We woke early for a plentiful selection of breakfast options and then boarded buses to the Ish fees.
We started our journey on the southern side of the canal in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The canal runs south-north through Panama and we transited just over half of the canal. We first crossed under the Bridge of the Americas connecting North and South America via the Pan-American Highway. Then we entered the Miraflores Locks. Here our boat was raised 27 ft and then lowered back down on the other side. This allowed the canal builders to cross the Continental Divide of Panama without having to dig as deeply. It also limits the transfer of species from the Pacific to the Caribbean side. I'm not completely sure of the details on this as I spent much of the cruise making sure that Matthew would not dash off and fall under the open railings into the Canal so I missed some of the detailed information presented by our guide.
After the next set of locks, we had lunch onboard. The exceptional quality of cuisine was even more impressive because the staff had carried everything onboard that morning with no kitchen onboard for cooking. The chef must have been up well before dawn to prepare all that incredible food. It amazed me that they could serve everything hot and fresh on the Isla Morada 4 hours after we boarded. Our local buffet restaurants could definitely use some lessons!
Shortly after lunch, we disembarked in Gamboa and took buses to the viewpoint for the Miraflores Locks. On the way back to the boat, we stopped at an artisan market where I passed on the somewhat generic souvenirs, more because I was busy chasing Matthew about then because of a lack of interest.
I have been pleasantly surprised that at least half a dozen other passengers have commented on what a good baby Matthew is. I feared that since he was the only child onboard, the other travelers might resent his presence. However, I think he has charmed his way into their hearts and earned many token grandparents. The crew is wonderful -- always asking if he needs something special to eat, sneaking him chocolates and making funny faces at him. It certainly hasn't hurt that he recently learned how to blow kisses and delights in showing off his new trick.
As I sit writing this on the sundeck of the Pacific Explorer, a giant Panmax vessel (~1000 ft long) is making a sharp turn right past the bow of our ship. It is traveling at a steep V and looks to be within ~ 5 ft of our ship. Those captains must be exceptional to maneuver in these tight spaces!
Franny helped us put together a great itinerary, was very responsive and so helpful. We ended up not being able to use Adventure Life for our trip, but would definitely use them in the future.
Sara Grosch
5 hours ago
Jess H helped plan an incredible holiday to Costa Rica for us. She was great from the start, she really listened to what we wanted from the trip and took into account mobility issues by arranging different excursions. The whole planning process was easy and stress free even with us being in the UK and them being in the US. I would highly recommend using Adventure Life to anyone thinking of planning a trip. They are also priced very competitively which made it even better.
Samantha Broadhurst
7 hours ago
Clara bent over backwards to accommodate all my needs and concerns, and is still helping me with more scheduling of different parts of my trip
customer. Martin Cohen
1 day ago
COSTA RICA a trip of a life time travelling round this beautiful country. All went like clockwork even when the weather was against us and all transfers seemed to be part of the holiday not a chore. Would definitely use Adventure Life again having previously used them 20 years ago!!
Cynthia Calton
1 day ago
Adventure Life helped me plan my trip to Antarctica. They always responded fast to my emails and were a pleasure to deal with.