Me, Mom and Panama | FindPenguins

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Trip start
February 7, 2026
Me, Mom and Panama Traveler
Logistics, lots of laughs and Uber
February 7 in Panama ⋅ ☁️ 75 °F
Mom has always wanted to see the Panama Canal. I’ve been dying to get down here and take a look around. Panama has one of the best retirement visas available; and I want to check it out.
We had flight credits with Delta. Not my 1st choice to fly to Central America, but it was was it was. We had to connect in Atlanta, and ended up with an over night layover coming and going. There is no hotel in the airport, so you have to go off site. Again, shouldn’t be too bad. But it’s a lot of getting out of the airport , into a Uber, getting to the hotel late, then having to get up early and do it again in reverse. 2x.
Last night after we flew into Atlanta we learned a few things. 1) ATL is humongous; and their baggage claim in the domestic terminal , was vast and intimidating. Especially when said person needs an eye exam and they told me my Checked bag was on carousel 9, but was really on 2. I parked Mom, with her bag (found that quick and easy) and had myself a moment of slightly losing my shit. I was then able to ask a baggage agent for help, who steered me in the right direction.
I thought prebooking an Uber would make things easier. It didn’t. They cancelled me because I didn’t show and when I rebooked the ride, I entered the wrong hotel. So a very nice lady took us to the Marriott (where were are staying during the long layover home) instead of the Hilton (where we had reservations for last night ). We had a good laugh, rolled our eyes, and I called another Uber. We got into bed around midnight, and got up at 4am to bed out the door by 6 am. We had a nice 2 hr breakfast at the Delta lounge and were relaxed, tired and ready to nap on the plane.
The flight was lovely and the scenery on the way down was beautiful.
I had ordered a car service to pick us up when we got to the Panama City Airport. I figured having someone meet us there would be helpful. Except he didn’t. Turns out he was out by the ride share pickup. He and I were texting each other trying to link up. So he would te t me in Spanish, I’d take a screenshot and Google Translate it, type my response on Google Translate, cut and paste it into iMessages. At one point my phone said it could translate the te TS but I’d have to download it, and it took forever. All while, I’m in jeans, long sleeve shirt, and wool socks ( because it had literally been freezing in ATL this am.) walking up and down the length of the pickup zone, trying to find Sr. Perez.
Mom hung in there like a trooper. She would stand with the bags as I zoomed around trying to “go with the flow and be flexible” but really wanted to find this ride.
After a few more minutes, I looked over and there was a guy who looked like he was looking for someone. I waved to him, said his name, he said mine, and we were all very relieved.
I rented an apt on airBB in the old section of Panama City. It’s got high ceilings, big windows, a balcony overlooking the square and isn’t too fancy. It’s perfect.
We were too tired to go out and find dinner, so we ordered dinner off of Uber Eats and had it delivered. I found this hamburger place, and they had really good reviews. And the burgers were really good. And we were super happy.
Tomorrow we are getting up early to go get on a boat to cruise the Canal. It will be a long day, but we can rest literally for the rest of the week.
It’s so nice to be here. It’s been a long time coming.Read more
Wow looks beautiful enjoy your trip and time with your mom ☺️ [Sharon]
2/8/26Reply
TravelerThese bougainvillea are everywhere and incredible!
2/8/26Reply
Sounds like typical trips with ups and downs, but being experienced in such mishaps , you deal with it very well! Love your mom is the “anchor “ while you go search, I did same with Dick! Tropical weather, do use all the SPF you have, and enjoy the flowers and foliage. I spent summers in Ft Gulick, where my uncle was stationed and in charge of the Canal Zone in the 50’s, he was a major and we had many perks . Love the stories, thank you for sharing, all the best to you both and enjoy!! [Gloria]
2/8/26Reply
TravelerYes! We are covered up and try and stay in the shade. I was telling Mom that you used to come here. I will tell her it was Ft Gulick. ❤️
2/8/26Reply
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Me, Mom and Panama Traveler
The Panama Canal
February 8 in Panama ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F
This morning we got up early again. Uber was coming at 8:30 and we needed to be dressed, caffeinated and breakfasted by then. I have found this great crepe place down the street the night before that serves breakfast; but when I checked this am, they were closed on Sunday. 🤦‍♀️
So I checked Uber Eats to see what breakfast could be delivered, and McDonalds won. 20 minutes later 2 sausage egg McMuffins and an OJ had been delivered to our door. I had brought good strong French roast Starbucks instant coffee with us so we were good to go.
Don’t get me wrong. We would have loved to have found a little local place for breakfast , but it was far easier to have a good sturdy familiar breakfast without having to leave the apt.
A few hours later we were on a pretty good size boat with about 150 people. We took a bus to a spot about an hour north, and boarded the boat there. It was very well organized, super clean, plenty of clean bathrooms, and water, sodas and lunch was included. The lunch was excellent. Rice, chicken in a red sauce, roasted veggies, plantains and salad.
We went through 3 locks. There was a man who narrated the whole thing in English and Spanish. He was funny without being annoying and very informative. There was plenty of seating downstairs through the length of the boat and lots of seating on the upper deck that was 80% under shade, which was really nice. The wind was blowing and it felt really nice. There was a sailboat behind us, going through the canal too. It was about a 45 Ft boat, with 6 Frenchmen on it. Someone said they were coming through from the Caribbean.
Behind them was this HUGE container ship. So as we went through the locks, the sailboat would raft up with us ( the tour boat) . It must have been annoying trying to do that with 15 tourists leaning over the side watching you.
Then we would all watch this huge ship come up behind us. It was incredible. I think it would be very stressful to be a smaller boat going through the Canal. It all runs like a well oiled machine, but there is a lot that can go wrong.
We saw some humongous container ships go by and it was neat to be so close to them. Normally if you are in a smaller boat and that close to one of those big ships, it means things are going bad quick.
It was fun to people watch today. It was a mix of nationalities, most US, European and a few from China.
We got off the boat around 5 and it’s now 7 pm and we are home, showered and tired. But I’m so happy that this all went well. Mom has always wanted to see the Canal, and I’m glad she got to come down here. It’s really beautiful and the people are warm and friendly.Read more
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Me, Mom and Panama Traveler
Well Deserved Day of Rest
February 9 in Panama ⋅ 🌙 75 °F
Today we didn’t leave the apt. We slept until about 10:30 am,got up and had a leisurely cup of coffee. We got hungry around noon but had no interest in going anywhere; so I ordered lunch to be delivered. (God Bless Uber Eats).
Here, small traditional Panamanian restaurants are call Fondas. They serve generous portions of rice, meat, veggies, salad and plantains. They are less expensive, excellent quality and again, generous portions.
We ate lunch around 1pm then read for a bit before we both were asleep on the couch. I woke up in the late afternoon and Mom was reading. We finished the other half of our lunch for dinner, and are both in bed reading again.
Tomorrow we are going to the Crepe place for breakfast and then to the Panama Canal Museum. It feels good to get caught up on rest.Read more
TravelerSounds like a perfect day!
2/10/26Reply
Love it! [Rosa]
2/12/26Reply
4 likes
Me, Mom and Panama Traveler
The Panama Canal Museum
February 10 in Panama ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F
Mom and I got up early and went to a cute breakfast spot. I keep forgetting to take pictures of the food.
After we were fueled and caffeinated, we walked across the street to the Canal museum. There were throngs of tourists, all quite annoying.
The Museum was amazing. It talked in length the segregation and inequality among the white American workers, the Panamanians, the workers that came from the Caribbean, specifically the Jamaicans. How they were paid, the working and living conditions.
Another huge part of the museum was the struggle for the Panamanians to acquire the Canal. For decades and decades.
It was interesting seeing the US’s part from the side of Panama. Our heads were spinning, full of new knowledge and enormous respect for this little country.
Tomorrow we leave Panama City. We are renting a car and driving 2.5 hours NW to a little mountain town called El Valle de Anton. It should be an adventure. I’m just glad they drive on the right side of the road.Read more
TravelerGet that kitty a passport!! It needs to be adopted!
2/12/26Reply
TravelerOh...I see the collar...yay and boo.
2/12/26Reply
Traveler❤️
2/12/26Reply
4 likes
Me, Mom and Panama Traveler
Road Trip to El Valle
February 11 in Panama ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F
So today we left Panama City. I had rented a car, so we packed up and got an Uber to the car rental place. I was stressed about driving out of Panama City (huge busy metropolis) and 3 hours across the country. I’ve never driven in another country before; I was just glad the drive on the right side.
I had it all ready on Google Maps; once we got into the rental to get started. I just had to make a few right hand turns and get up onto the (what seemed like) straightaway. But Drivers in Panama City are pretty aggressive and I didn’t want to get into a fender bender right out side of the rental place. Long story short, we missed the turn, then missed the other turn, then missed the turn to turn. I got a fast hands on tutorial how to drive in busy traffic with massive roundabouts and motorcycles zipping in and out of traffic. After 25 minutes, we ended up right back at the car rental place. This time, working together and Mom following Google Maps and not looking at the signs ( they just confused me), we were on the PanAmerican Highway and out of the capital. We drove through little towns, and bigger towns with strip malls; we passed tons of policemen, big brightly colored buses and small little houses.
We stopped to buy a soda and pee; At a little Fonda. It was very clean, the food looked great and the lady who owned it was very nice.
After about 2 hrs, we make the turnoff up the mountain to El Valle. It is an extinct volcano that collapsed; and the town is settled in the crater. So all around you are mountains. The road is widely known for having a lot of pot holes and lots of twists and turns. But as you go up, it gets cooler and the scenery is beautiful. We finally got into town and having missed the turn to go to the hotel, we drove down the Main Street to look around. The streets were nicely paved, with wide sidewalks and a bike lane. Restaurants, grocery stores, schools, a farmers market lined the streets; and families, tourists and the neighborhood dogs all walked down the sidewalks. We stopped at a place to get lunch. It was delicious and very nice. The owners had 2 big Labradors, who came around and would sit next to your elbow hoping for a snack. After a few minutes they would flop down at your feet.
We are staying for 2 nights at The GoldenFrog Inn. It has great views of the mountains and is very comfortable. Mom and I are both in bed and I’m about to go look online at rentals in the area.Read more
Sound lovely! [Rosa]
2/12/26Reply
TravelerIt is a beautiful country. And Mom is having a great time.
2/12/26Reply
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Me, Mom and Panama Traveler
2
Cooler day in the Mountains.
February 12 in Panama ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F
It is a beautiful day here. There is a good breeze blowing, the sun is shining and the birds are chirping. From our balcony you can really tell we are in a collapsed volcanic crater. Mountains surround us. The soil is volcanic so it is rich in nutrients and plants thrive here.
We had a delicious breakfast. And the coffee here is superb. They have coffee farms in Western Panama (probably up here too). Property here is more expensive closer to town. This is where a lot of wealthy Panamanians have places to escape the heat and noise of Panama City.
There is a big area called Altos de Maria, close by, but I have read that is more isolated and farther away from goods and services.
We are relaxing on the balcony now, and are going to go into town and drive around to see the area.
So we mapped out about a 30 minute drive along Highway 71, which is the road from the PanAmerican Highway up to El Valle. It goes through town and heads west. Thought it would be go sightseeing. Well, we got about 5-7 minutes out of town and this road turned into a steep grade roller coaster. At one point, it was a hairpin turn that then literally took us up the steepest road I’ve ever driven. But there was a small bus coming down, and one behind us, so we just kept going. After about 2 more minutes, I found a turnout and we stopped to assess where we were and if we wanted to continue. We both decided we’d rather look at neighborhoods and got to the farmers market rather than overheat the rental car trying to drive straight up a mountain. We had a good laugh and had a much easier time going back down.
We perused a few stores, at mango from the farmers market and had lunch. Lunch was big plates of nachos under a cool shaded patio. Funny, the big brown lab we saw at yesterday’s lunch was down by where we were today. He settled under our feet for about a half hour.
We then found a great bakery and had dessert and coffee. Then we headed back to the hotel to lay down, enjoy our food coma and watch BBC news.
We head back to Panama City tomorrow and fly out Saturday. We wanted to enjoy the drive back and take our time.Read more
Traveler So peaceful
2/12/26Reply
TravelerOh my goodness. It really was.
2/13/26Reply
3 likes
Me, Mom and Panama Traveler
Down the Mt, And back to the City
February 13 in Panama ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F
Mom and I got up early, had coffee, packed, then went to breakfast. It was delicious and lovely. We got to see more of the other guests. Mostly European and Latin American.
We got on the road and were heading back down the mountain by 11 am.
Traffic was heavy heading West (out of Panama City) and they do a curious thing here. When traffic is really heavy heading West, they turn the 4 lane highway ( 2 lanes each way ) they turn it into 3 lanes heading west and 1 lane heading east. So we are heading east, and for 1/2 the trip, we have cars coming at us in the lane next to us. We got used to it , but it was unnerving at 1st.
It took longer to get back to our Car rental place. Traffic was slow, I took us to the wrong car rental place, (same company, but not where I wanted to go), had a mini meltdown, Mom had to pee, the guys at the wrong car rental place were super nice, and one of them ended driving us over to the correct place. We got an Uber to take us to the hotel, and we collapsed in chairs while they finished preparing our room.
I splurged and got us a room at the Waldorf Astoria, actually it was a really good price, less than the Marriott at the Airpot in Atlanta. I had a hotel credit through Amex, and a credit with the hotel. So we ordered a 3 course meal through room service, and the hotel credit covered it. We are laying in the most comfy bed now, getting ready to hit the hay. We will have a nice breakfast tomorrow then leave for the airport.
This has been such a good trip. We have gotten along wonderfully; learned things about each other, laughed a lot and fussed a little. We have tried to be flexible, and have found out when something didn’t work out, something even better happened. Panama is beautiful with warm friendly people, beautiful flora, fauna, birds and all kinds of animals. The food is excellent, the music is lively and the smiles are infectious.Read more
TravelerHow delightful are these adventures you two are having! I could read your stories forever. Safe travels and sweet dreams of memories. Love you two much. ♡♡
2/13/26Reply
TravelerThanks, Caroline❤️🇵🇦
2/14/26Reply
Traveler😘😘😘
2/14/26Reply
3 likes
Me, Mom and Panama Traveler
Heading home
February 14 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F
After a wonderful night sleep and an excellent breakfast, we were off to the airport. We have discovered the beauty of requesting “mobility assistance “ when we check in or de-plane. Mom gets to save her physical energy and we can move faster. And those guys take us through all of the fast lanes when going through the airport checkpoints. So I have less mental fatigue of trying to figure out where we go, and to make sure Mom doesn’t get run over ( by a hurried traveler). So it’s a win/win for both of us.
So this leg home has been far less strenuous than the 1st. And our bags showed up immediately, which is always nice.
We are in our Hotel in Atlanta and will be getting up super early to get on an 8:30 am flight back to Jax. We miss the kitties and Cookie. It will be nice to get home. I’m so glad we did this trip. I’ve loved getting to help Mom cross something off her bucket list. And I have learned so much about Panama. I definitely want to go back.Read more
Excellent! [Rosa]
2/15/26Reply
4 likes

Trip end
February 15, 2026