A Piece of Panama With a Bit of Bogota and a Side of San Jose
May 18, 2019, 9:20 am
#16
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: OTP
Programs: AF/KL platinum, Turkish gold, QR gold
Posts: 1,570
Part 3: Paris (CDG) to Bogota (BOG) on Air France in economy class
Flight AF422 – Boeing 787 - Seat 18A – 450 EUR as part of OTP-PTY r/t
STD 17.15pm - STA 22.05pm (flight time 10h50m)
While the 'K' gates at terminal 2E might not have the best lounge at CDG, it is in my opinion the part of the airport which is the most pleasant. There are plenty of shops and f&b options, but more importantly, the area feels spacious and bright. Especially this late afternoon it was amazingly quiet.
Priority boarding is neatly arranged here as there are about 5-6 clearly signposted queues for each boarding group, with Air France personnel also enforcing it by checking everyone's boarding pass before the actual embarkation began. As a Flying Blue plat, I was in boarding group two and could board just behind business class passengers.
This beautiful bird would take me to Bogota today – the easily recognisable Boeing 787.
I pre-assigned a window seat in the fourth row of the first economy class cabin. It is a nice perk that you can assign every seat for free as an AF/KL plat, including emergency exit rows or 'up front seats' for which others need to cough up at times hefty fees. Unlike KLM, where some economy seats up front have better leg room, there is no difference with Air France. I decided to opt nonetheless for a seat in front instead of an emergency exit seat further back due to the proximity of both toilets and galley there. Another factor was that I would not like to be towards the back of the plane at arrival – after such a long day of flying I knew I just wanted to get to my hotel ASAP on arrival.
The cabin and seats looked fresh and rather pleasant for economy.
Even though I found the seats wide enough, there wasn't that much room to move your knees, especially when the person in front of you would put his seat in an angled position!
Screens were big and responsive and there was a fairly decent selection of movies, series and documentaries to watch. Sure, it's not the vast selection an airline like Emirates would offer, but it was also certainly not bad at all.
All combined, it was certainly acceptable for what you'd except flying economy nowadays. I have seen worse airlines, but then again, there were also those which were more spacious, for example the China Airlines A350 I took on my previous 10+ hours long-haul flight from TPE to FCO. The good thing was that the middle seat remained empty and that the passenger in the aisle seat was a well-travelled and friendly young woman working for the UN. As far as seat assignment goes, that's about the best you can get in economy. I'm still a bit puzzled if the middle seat was blocked out or not, as I've heard conflicting reports whether or not AF does this for their highest elites, only releasing such seats as the last ones if the plane is 100% full. With today's flight having perhaps an occupancy rate of 75%, there were still plenty of empty spots.
Departure from the gate was on time, with again some good old-fashioned plane spotting from the window of exotic birds I don't see everyday at my home airport.
During taxiing the security announcement video was played – which was about the most French thing I've seen in a decade. Only a mime player and one of the women holding a baguette in her hand were missing. At least it is still way better than the God-awful LEGO videos Turkish plays on board (twice! In Turkish and English) I am forced to see most of the times these days when flying.
After a relatively short taxi run we were in the short queue for take-off on this lovely winter day.
I didn't realise it before but wow, are those wings of the 787 impressive! I've only flown the 787 before once (SQ up front on an evening flight) so never had much of a good look at them. But as my seat was directly above the wing, you do get a great sense of just how huge they are - especially up in the air if the aeroplane makes a turn and you can see the entire wing tipping up in the air.
Service kicked off soon once we reached cruising altitude. I consistently find AF offering one of the best economy soft products in the skies. The lovely crew began with a drinks service and some salty snacks. Of course, Air France is (as far as I know!) the only airline to actually serve champagne in economy class. Sure, it is not Laurent Perrier or Heidsieck Brut Réserve but a cheaper alternative for the masses, but it is still a nice touch.
Menu cards were distributed as well, with this being the menu of today's flight. The main meal would be the 'lunch' service, while a smaller 'dinner' service would be served shortly before arrival.
The first meal was served about one-and-a-half hours into the flight. I chose the Basque-style chicken. It came with a winter vegetable pot-au-feu salad, some camembert cheese and bread, and a molten chocolate cake. I took a white wine to wash it all away. For economy class, I found the meal to be absolutely tasty – every single component of it. It doesn't happen often that I finish everything to the last bit when flying Y, but this was one of such meals.
After the meal, some coffee and cognac to keep me going for the flight – as somehow I managed to be very productive doing some writing on my laptop.
Even though after a while the lights were dimmed so people could sleep, the crew still passed by regularly to check whether people might want some water, holding cups and water bottles in their hand. Other requests such as more wine were also gladly obliged by the crew.
Just before landing the last meal was served, a spinach risotto, lentil salad and quark. Normally I don't really opt for vegetarian meals being a big carnivore– but this again was very flavourful and well-executed. Well done again, Air France.
We landed on time in Bogota. Immigration was a relatively painless procedure and relatively fast, and within 30-40 minutes after disembarking the airplane I managed to get some local currency out of an ATM and get a taxi to my hotel for the night.
In short: While not the spaciest economy class cabin, Air France's economy soft product is unparalleled in my opinion and up there with the best in the business. I definitely had a pleasant flight – and was curious how my KLM return flight on their 787 would compare.
Next up: A full day exploring Bogota
Flight AF422 – Boeing 787 - Seat 18A – 450 EUR as part of OTP-PTY r/t
STD 17.15pm - STA 22.05pm (flight time 10h50m)
While the 'K' gates at terminal 2E might not have the best lounge at CDG, it is in my opinion the part of the airport which is the most pleasant. There are plenty of shops and f&b options, but more importantly, the area feels spacious and bright. Especially this late afternoon it was amazingly quiet.
Priority boarding is neatly arranged here as there are about 5-6 clearly signposted queues for each boarding group, with Air France personnel also enforcing it by checking everyone's boarding pass before the actual embarkation began. As a Flying Blue plat, I was in boarding group two and could board just behind business class passengers.
This beautiful bird would take me to Bogota today – the easily recognisable Boeing 787.
I pre-assigned a window seat in the fourth row of the first economy class cabin. It is a nice perk that you can assign every seat for free as an AF/KL plat, including emergency exit rows or 'up front seats' for which others need to cough up at times hefty fees. Unlike KLM, where some economy seats up front have better leg room, there is no difference with Air France. I decided to opt nonetheless for a seat in front instead of an emergency exit seat further back due to the proximity of both toilets and galley there. Another factor was that I would not like to be towards the back of the plane at arrival – after such a long day of flying I knew I just wanted to get to my hotel ASAP on arrival.
The cabin and seats looked fresh and rather pleasant for economy.
Even though I found the seats wide enough, there wasn't that much room to move your knees, especially when the person in front of you would put his seat in an angled position!
Screens were big and responsive and there was a fairly decent selection of movies, series and documentaries to watch. Sure, it's not the vast selection an airline like Emirates would offer, but it was also certainly not bad at all.
All combined, it was certainly acceptable for what you'd except flying economy nowadays. I have seen worse airlines, but then again, there were also those which were more spacious, for example the China Airlines A350 I took on my previous 10+ hours long-haul flight from TPE to FCO. The good thing was that the middle seat remained empty and that the passenger in the aisle seat was a well-travelled and friendly young woman working for the UN. As far as seat assignment goes, that's about the best you can get in economy. I'm still a bit puzzled if the middle seat was blocked out or not, as I've heard conflicting reports whether or not AF does this for their highest elites, only releasing such seats as the last ones if the plane is 100% full. With today's flight having perhaps an occupancy rate of 75%, there were still plenty of empty spots.
Departure from the gate was on time, with again some good old-fashioned plane spotting from the window of exotic birds I don't see everyday at my home airport.
During taxiing the security announcement video was played – which was about the most French thing I've seen in a decade. Only a mime player and one of the women holding a baguette in her hand were missing. At least it is still way better than the God-awful LEGO videos Turkish plays on board (twice! In Turkish and English) I am forced to see most of the times these days when flying.
After a relatively short taxi run we were in the short queue for take-off on this lovely winter day.
I didn't realise it before but wow, are those wings of the 787 impressive! I've only flown the 787 before once (SQ up front on an evening flight) so never had much of a good look at them. But as my seat was directly above the wing, you do get a great sense of just how huge they are - especially up in the air if the aeroplane makes a turn and you can see the entire wing tipping up in the air.
Service kicked off soon once we reached cruising altitude. I consistently find AF offering one of the best economy soft products in the skies. The lovely crew began with a drinks service and some salty snacks. Of course, Air France is (as far as I know!) the only airline to actually serve champagne in economy class. Sure, it is not Laurent Perrier or Heidsieck Brut Réserve but a cheaper alternative for the masses, but it is still a nice touch.
Menu cards were distributed as well, with this being the menu of today's flight. The main meal would be the 'lunch' service, while a smaller 'dinner' service would be served shortly before arrival.
The first meal was served about one-and-a-half hours into the flight. I chose the Basque-style chicken. It came with a winter vegetable pot-au-feu salad, some camembert cheese and bread, and a molten chocolate cake. I took a white wine to wash it all away. For economy class, I found the meal to be absolutely tasty – every single component of it. It doesn't happen often that I finish everything to the last bit when flying Y, but this was one of such meals.
After the meal, some coffee and cognac to keep me going for the flight – as somehow I managed to be very productive doing some writing on my laptop.
Even though after a while the lights were dimmed so people could sleep, the crew still passed by regularly to check whether people might want some water, holding cups and water bottles in their hand. Other requests such as more wine were also gladly obliged by the crew.
Just before landing the last meal was served, a spinach risotto, lentil salad and quark. Normally I don't really opt for vegetarian meals being a big carnivore– but this again was very flavourful and well-executed. Well done again, Air France.
We landed on time in Bogota. Immigration was a relatively painless procedure and relatively fast, and within 30-40 minutes after disembarking the airplane I managed to get some local currency out of an ATM and get a taxi to my hotel for the night.
In short: While not the spaciest economy class cabin, Air France's economy soft product is unparalleled in my opinion and up there with the best in the business. I definitely had a pleasant flight – and was curious how my KLM return flight on their 787 would compare.
Next up: A full day exploring Bogota
Last edited by Romanianflyer; May 18, 2019 at 5:28 pm
May 18, 2019, 12:12 pm
#17
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Stockholm
Programs: Various
Posts: 3,368
In short: While not the spaciest economy class cabin, Air France's economy soft product is unparalleled in my opinion and up there with the best in the business. I definitely had a pleasant flight – and was curious how my KLM return flight on their 787 would compare.
Looking forward to see what your destinations have to offer since it's a part of the world I've never been.
May 22, 2019, 12:59 pm
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: OTP
Programs: AF/KL platinum, Turkish gold, QR gold
Posts: 1,570
Part 4: A stopover in Bogota, Colombia
Hotel: Morrison 114 – 50 EUR/night incl. breakfast
I was quite tired by the time I arrived at my hotel, even though the drive there was relatively fast on empty dual carriageways. My impressions of the hotel were very good: the reception staff was welcoming and friendly, the room was nice and clean, and it is actually located in a nice, central and safe and modern neighbourhood of town (Usaquén) which has tons of shops, bars and restaurants around.
That said, for my purposes of a quick stopover (in which I focussed solely on the old town centre of La Candelaria) it might have actually been better to take a hotel in the old town as the next morning I would find out how bad rush hour traffic in Bogota actually is, with my Uber taking more than an hour for the relatively short trip there to start my sightseeing. If I would return for a a multi-day stop in Bogota I would however definitely go back to this hotel as I liked every aspect of it.
When I collapsed on my comfortable bed at midnight and with my last power tried to plug in my phone charger, I suddenly found out that I forgot my converter kit as my European charger doesnt fit into Colombian plugs. The reception staff and the doorman tried to find one for me at this late hour and literally searched through every drawer and closet in the hotel. Unfortunately they could not find one, but their effort and kindness was much appreciated.
I started off the following morning by partaking in the breakfast buffet served in a beautifully designed restaurant area. Sure, it is nothing lavish and there isn't that much choice (although quantity is not bad either), but I found the quality to be excellent. You do have to like Colombian staples though such as tamales and arepas! Besides that, there is also freshly squeezed orange juice and the friendly waitresses approach you whether you want freshly made eggs to order. It for sure did the trick for me!
On the advice of the reception staff I found a nearby department store which sold a converter, and after quickly charging my phone in the reception area of the hotel I ordered an Uber to drive me to the Candelaria old town centre. As I wrote earlier, traffic was horrible and it took me almost one-and-a-half hour to get there. Even though I have been (and lived in!) plenty of cities in Europe and Asia with gridlocked traffic, I have never seen anything like the non-moving traffic here.
I was happy when my Uber finally arrived at La Candelaria and I finally stood on Plaza Bolivar in front of the Cathedral.
On the other side of the square you can find the Palacio Liévano.
There was a peace protest on the square in front of the Cathedral – of which I didn't think much at the time as it seemed like perhaps a daily happening. I couldn't be more wrong.
While exploring the streets towards the back of the Cathedral, suddenly a long line of black SUVs suddenly pulled up, many of them spotting US Government or Maryland plates.
Within minutes also all kind of pick-up trucks arrived with soldiers or police officers sitting in the deck, while at the same time soldiers and American-looking agents dressed in black suits cordoned off a big sector of the old town.
Being curious what was going on, I settled down in a cafe, ordered some more tamales, and used the restaurant's wifi network to surf a bit.
It turned out that Vice-President Mike Pence was visiting Bogota to meet the so-called Lima Group to discuss the issues in Venezuela, as well as meeting with Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido. I was lucky that I just managed to quickly visit Plaza Bolivar, as the square and a big chunk of the old town would remain off-limits for visitors for the rest of the day.
Luckily enough, La Candelaria is a large place and there are plenty of cute little hilltop streets to explore. It's a very photogenic area which is extremely suitable for wandering aimlessly around.
I loved the little square below with the small church and unusual tree on Plazoleta Chorro de Quevedo, where allegedly the first buildings of the city were constructed.
I liked it so much that I decided to stay for another coffee and a dessert.
There are some colourful small streets in the vicinity with some nice looking bars for those fancying a tipple.
To the North, the old colonial town ends. The Parque de Los Periodistas Gabriel García Márquez, or the journalists' park, marks another side of Bogota in which more highrise buildings dominate. It's also a lively area, thanks to the nearby campus of the Universidad de los Andes.
There are however still some old buildings, such as the beautiful Parish of Our Lady of the Waters.
I climbed up the hill on Carrera 1 towards the Montserrate cable car station, which I planned to take further up on the hill for some sweeping views. Unfortunately, the queues were extremely long and non-moving. I couldn't even see a single gondola going up or down! As I had a flight to catch later in the day, I decided not to waste my time waiting.
Instead I headed back towards La Candelaria for some more aimless walking.
Being a bit tired of the hill climb, I however first needed a beer to cool down, and decided to sit down in the first decent place. This cute Mexican eatery did the trick – I wished I didn't eat the big plate of tamales as the food here looked delicious.
I spent a fun two hours walking around a bit more and taking pictures before I decided it was time to take a taxi to the airport.
Finding a taxi proved to be a challenge. As I had no internet on my phone and couldn't easily find a public network or restaurant with wifi, I couldn't order an Uber. There were also seemingly zero taxis cruising around this part of Candelaria. Normally, it would be an easy walk to Plaza Bolivar and the main roads, however, these were still fully blocked off because of the Pence visit. It took some 30 minutes walking before I managed to reach a busy enough street where I could hail down a cab.
The adventure didn't end there as about halfway to the airport, the car broke down and wouldn't start again. Luckily enough, the driver was friendly enough to help me hail down another taxi so I could continue my way to the airport after some delay.
It was a bit of a chaotic day but I managed to have lots of fun and enjoyed Bogota, even though I only visited basically one area of town. It has a cool mix of colonial buildings, a modern cityscape and other sights, as well as good food, cafes and pubs – even though I barely scratched the surface and I am just basing myself on what I have seen around, not necessarily what I experienced myself. I especially found the people to be very friendly and eager to help, even though my Spanish is limited and their English at times non-existent.
I would love to return to Colombia, explore Bogota for a full 2-3 days, and see more of the country.
Next up:Bogota Airport, the COPA lounge, and a COPA flight to Panama.
Hotel: Morrison 114 – 50 EUR/night incl. breakfast
I was quite tired by the time I arrived at my hotel, even though the drive there was relatively fast on empty dual carriageways. My impressions of the hotel were very good: the reception staff was welcoming and friendly, the room was nice and clean, and it is actually located in a nice, central and safe and modern neighbourhood of town (Usaquén) which has tons of shops, bars and restaurants around.
That said, for my purposes of a quick stopover (in which I focussed solely on the old town centre of La Candelaria) it might have actually been better to take a hotel in the old town as the next morning I would find out how bad rush hour traffic in Bogota actually is, with my Uber taking more than an hour for the relatively short trip there to start my sightseeing. If I would return for a a multi-day stop in Bogota I would however definitely go back to this hotel as I liked every aspect of it.
When I collapsed on my comfortable bed at midnight and with my last power tried to plug in my phone charger, I suddenly found out that I forgot my converter kit as my European charger doesnt fit into Colombian plugs. The reception staff and the doorman tried to find one for me at this late hour and literally searched through every drawer and closet in the hotel. Unfortunately they could not find one, but their effort and kindness was much appreciated.
I started off the following morning by partaking in the breakfast buffet served in a beautifully designed restaurant area. Sure, it is nothing lavish and there isn't that much choice (although quantity is not bad either), but I found the quality to be excellent. You do have to like Colombian staples though such as tamales and arepas! Besides that, there is also freshly squeezed orange juice and the friendly waitresses approach you whether you want freshly made eggs to order. It for sure did the trick for me!
On the advice of the reception staff I found a nearby department store which sold a converter, and after quickly charging my phone in the reception area of the hotel I ordered an Uber to drive me to the Candelaria old town centre. As I wrote earlier, traffic was horrible and it took me almost one-and-a-half hour to get there. Even though I have been (and lived in!) plenty of cities in Europe and Asia with gridlocked traffic, I have never seen anything like the non-moving traffic here.
I was happy when my Uber finally arrived at La Candelaria and I finally stood on Plaza Bolivar in front of the Cathedral.
On the other side of the square you can find the Palacio Liévano.
There was a peace protest on the square in front of the Cathedral – of which I didn't think much at the time as it seemed like perhaps a daily happening. I couldn't be more wrong.
While exploring the streets towards the back of the Cathedral, suddenly a long line of black SUVs suddenly pulled up, many of them spotting US Government or Maryland plates.
Within minutes also all kind of pick-up trucks arrived with soldiers or police officers sitting in the deck, while at the same time soldiers and American-looking agents dressed in black suits cordoned off a big sector of the old town.
Being curious what was going on, I settled down in a cafe, ordered some more tamales, and used the restaurant's wifi network to surf a bit.
It turned out that Vice-President Mike Pence was visiting Bogota to meet the so-called Lima Group to discuss the issues in Venezuela, as well as meeting with Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido. I was lucky that I just managed to quickly visit Plaza Bolivar, as the square and a big chunk of the old town would remain off-limits for visitors for the rest of the day.
Luckily enough, La Candelaria is a large place and there are plenty of cute little hilltop streets to explore. It's a very photogenic area which is extremely suitable for wandering aimlessly around.
I loved the little square below with the small church and unusual tree on Plazoleta Chorro de Quevedo, where allegedly the first buildings of the city were constructed.
I liked it so much that I decided to stay for another coffee and a dessert.
There are some colourful small streets in the vicinity with some nice looking bars for those fancying a tipple.
To the North, the old colonial town ends. The Parque de Los Periodistas Gabriel García Márquez, or the journalists' park, marks another side of Bogota in which more highrise buildings dominate. It's also a lively area, thanks to the nearby campus of the Universidad de los Andes.
There are however still some old buildings, such as the beautiful Parish of Our Lady of the Waters.
I climbed up the hill on Carrera 1 towards the Montserrate cable car station, which I planned to take further up on the hill for some sweeping views. Unfortunately, the queues were extremely long and non-moving. I couldn't even see a single gondola going up or down! As I had a flight to catch later in the day, I decided not to waste my time waiting.
Instead I headed back towards La Candelaria for some more aimless walking.
Being a bit tired of the hill climb, I however first needed a beer to cool down, and decided to sit down in the first decent place. This cute Mexican eatery did the trick – I wished I didn't eat the big plate of tamales as the food here looked delicious.
I spent a fun two hours walking around a bit more and taking pictures before I decided it was time to take a taxi to the airport.
Finding a taxi proved to be a challenge. As I had no internet on my phone and couldn't easily find a public network or restaurant with wifi, I couldn't order an Uber. There were also seemingly zero taxis cruising around this part of Candelaria. Normally, it would be an easy walk to Plaza Bolivar and the main roads, however, these were still fully blocked off because of the Pence visit. It took some 30 minutes walking before I managed to reach a busy enough street where I could hail down a cab.
The adventure didn't end there as about halfway to the airport, the car broke down and wouldn't start again. Luckily enough, the driver was friendly enough to help me hail down another taxi so I could continue my way to the airport after some delay.
It was a bit of a chaotic day but I managed to have lots of fun and enjoyed Bogota, even though I only visited basically one area of town. It has a cool mix of colonial buildings, a modern cityscape and other sights, as well as good food, cafes and pubs – even though I barely scratched the surface and I am just basing myself on what I have seen around, not necessarily what I experienced myself. I especially found the people to be very friendly and eager to help, even though my Spanish is limited and their English at times non-existent.
I would love to return to Colombia, explore Bogota for a full 2-3 days, and see more of the country.
Next up:Bogota Airport, the COPA lounge, and a COPA flight to Panama.
May 23, 2019, 12:10 pm
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: OTP
Programs: AF/KL platinum, Turkish gold, QR gold
Posts: 1,570
Part 5: Bogota (BOG) to Panama (PTY) on COPA Airlines in economy class
Flight CM622 – Embraer RJ-190 - Seat 18A – 450 EUR as part of OTP-PTY r/t
STD 6.08pm - STA 7.54pm (flight time 1h46m)
Air France/KLM has a codeshare partnership with COPA Airlines, which allows people flying to Latin American destinations from Europe on one of the two airlines to add a connecting COPA segment. On my ticket, the two COPA segments were however not booked under an AF/KL codeshare flight number but just as two CM-ticketed segments under CM flight number. No big deal for me, as when I booked my ticket I received two reservation numbers, and with the COPA airlines one I could easily pre-select seats and OLCI on their website. As I hold *G with Turkish Miles&Smiles next to my AF/KL platinum, I could also access lounges all the way.
When I arrived at Bogota airport I headed however to the COPA check in desks to get a proper boarding pass. Check-in was neatly organised with one queue for general check-in, one for baggage drop-off for those who already checked in online, and one for business class and status passengers. While the general queue was rather long and did barely move at all, there was only one person ahead of me in the priority queue, who however also took a long time. When the attendant at the baggage drop off desk cleared her passenger, she whisked me over instead of the next-in-line in the drop-off queue, which is a nice touch.
With my boarding pass in hand, I headed for security and passport control, which had all very light queues at this late afternoon hour. So far, I found Bogota airport rather pleasant. It looked bright, clean and had plenty of opportunities to shop or to sit down for a bite or drink.
I headed however straight to the COPA lounge, or well straight, I rather took a long detour due to the lack of proper signs. After a while I gave up and just went online to check there for the lounge location (on the mezzanine level at the bottom of the escalators across from gate 45). A friendly lounge dragon welcomed me into the near-empty COPA club, which would only fill up to about 10 people maximum or so in the next two hours I was there.
My first impression of the lounge was good: despite being in a basement, it felt bright and new (it only opened in August 2018). The centre-piece of the lounge is of course the manned bar.
There is a diverse area of seats and couches around, as well as a work area with some computers and work stations. Plugs were plentiful throughout the lounge, and internet was fast.
The masterpiece of the lounge is however a nicely decorated TV room/library with some comfy seats and couches.
For food and coffee, there is a small pantry. I cannot comment on the coffee machine as I didn't try it out, but the food was rather limited in quantity. Think some fruit, dry biscuits and two types sandwiches. The sandwiches were however quite decent.
There are clean toilets in the lounge, although I'm not sure if there were any showers.
I started my stay in the lounge by ordering a beer at the bar. All drinks are free – although they might charge you for the more premium brands of alcohol (didn't try that out, so I'm unsure here). I had however no problem ordering as much beer, wine or gin tonics as I wanted.
After doing a wee bit of work and printing some pages I needed for the Panama part of the trip, I switched to G&T's and switched to the library where some movie was played with Mel Gibson in the role of a colonial rebel slaughtering His Majesty's innocent soldiers – in Spanish
A few G&T's later it was time to head to the boarding gate, which wasn't too far from the lounge. I was rather excited to try out COPA – a feeling I always have when flying an airline I have never set foot in before.
The cabin of the Embraer RJ-190 looked fresh, with 1+2 seating in business class and 2+2 in economy class. I found the seat comfort and space good – it for sure beats most European airlines these days!
We had a good 40-45 minutes delay upon departure as we were all the way in the back of a massive queue of aeroplanes lining up for departure. Apart from that, it was a rather uneventful flight which went by quite fast – which is always a good sign. There is a complimentary food and beverage service on the one-and-a-half-hour long flight, with a choice of sandwiches. I opted for one with ham and cheese and took a fresh Balboa beer with it.
Views on arrival of the Panama skyline were fantastic (sit on the left-hand side) – but unfortunately I didn't manage to take a single good picture with my phone camera.
Queues at border control were again relatively light and I was finally stamped into Panama. Ordering an Uber from the airport was a piece of cake, and a friendly lady drove me to my hotel in about 40 minutes, with me being fully ready to explore the sights and sounds of the city.
In short:COPA is a pleasant little airline, and it was a very comfortable flight. You can't ask for much more in economy class. I also liked the Bogota lounge a lot. Sure, food was nearly non-existent, but the lounge is nicely decorated, is a good place to work, drinks flow freely from the bar, and all the lounge staffers were fantastic. Well done COPA.
Next up: Exploring Panama City and the Canal Zone
Flight CM622 – Embraer RJ-190 - Seat 18A – 450 EUR as part of OTP-PTY r/t
STD 6.08pm - STA 7.54pm (flight time 1h46m)
Air France/KLM has a codeshare partnership with COPA Airlines, which allows people flying to Latin American destinations from Europe on one of the two airlines to add a connecting COPA segment. On my ticket, the two COPA segments were however not booked under an AF/KL codeshare flight number but just as two CM-ticketed segments under CM flight number. No big deal for me, as when I booked my ticket I received two reservation numbers, and with the COPA airlines one I could easily pre-select seats and OLCI on their website. As I hold *G with Turkish Miles&Smiles next to my AF/KL platinum, I could also access lounges all the way.
When I arrived at Bogota airport I headed however to the COPA check in desks to get a proper boarding pass. Check-in was neatly organised with one queue for general check-in, one for baggage drop-off for those who already checked in online, and one for business class and status passengers. While the general queue was rather long and did barely move at all, there was only one person ahead of me in the priority queue, who however also took a long time. When the attendant at the baggage drop off desk cleared her passenger, she whisked me over instead of the next-in-line in the drop-off queue, which is a nice touch.
With my boarding pass in hand, I headed for security and passport control, which had all very light queues at this late afternoon hour. So far, I found Bogota airport rather pleasant. It looked bright, clean and had plenty of opportunities to shop or to sit down for a bite or drink.
I headed however straight to the COPA lounge, or well straight, I rather took a long detour due to the lack of proper signs. After a while I gave up and just went online to check there for the lounge location (on the mezzanine level at the bottom of the escalators across from gate 45). A friendly lounge dragon welcomed me into the near-empty COPA club, which would only fill up to about 10 people maximum or so in the next two hours I was there.
My first impression of the lounge was good: despite being in a basement, it felt bright and new (it only opened in August 2018). The centre-piece of the lounge is of course the manned bar.
There is a diverse area of seats and couches around, as well as a work area with some computers and work stations. Plugs were plentiful throughout the lounge, and internet was fast.
The masterpiece of the lounge is however a nicely decorated TV room/library with some comfy seats and couches.
For food and coffee, there is a small pantry. I cannot comment on the coffee machine as I didn't try it out, but the food was rather limited in quantity. Think some fruit, dry biscuits and two types sandwiches. The sandwiches were however quite decent.
There are clean toilets in the lounge, although I'm not sure if there were any showers.
I started my stay in the lounge by ordering a beer at the bar. All drinks are free – although they might charge you for the more premium brands of alcohol (didn't try that out, so I'm unsure here). I had however no problem ordering as much beer, wine or gin tonics as I wanted.
After doing a wee bit of work and printing some pages I needed for the Panama part of the trip, I switched to G&T's and switched to the library where some movie was played with Mel Gibson in the role of a colonial rebel slaughtering His Majesty's innocent soldiers – in Spanish
A few G&T's later it was time to head to the boarding gate, which wasn't too far from the lounge. I was rather excited to try out COPA – a feeling I always have when flying an airline I have never set foot in before.
The cabin of the Embraer RJ-190 looked fresh, with 1+2 seating in business class and 2+2 in economy class. I found the seat comfort and space good – it for sure beats most European airlines these days!
We had a good 40-45 minutes delay upon departure as we were all the way in the back of a massive queue of aeroplanes lining up for departure. Apart from that, it was a rather uneventful flight which went by quite fast – which is always a good sign. There is a complimentary food and beverage service on the one-and-a-half-hour long flight, with a choice of sandwiches. I opted for one with ham and cheese and took a fresh Balboa beer with it.
Views on arrival of the Panama skyline were fantastic (sit on the left-hand side) – but unfortunately I didn't manage to take a single good picture with my phone camera.
Queues at border control were again relatively light and I was finally stamped into Panama. Ordering an Uber from the airport was a piece of cake, and a friendly lady drove me to my hotel in about 40 minutes, with me being fully ready to explore the sights and sounds of the city.
In short:COPA is a pleasant little airline, and it was a very comfortable flight. You can't ask for much more in economy class. I also liked the Bogota lounge a lot. Sure, food was nearly non-existent, but the lounge is nicely decorated, is a good place to work, drinks flow freely from the bar, and all the lounge staffers were fantastic. Well done COPA.
Next up: Exploring Panama City and the Canal Zone
May 29, 2019, 3:15 pm
#20
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Part 6: Panama City, Panama
Hotel: Tryp by Wyndham Panama Centro – 65 USD/night incl. breakfast
My hotel for the next four nights would be the Tryp by Wyndham Panama Centro, which I chose because of its good-looking rooftop pool and its location in a good neighbourhood (El Cangrejo) and its proximity to both a metro stop. No complaints really about the hotel – the room was good and service was friendly and helpful at the front desk. On arrival I went straight to sleep as I was quite tired.
Breakfast was a mixed bunch however. Although the hotel did a decent job in making sure the breakfast options weren't the same every day, I found the diversity and amount of options average. Quality differed hugely as well. I was able to get a decent breakfast on day one and two, but the last two days the food offered was decidedly poorer. As a plus point, the coffee was drinkable and there was fresh fruit.
I did enjoy the rooftop pool, which had great views over the area and part of the Panama skyline. Nothing beats a quick morning swim or a plunge in the pool when returning from a day exploring the city.
If I would visit Panama City another time, I would certainly not mind staying again at the Tryp by Wyndham Panama Centro as I generally had a pleasant experience. At the same time, I would however be open for other hotels as well.
After relaxing a bit at the pool it was time for the first bit of sightseeing just before noon. I took an Uber to the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal. These locks are the easiest to access and the most visited as they are just outside of Panama City itself. It consists out of two chambers lifting ships up 16.5 metres from the Pacific Ocean into Miraflores Lake.
You have to pay an entrance ticket if you want to view the locks – which for non-residents is a steep 20 USD. Fun fact for those who do not know: the official currency in Panama is the Balboa, but it is pegged 1:1 to the US Dollar. Both currencies are legal tender in Panama, although as there are no Balboa banknotes (just coins of 1 Balboa and less) almost all transactions are in Dollar bills – with only the cents being given in Balboa coins.
Once inside the Miraflores visitors centre you can access a viewing platform over the locks and the museum. At the time I arrived shortly after noon there were no ships passing by as there was some kind of lull between the morning traffic and late afternoon, so I did not see a single ship passing through. My mistake probably for not checking this out in advance! The museum was however fairly interesting, although in the end the whole visit left me somewhat slightly underwhelmed even though the construction of the entire canal was an amazing engineering feat and I did not regret having visited it.
As the Miraflores Locks are located just outside of the city proper, my Uber driver had offered me to wait for me at the parking lot for the ride back into the city – which I agreed to after negotiating a cash fare. It is by far the easiest option – although there are normal taxis lurking at the parking lot if you require one, but the price of those would depend on your negotiation skills (and you would be at a disadvantage). That said, I believe there are buses as well from Albrook (where it connects to the metro) – but I was too lazy to figure it out.
After a relatively short ride my Uber driver dropped me off at the entrance of the old town of Panama City – the Casco Viejo – which would be next on the list to explore.
Next up: Exploring Panama's beautiful old town
Hotel: Tryp by Wyndham Panama Centro – 65 USD/night incl. breakfast
My hotel for the next four nights would be the Tryp by Wyndham Panama Centro, which I chose because of its good-looking rooftop pool and its location in a good neighbourhood (El Cangrejo) and its proximity to both a metro stop. No complaints really about the hotel – the room was good and service was friendly and helpful at the front desk. On arrival I went straight to sleep as I was quite tired.
Breakfast was a mixed bunch however. Although the hotel did a decent job in making sure the breakfast options weren't the same every day, I found the diversity and amount of options average. Quality differed hugely as well. I was able to get a decent breakfast on day one and two, but the last two days the food offered was decidedly poorer. As a plus point, the coffee was drinkable and there was fresh fruit.
I did enjoy the rooftop pool, which had great views over the area and part of the Panama skyline. Nothing beats a quick morning swim or a plunge in the pool when returning from a day exploring the city.
If I would visit Panama City another time, I would certainly not mind staying again at the Tryp by Wyndham Panama Centro as I generally had a pleasant experience. At the same time, I would however be open for other hotels as well.
After relaxing a bit at the pool it was time for the first bit of sightseeing just before noon. I took an Uber to the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal. These locks are the easiest to access and the most visited as they are just outside of Panama City itself. It consists out of two chambers lifting ships up 16.5 metres from the Pacific Ocean into Miraflores Lake.
You have to pay an entrance ticket if you want to view the locks – which for non-residents is a steep 20 USD. Fun fact for those who do not know: the official currency in Panama is the Balboa, but it is pegged 1:1 to the US Dollar. Both currencies are legal tender in Panama, although as there are no Balboa banknotes (just coins of 1 Balboa and less) almost all transactions are in Dollar bills – with only the cents being given in Balboa coins.
Once inside the Miraflores visitors centre you can access a viewing platform over the locks and the museum. At the time I arrived shortly after noon there were no ships passing by as there was some kind of lull between the morning traffic and late afternoon, so I did not see a single ship passing through. My mistake probably for not checking this out in advance! The museum was however fairly interesting, although in the end the whole visit left me somewhat slightly underwhelmed even though the construction of the entire canal was an amazing engineering feat and I did not regret having visited it.
As the Miraflores Locks are located just outside of the city proper, my Uber driver had offered me to wait for me at the parking lot for the ride back into the city – which I agreed to after negotiating a cash fare. It is by far the easiest option – although there are normal taxis lurking at the parking lot if you require one, but the price of those would depend on your negotiation skills (and you would be at a disadvantage). That said, I believe there are buses as well from Albrook (where it connects to the metro) – but I was too lazy to figure it out.
After a relatively short ride my Uber driver dropped me off at the entrance of the old town of Panama City – the Casco Viejo – which would be next on the list to explore.
Next up: Exploring Panama's beautiful old town
Last edited by Romanianflyer; Jun 1, 2019 at 5:32 am
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May 30, 2019, 12:15 pm
#23
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Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: OTP
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Posts: 1,570
Casco Viejo coming up in half an hour!Thanks for reading again, Dover2Golf - the best of the trip is yet to come!
May 30, 2019, 1:56 pm
#24
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Part 7: Panama City's Casco Viejo
On arrival in Casco Viejo – the historic town centre of Panama City – I immediately headed to the first nice-looking cafe I could find for something to drink and a snack as I was getting hungry by this hour. I found a nice little cafe (Casa Sucre) that did decent coffee and tasty empanadas.
Casco Viejo (Spanish for 'Old Quarter') was completed and settled in 1673 after the destruction of the original city (Panama Viejo – or Old Panama) after it was attacked by pirates.
The neighbourhood oozes lots of charm and most houses are beautifully restored. I started my sightseeing at the Plaza Simon Bolivar, a cute square featuring some government buildings and the San Francisco de Asis Church located.
The old town streets were constructed in a grid pattern, which makes navigating and exploring around very easy. As it is relatively small, the best option is just to ditch any maps and wander a bit around following your eyes to the prettiest streets.
The main square is Plaza de la Independencia which is flanked by the city's cathedral.
Nearby is the Arco Chato, the remains of the Santo Domingo church and convent built by Dominican friars which features an iconic stone archway which survived a devastating fire.
The small peninsula and bastion around Plaza de Francia is one of my favourite parts of the old town as there are some lovely views back over Casco Viejo and the sea.
Views over the surrounding area are great as well, such as the view to the west with the gorgeous Bridge of the Americas being visible in the background. It is only one of the two bridges across the Panama Canal (the other being the Centennial Bridge just to the north of Panama City). The third bridge, the Atlantic Bridge in Colon on the Caribbean side, is only set to be completed this year.
On the east side of the small peninsula you have great views over the modern Panama skyline. As you can see there are two distinctive high-rise zones, the one of Panama City proper closest by, and the Costa del Este residential district in the distance. The road visible in the sea is the the Cinta Costera (Coastal Beltway) which was built in a loop around Casco Viejo to fix traffic congestion. As the traffic can still be mad during rush hour, I can only wonder how congested it must have been before that!
Another nice part in this part of Casco Viejo is found at the east side and called the 'Corredor Artesanal De Casco Antiguo', a small outdoor market selling handicrafts. Above all, I just loved the purple flowers covering the pedestrian zone.
After passing a lovely square I ended up back on Plaza Simon Bolivar where I began my tour of Casco Viejo.
It being late in the afternoon, it was well about time to have a beer at one of the lovely outdoor terraces at the square. The Panama and Balbao beers came ice cold and tasted delicious on this warm day.
After a couple of beers, I decided to take the metro back to my hotel, which required first a 30-minute or so walk through Casco Viejo and the adjacent neighbourhood to the Cinco de Mayo metro station.
The following mural seemed to refer to the US invasion of Panama in 1989.
The metro system in Panama is excellent. You need to buy a rechargeable card, put some credit on it – and you are set to travel. It is cheap, and in rush hour can be much faster than taking a taxi.
Back at the hotel, I first went for a dip in the pool and headed out afterwards into the surrounding neighbourhood to find a place for dinner. I found a nice place which did good arepas and decent salchipapas. Latin American comfort food at its best, basically.
After that, it was time to head back to the hotel for some much-needed sleep.
Next up: A day trip to beautiful Taboga Island
On arrival in Casco Viejo – the historic town centre of Panama City – I immediately headed to the first nice-looking cafe I could find for something to drink and a snack as I was getting hungry by this hour. I found a nice little cafe (Casa Sucre) that did decent coffee and tasty empanadas.
Casco Viejo (Spanish for 'Old Quarter') was completed and settled in 1673 after the destruction of the original city (Panama Viejo – or Old Panama) after it was attacked by pirates.
The neighbourhood oozes lots of charm and most houses are beautifully restored. I started my sightseeing at the Plaza Simon Bolivar, a cute square featuring some government buildings and the San Francisco de Asis Church located.
The old town streets were constructed in a grid pattern, which makes navigating and exploring around very easy. As it is relatively small, the best option is just to ditch any maps and wander a bit around following your eyes to the prettiest streets.
The main square is Plaza de la Independencia which is flanked by the city's cathedral.
Nearby is the Arco Chato, the remains of the Santo Domingo church and convent built by Dominican friars which features an iconic stone archway which survived a devastating fire.
The small peninsula and bastion around Plaza de Francia is one of my favourite parts of the old town as there are some lovely views back over Casco Viejo and the sea.
Views over the surrounding area are great as well, such as the view to the west with the gorgeous Bridge of the Americas being visible in the background. It is only one of the two bridges across the Panama Canal (the other being the Centennial Bridge just to the north of Panama City). The third bridge, the Atlantic Bridge in Colon on the Caribbean side, is only set to be completed this year.
On the east side of the small peninsula you have great views over the modern Panama skyline. As you can see there are two distinctive high-rise zones, the one of Panama City proper closest by, and the Costa del Este residential district in the distance. The road visible in the sea is the the Cinta Costera (Coastal Beltway) which was built in a loop around Casco Viejo to fix traffic congestion. As the traffic can still be mad during rush hour, I can only wonder how congested it must have been before that!
Another nice part in this part of Casco Viejo is found at the east side and called the 'Corredor Artesanal De Casco Antiguo', a small outdoor market selling handicrafts. Above all, I just loved the purple flowers covering the pedestrian zone.
After passing a lovely square I ended up back on Plaza Simon Bolivar where I began my tour of Casco Viejo.
It being late in the afternoon, it was well about time to have a beer at one of the lovely outdoor terraces at the square. The Panama and Balbao beers came ice cold and tasted delicious on this warm day.
After a couple of beers, I decided to take the metro back to my hotel, which required first a 30-minute or so walk through Casco Viejo and the adjacent neighbourhood to the Cinco de Mayo metro station.
The following mural seemed to refer to the US invasion of Panama in 1989.
The metro system in Panama is excellent. You need to buy a rechargeable card, put some credit on it – and you are set to travel. It is cheap, and in rush hour can be much faster than taking a taxi.
Back at the hotel, I first went for a dip in the pool and headed out afterwards into the surrounding neighbourhood to find a place for dinner. I found a nice place which did good arepas and decent salchipapas. Latin American comfort food at its best, basically.
After that, it was time to head back to the hotel for some much-needed sleep.
Next up: A day trip to beautiful Taboga Island
Jun 1, 2019, 4:34 am
#27
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: OTP
Programs: AF/KL platinum, Turkish gold, QR gold
Posts: 1,570
Air France is one of my favourite airlines to fly and to this date have not disappointed me yet, neither in business class nor in economy. I don't know about Austrian as the only segments I flew with them were short VIE-OTP hops, but to me it is telling that I do put AF at the same level or just above TK or the Gulf carriers if flying economy. It's certainly miles ahead of all the US carriers, Lufthansa etc.
Jun 1, 2019, 5:41 am
#28
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Location: OTP
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Part 8: A day trip to the gorgeous island of Taboga
The island of Taboga is located just a few miles off the coast of Panama City and it is one of the easier day trips you can make. Tickets on the Taboga Express fast ferry can easily be bought online (20 USD for a round trip).
After a quick dip in the hotel swimming pool and breakfast I took an Uber to the ferry terminal at the tip of the Amador Causeway. Besides endless rows of yachts there are a couple of shops to be found here (mostly tailored for yachties such as a nice-looking liquor store) as well as a small harbour terminal. You'll find the check-in desk of Taboga Express outside it at a table on the waterside – even if you booked online you need to check-in and pick up your real ticket here in a process lasting just a few seconds at most.
The fast ferry to Taboga Island is relatively small ferry (capacity 125) with free-for-all seating. Cold drinks can be bought on board – and even though it was the morning departure, many of the mostly Canadian tourists on board did not seem to mind an early beer.
As at 30 minutes the crossing is relatively short, I recommend sitting outside as there are some great views of all the huge ships heading towards the Panama Canal as well as of Taboga Island shortly before arriving.
The first thing you notice when the Taboga ferry pier comes in sight is how green the island is and how cute the main town looks like. What a fabulous sight!
On arrival, most people seemed to head directly to one of the beaches. I however opted to explore the town on foot. Taboga is pleasantly car-free except for the odd golf cart zooming by. Coming from the chaotic scenes of Panama City, you instantly calm down in the peace and quietness of Taboga.
The town beach looked pretty good as well (honestly, it looked also better than the main beach outside of town where most people seemed to head to – more on that later).
The main sight of the island is its 16th Century church, said to be the second oldest in the Western Hemisphere.
The town stretches mostly around the coast – if you wander inland you will soon find yourself at the edge of town and the start of the jungle.
One of the island's most famous inhabitants was the French painter Paul Gauguin who lived for a while on Taboga. This small monument was erected to commemorate it.
I really enjoyed my walk through the mostly deserted town, with only an occasional friendly local passing by who would warmly greet you.
The nickname of Taboga is the 'Island of Flowers' – and it is not exactly hard to see why.
As I was getting thirsty by this point, I headed up to the nice-looking Vereda Tropical Hotel Restaurant & Bar – which looked like a great spot to sit down for a drink overlooking the area.
The place did indeed have a fantastic outdoor seating area from where you could watch over the sea.
Service was a wee bit slow, but who cares about that when you are on a quiet island? I ordered a Pina Colada – which hit the spot. I was really starting to enjoy my Taboga island time!
After a cocktail or two I wandered to the island's main beach where most people were. There are stalls here selling freshly grilled fish or ceviche, as well as cold beer for a dollar. The food options looked attractive, although I found the town beach actually better looking than the beach here.
As I was getting hungry I headed back in town and stopped at a beachside cafe for some ceviche. It was outstanding. Yummy! And those views..!
I still had some appetite left. As the rest of the menu didn't really hit a note with me, I headed back to Vereda to order their fish and rice in a tropical fruit sauce. It was absolutely delicious as well.
I lingered for a while more at one of the beaches and before I knew it, it was the end of the afternoon and time to head back to the pier to catch my ferry back to Panama City.
Needless to say, there were again great views from the ship, this time of the impressive Panama skyline.
I was somehow unable to get an Uber on arrival, so I had to negotiate a deal with a normal taxi driver in his rundown vehicle to take me back into town to my hotel. Traffic was so excruciatingly slow that I decided to change my destination halfway through the ride and for the driver to drop me off at the Cinco de Mayo metro station given I still had some credit left on my transport card. I took a sunset dip in the hotel swimming pool, went for another beer and a small bite, before calling it a day.
I absolutely loved the trip to Taboga and can highly recommend it to everyone. It's an easy DIY day trip and makes for an excellent change of scenery from the crowded and chaotic city of Panama. With decent beaches, a cute town and some great food available it is the perfect place to unwind for a day. I later even found some super cute hotel on the island – if I would be back in Panama I would definitely want to try that out and stay at least for a night on the island.
Next up: Taking a tour to the UNESCO World Heritage listed fortifications of Portobelo and the tropical beaches of Isla Mamey.
The island of Taboga is located just a few miles off the coast of Panama City and it is one of the easier day trips you can make. Tickets on the Taboga Express fast ferry can easily be bought online (20 USD for a round trip).
After a quick dip in the hotel swimming pool and breakfast I took an Uber to the ferry terminal at the tip of the Amador Causeway. Besides endless rows of yachts there are a couple of shops to be found here (mostly tailored for yachties such as a nice-looking liquor store) as well as a small harbour terminal. You'll find the check-in desk of Taboga Express outside it at a table on the waterside – even if you booked online you need to check-in and pick up your real ticket here in a process lasting just a few seconds at most.
The fast ferry to Taboga Island is relatively small ferry (capacity 125) with free-for-all seating. Cold drinks can be bought on board – and even though it was the morning departure, many of the mostly Canadian tourists on board did not seem to mind an early beer.
As at 30 minutes the crossing is relatively short, I recommend sitting outside as there are some great views of all the huge ships heading towards the Panama Canal as well as of Taboga Island shortly before arriving.
The first thing you notice when the Taboga ferry pier comes in sight is how green the island is and how cute the main town looks like. What a fabulous sight!
On arrival, most people seemed to head directly to one of the beaches. I however opted to explore the town on foot. Taboga is pleasantly car-free except for the odd golf cart zooming by. Coming from the chaotic scenes of Panama City, you instantly calm down in the peace and quietness of Taboga.
The town beach looked pretty good as well (honestly, it looked also better than the main beach outside of town where most people seemed to head to – more on that later).
The main sight of the island is its 16th Century church, said to be the second oldest in the Western Hemisphere.
The town stretches mostly around the coast – if you wander inland you will soon find yourself at the edge of town and the start of the jungle.
One of the island's most famous inhabitants was the French painter Paul Gauguin who lived for a while on Taboga. This small monument was erected to commemorate it.
I really enjoyed my walk through the mostly deserted town, with only an occasional friendly local passing by who would warmly greet you.
The nickname of Taboga is the 'Island of Flowers' – and it is not exactly hard to see why.
As I was getting thirsty by this point, I headed up to the nice-looking Vereda Tropical Hotel Restaurant & Bar – which looked like a great spot to sit down for a drink overlooking the area.
The place did indeed have a fantastic outdoor seating area from where you could watch over the sea.
Service was a wee bit slow, but who cares about that when you are on a quiet island? I ordered a Pina Colada – which hit the spot. I was really starting to enjoy my Taboga island time!
After a cocktail or two I wandered to the island's main beach where most people were. There are stalls here selling freshly grilled fish or ceviche, as well as cold beer for a dollar. The food options looked attractive, although I found the town beach actually better looking than the beach here.
As I was getting hungry I headed back in town and stopped at a beachside cafe for some ceviche. It was outstanding. Yummy! And those views..!
I still had some appetite left. As the rest of the menu didn't really hit a note with me, I headed back to Vereda to order their fish and rice in a tropical fruit sauce. It was absolutely delicious as well.
I lingered for a while more at one of the beaches and before I knew it, it was the end of the afternoon and time to head back to the pier to catch my ferry back to Panama City.
Needless to say, there were again great views from the ship, this time of the impressive Panama skyline.
I was somehow unable to get an Uber on arrival, so I had to negotiate a deal with a normal taxi driver in his rundown vehicle to take me back into town to my hotel. Traffic was so excruciatingly slow that I decided to change my destination halfway through the ride and for the driver to drop me off at the Cinco de Mayo metro station given I still had some credit left on my transport card. I took a sunset dip in the hotel swimming pool, went for another beer and a small bite, before calling it a day.
I absolutely loved the trip to Taboga and can highly recommend it to everyone. It's an easy DIY day trip and makes for an excellent change of scenery from the crowded and chaotic city of Panama. With decent beaches, a cute town and some great food available it is the perfect place to unwind for a day. I later even found some super cute hotel on the island – if I would be back in Panama I would definitely want to try that out and stay at least for a night on the island.
Next up: Taking a tour to the UNESCO World Heritage listed fortifications of Portobelo and the tropical beaches of Isla Mamey.
Jun 2, 2019, 9:45 pm
#29
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: HKG
Posts: 1,502
I climbed up the hill on Carrera 1 towards the Montserrate cable car station, which I planned to take further up on the hill for some sweeping views. Unfortunately, the queues were extremely long and non-moving. I couldn't even see a single gondola going up or down! As I had a flight to catch later in the day, I decided not to waste my time waiting.
Jun 3, 2019, 2:28 pm
#30
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: OTP
Programs: AF/KL platinum, Turkish gold, QR gold
Posts: 1,570
