Getting Settled

Hola! from our January home near Panama City.  We landed in Panama on New Year's Eve.  Since our stay at the condo didn't start until the next day, we spent the night at the Riande Hotel very near the airport.  We celebrated the start of 2015 sitting by the pool (temperature around 80 degrees). 

Riande Hotel pool Panama City

Our next task on New Year's day was to go back to the airport, pick up our rental car and drive across the city to the condo.  We were pleasantly surprised that the car was there as promised and that the Panama GPS map that Gene had downloaded worked to get us across the city right to where we needed to be.

The condo we rented is on a golf course and looks out over the Panama Canal. 

It has an amazing rooftop deck big enough to host a huge party

The view off the front of the deck - looking towards the golf course, downtown Panama City and the canal

  Yesterday we got on the Hop On - Hop Off bus so that we could get to know where things were without having to negotiate traffic.  Two areas we spent time in were Casco Antiguo (old town Panama City) and the Amador Causeway (an area that was only available to Americans when the US ran the Canal).

It has some beautifully remodeled older buildings (much like New Orleans)

And it has some that have a more local flair

And of course you have to buy a Panama hat - you really do because the sun is super hot!!

The Bridge of the Americas - over the Panama Canal that we cross to get to and from our condo - as seen from the Amador Causeway

The Panama Biodiversity Museum designed by Frank Gehry (he designed the Guggenheim and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in LA) on the Amador Causeway

Standing at the entrance to the Museum.

It has been a great start to our time here in Panama City!  We are looking forward to the arrival of our guests. Our son, Alex, arrives on Thursday.  Our daughter, Emily, and her friend, Paige, will join us on Saturday.  We have some great ideas for exploring the city and natural wonders in the area.