{"id":1681,"date":"2014-02-19T11:07:27","date_gmt":"2014-02-19T11:07:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/192.168.7.128\/wpmigrate\/?p=1681"},"modified":"2014-02-19T11:07:27","modified_gmt":"2014-02-19T11:07:27","slug":"discover-a-hidden-jewel-that-is-panama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drprem.com\/travel\/discover-a-hidden-jewel-that-is-panama\/","title":{"rendered":"Discover a hidden jewel that is Panama"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"3a64bb57635b757d04b12bcf0c14b9a3\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:10px 0 10px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\"\r\n     data-ad-layout=\"in-article\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9477973674766713\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"8885944693\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">We visited Panama couple of years ago in January.&nbsp; It was the furthest south we have ever gone and our first flavour of what Latin America has to offer.&nbsp; &nbsp;We experienced the country both with a native guide on our own schedule and by staying in an all inclusive resort.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Panama connects Central (and by extension North America) with South America and borders Costa Rica&nbsp;to the northwest, and&nbsp;Colombia&nbsp;to the southeast. Enjoying the best of both worlds, Panamanians have the benefit of the&nbsp;Caribbean Sea&nbsp;to the north and the&nbsp;Pacific Ocean&nbsp;to the south.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">The resort we stayed at, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.panamaplayablanca.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Playa Blanca<\/a>, is located about 75 minutes from Panama City and not only is it beautiful, it has the best cappuccinos and most amazing grilled calamari.&nbsp; There was also a friendly Toucan that made daily visits to the eating area for some fruit and literally ate off guests&rsquo; plates.&nbsp; It wasn&rsquo;t shy by any means and quite amusing.&nbsp; Having never seen one in real life, I was stunned. Toucans are very colourful and vibrant, almost resembling a stuffed toy.&nbsp; I think this was the most amazing thing I have ever seen in my life and I was overjoyed when it made its way on our table the day we were leaving.&nbsp; To this day, this is one of my favourite memories of encounters with nature&rsquo;s creatures.<\/p><div class=\"3a64bb57635b757d04b12bcf0c14b9a3\" data-index=\"2\" style=\"float: none; margin:10px 0 10px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\"\r\n     data-ad-layout=\"in-article\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9477973674766713\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"8885944693\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>The hotel itself is on the Pacific coast of Panama and boasts a dark sand beach. Being used to the almost white beaches of the Caribbean my feelings about this were very mixed.&nbsp; I expected to step on the beach made up of black sand and more resembling a field of dirt rather than an ocean coast.&nbsp; It turns out, not all the sand is black and tends to be that way closer to the water. The only important difference I discovered is that it heats quicker and retains the heat longer, which works on the same principle as clothing.&nbsp; At times, walking on the beach felt what I imagine walking on hot coals must feel like. Nonetheless, the effect of wet black sand is quite spectacular.<\/p>\n<p>The best way I can describe the essence of Panama is that it has the Miami-like vibe with the feel of a Caribbean island.&nbsp; The shopping at the malls in Panama City is amazing and very cheap &ndash; at least when you compare the prices to anything in Canada.&nbsp; People are friendly and being a tourist doesn&rsquo;t make you stand out like a sore thumb which is always a plus in my book.&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A stop at Panama Canal is definitely a must.&nbsp; Its long and quite deadly history is captured quite poignantly in a little museum at the Miraflores Locks and it provides quite an intimate look at this decades-long engineering feat.<\/p>\n<p>Aside from the bustling vibe of its capital, Panama has breath-taking mountain peaks and tropical rainforest that is home to an incredible array of animals and plants.&nbsp; A rich mix of cultures and its long history make this a fascinating place to visit.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>There are other beautiful resorts in Panama, according to a guide book in our room, on the Caribbean coast, closer to the Costa Rican border.&nbsp; Unfortunately, they are not offered as destinations by any carriers from Canada.&nbsp; That is my only complaint about Panama. I hope one day to explore more of this amazing country especially when it becomes more accessible and so should you!<\/p>\n<div class=\"3a64bb57635b757d04b12bcf0c14b9a3\" data-index=\"3\" style=\"float: none; margin:10px 0 10px 0; text-align:center;\">\n          <p><a id=\"link-15\" href=\"\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\r\n            <img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;\" id=\"img-15\" src=\"\"><\/a><\/p>\r\n            <script>\r\n            var xmlhttp = new XMLHttpRequest();\r\n            xmlhttp.onreadystatechange = function() {\r\n              if (this.readyState == 4 && this.status == 200) {\r\n                var myObj = JSON.parse(this.responseText);\r\n                document.getElementById(\"link-\"+myObj.id).setAttribute('href',myObj.url);\r\n                document.getElementById(\"img-\"+myObj.id).setAttribute('src','https:\/\/fetch.drprem.com\/\/uploads\/'+myObj.image);\r\n              }\r\n            };\r\n            xmlhttp.open(\"GET\", \"https:\/\/fetch.drprem.com\/\/api\/Ads\/15\", true);\r\n            xmlhttp.send();\r\n            <\/script>\r\n        \r\n        <style>\r\n        *{box-sizing:border-box}.top-container{display: grid;grid-template-columns: auto auto auto;}.column{float:left;width:100%;padding: 0 7.5px 15px 7.5px;}.row{margin:0 -5px}.row:after{content:\"\";display:table;clear:both}@media screen and (max-width: 600px){.top-container{display: block;grid-template-columns: unset;}.column{width:100%;display:block;margin-bottom:20px}}.card{text-align:center;}.card_image img{width:100%}.card_body{padding:15px}.card_title{font-size: 14px;line-height: 19px;text-decoration: none;text-align:left;color: #333;}.card-heading{text-align: left;margin-bottom: 25px !important;}\r\n        <\/style>\r\n        <div class=\"row todays-top\">\r\n            <h3 class=\"card-heading\"> Recent Articles: <\/h3><div class=\"top-container\" id=\"todays-top\">\r\n        <\/div>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n        <script>\r\n            var xmlhttp = new XMLHttpRequest();\r\n            xmlhttp.onreadystatechange = function() {\r\n            if (this.readyState == 4 && this.status == 200) {\r\n            var myObj = JSON.parse(this.responseText); 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