rock at altitude contribute to the abundant diversity of species. A scenic tour of "Intro to Birdwatching at Cerro Campana National Park" costs approx. $78 US. On our trip it was terrific to see little colourful hummingbirds flitting in and also out of the hibiscus blossoms, or seeing numerous kinds of birds in the trees beyond our resort area patio. We can not identify a number of them, and I would recommend taking a bird book along on your trip for even more intriguing watching. One point that would certainly be a nice feature in preparing a Panama trip would be the two-centre vacation option-for a one week holiday you would certainly stay five evenings at the Royal Decameron Beach Resort as well as two evenings at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort. That would give you both a beach holiday and the 'eco' experience. We assumed that would certainly be an outstanding vacation alternative, yet regrettably it is just provided at certain times of the year (and also not when we wanted to go.). Various other trips that may be of interest are the Jungle Boat Tour (approx. $85 US), the Canopy Adventure Tour (where you could ride the treetops in an eco adventure), or the Anton Valley Adventure ($ 40 United States) where you visit a vanished volcano, a zoo and also herb garden, as well as a crafts market offering handmade crafts by regional villagers. In various other parts of Panama you could go deep-sea fishing, take a sundown sailboat cruise ship, take place the Panama Express train to Colon, or go scuba diving. In brief, there are limitless opportunities for adventure and also fun, and also at rather sensible rates also. We discovered individuals of Panama very pleasurable and companionable. Although Spanish is the main language, English is commonly talked and many times we located the citizens talked English so well that we could not determine if they were locals or otherwise. Panama has 2 seasons, the dry season (January to mid-April) as well as the rainy period (mid-April to December). It is best to keep these seasons in mind when intending your trip. I would certainly likewise suggest taking a little taking a trip umbrella just in instance. They don't call it the rain woodland for nothing! Temperature levels are around 80-90 F (25-30 C) and also are fairly constant year-round, although nights are generally cooler. The equatorial sunlight is extreme in Panama and also care should be taken to make use of sunscreen. I also got sunburn resting under the cover on the beach. On the whole we assumed that Panama was a fantastic destination. We welcome you to take a trip there as well as learn on your own! Here is my best recomendation for your next sailing panama

[arturjanas-blog1]

Panama - A fantastic Holiday Destination

There are plenty of exotic trip spots inside the Caribbean that pretty much everyone is conscious of, like Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Aruba, and so forth.-just to mention a couple of. Not lots of feel of Panama as a warm beach spot to visit. But, it can be an incredibly fascinating and memorable spot for a fantastic holiday. While the beach resort we visited just isn't really in the Caribbean (it truly is on the Pacific Ocean side), the Royal Decameron Beach Resort provides a attractive golden sandy beach, the warm tropical climate that one is seeking, and several interesting places for sight-seeing, the primary one getting, of course, the Panama Canal.

You will discover the standard superb sunsets, warm ocean waves lapping up the shore, numerous swimming pools, majestic palm trees and manicured tropical vegetation inside the resort. The all-inclusive Royal Decameron gives fantastic food with six a-la-carte themed restaurants, also as two buffet restaurants and many bars and snack-bars. They've a disco, a casino, tennis courts, a spa, plus a near-by golf course-virtually every little thing a vacationer could ask for. But sufficient about the standard beach resort amenities. What is particular about Panama in particular? Initially and foremost, the history of Panama and also the Panama Canal is fascinating, and I am not even a history buff. I will not get into a major history lesson here, however the Panama Canal is a marvel in engineering and one of several most substantial waterways in the planet. The canal stretches from Panama City on the Pacific coast to Colon around the Atlantic side, and is 80 km (or 50 miles) in length. More than 12,000 ocean-going vessels use the canal per year, nudging their way by means of the narrow canal and increasing up and down within the various locks to compensate for the difference in elevation amongst the two oceans. You can find vast tracts of virgin jungle on each sides of the canal. It is truly an unforgettable sight to find out the big ships pass by way of the locks. It can be a must-see when going to Panama. Since the resort we have been in was located on the Pacific coast, we visited the Mira Flores Locks, on the northeastern fringe of Panama City. A platform delivers visitors a fantastic view of the locks in operation and features a quite fascinating museum attached. We took the City & Canal Tour (at a cost of approximately $65 US) on which we had been able to get a wonderful tour of Panama City as well as see the Mira Flores Locks in action. You'll find, however, Partial Transit Tours (approx. $96 US) of about four hours in length which start in Gamboa, located at the north end of the Gaillard Cut where the Chagres River flows into the Canal. Your vessel would pass by way of the Pedro Miguel Locks and the Mara Flores Locks, where the vessel is lowered 18 metres in two steps, and your voyage would end at the gorgeous Flamenco Marina. Naturally, there is also a full canal tour onboard the Pacific Queen, where you can experience the canal in close operation. This would be a once in a lifetime adventure where you could feel the sensation of going up or down inside the locks in order to get from 1 ocean to the other. There is also a rail adventure available where you tour along-side the Canal while sitting comfortably on a train. Panama City is also worth going to. The city is split amongst the modern, thriving commercial center stretching 10 km (6 miles) along the Pacific coast as well as the old district of San Felipe, an area of decaying colonial grandeur. San Felipe juts into the sea on the southwestern side of town, and represents replicas of houses in the three most important cultures in the country: the Spanish, the Indian and the Afro-Antillan. The old-world architecture is beautiful and in a lot of areas is being restored to its original grandeur. The tour on the old district should not be missed. Located in the modern part of Panama City is the Multicentro, Central America's largest shopping mall with more than 250 stores. Panama City is famous for its shopping and presents a wide variety of merchandise including shoes, purses, sports articles, souvenirs, clothes, china, etc. we were fortunate sufficient to be able to stay to get a night within the Radisson Decapolis Hotel in Panama City (a 5 * Hotel) which was connected by a walkway to the Muticentro. That hotel experience was genuinely unforgettable! The Radisson Decapolis offered an up-scale modern room plus the dining was top-notch gourmet cuisine (no beach apparel right here!) The key dining room was unique in that it was three stories high and hunting up afforded you a view with the bottom of the roof-top pool above. As mentioned, it was only a short hop over to the shopping centre, which also hosted a large casino. Panama boasts some in the greatest 'eco' sightseeing within the planet with the Panamanian Rainforest. Over 300 species of birds have been seen in a day, and Panama offers terrific bird-watching with species such as the iris-beaked toucan, the tangara and also the white-tailed sparrow hawk to mention some. According to studies by the National Panamanian University as well as the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the mountains of basaltic rock at altitude contribute to the rich diversity of species. A tour of "Intro to Birdwatching at Cerro Campana National Park" costs approx. $78 US. On our trip it was wonderful to determine tiny colourful hummingbirds flitting in and out of your hibiscus flowers, or viewing numerous types of birds in the trees outside of our hotel room patio. We could not identify many of them, and I would advise taking a bird book along on your trip for more exciting viewing. 1 thing that would be a nice feature in planning a Panama vacation would be the two-centre holiday option-for a a single week vacation you would stay five nights at the Royal Decameron Beach Resort and two nights at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort. That would give you both a beach holiday plus the 'eco' experience. We thought that would be an excellent trip option, but unfortunately it truly is only offered at certain times in the year (and not when we wanted to go.) Other tours that may be of interest are the Jungle Boat Tour (approx. $85 US), the Canopy Adventure Tour (where you can ride the treetops in an eco adventure), or the Anton Valley Adventure ($40 US) where you check out an extinct volcano, a zoo and botanical garden, in addition to a crafts market offering handmade crafts by local villagers. In other parts of Panama you can go deep-sea fishing, take a sunset sailboat cruise, go around the Panama Express train to Colon, or go scuba diving. In short, you'll find endless possibilities for adventure and fun, and at fairly reasonable rates too.

We found the people of Panama very pleasant and companionable. Despite the fact that Spanish is the official language, English is widely spoken and often times we found the locals spoke English so well that we could not decide if they had been locals or not. Panama has two seasons, the dry season (January to mid-April) along with the rainy season (mid-April to December). It really is best to keep these seasons in mind when planning your trip. I would also advise taking a small traveling umbrella just in case. They don't call it the rain forest for nothing! Temperatures are around 80-90 F (25-30 C) and are fairly consistent year-round, despite the fact that nights are usually cooler. The equatorial sun is intense in Panama and care should be taken to use sunscreen. I even got sunburn sitting under the canopy around the beach. On the whole we thought that Panama was an excellent holiday spot. We invite you to travel there and learn for yourself! Get to know more about san blas sailing