Left Santa go late cause my battery died and had to find a place to charge it on a Sunday. The speed limit is 100 kph and they actually obey it cause there are a lot of cops on the road. It's the rainy season and it rains cats and dogs everyday, was bucketing down and we had to pull off and wait it out for an hour and a half. Arrived in Panama City at five and a guy drove us to the hostel thankfully , people are so helpful and friendly everywhere we go. The room is huge like 500 sq.ft. So we're able to dry all our stuff . Went down to jap jap for a great bite to eat.
I was up and gone before Tom awoke this morning which was a first. Took the underground to the bus station and ended up on a chicken bus which was quite an experience to go to the canal. What an operation it is moving those ships , just over a million ships in a hundred years, and they are building a new one cause the Americans screwed up building it in feet and inches instead of the metric measurements.
I walked downtown and along the shoreline and caught the bus back to somewhere and wondered aimlessly back and found my way to the hostel.
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.