Panama: The First Chapter

     Well readers, the time that you have all been waiting for is here!  Last week I went to Panama on vacation.  I was a bit worried when I first booked because no one I have known has gone there before, but that was also part of the appeal.  I am so happy that I went, because it was a beautiful country and I would highly recommend the resort that I went to.  I stayed in Playa Blanca a resort town located 2 hours outside of Panama City.  I had a great time  outstanding time.  My travel buddy was a blast and I relaxed, read a few books, played some pool volleyball and enjoyed a lot of down time.  Before I began, a little geography lesson.  Panama is located in central america between Costa Rica and Columbia.  

Panama's main language is Spanish, followed by English and Indigenous languages (there are about 7 Indigenous tribes in Panama).  There main source of economic wealth is tourism.

The ride from the airport to Panama was very informative (that is where I got all my facts) and I really enjoyed learning about the country.  When we arrived, we checked in and were given our rooms.

Beautiful Bathroom

Everyday they left us fresh flowers as little accents around the sink or in the towels.  It was really a nice touch.  Bedrooms had two double beds and were clean with a nice flat screen TV.

The view from the room overlooked one of the pools

Once we checked in we headed to the beach.  I think that the beach was the ONLY thing that I was a little disappointed in.  My friends call me a beach snob, because I have been blessed to have visited many beaches around the world I always compare.  This because had brownish sand and the tide was super low.  The water wasn't as blue or as clear as some of the other beaches I have been to.  Granted this beach is located in the Pacific and usually you find nicer beaches on the other side of the country, on the Caribbean side.   We were also warned that because of the low tide, the sting rays liked to hide in the sand and to be careful not to get stung by one.  I REALLY don't like the feeling of being paranoid when I am in the water at the beach. Also it was extremely windy by the water and when we lay down to read the sand was slapping me in the face like I owed it money.

Ok, ok, I must apologize, looking at these pictures again, how can I saw anything bad, I'm sorry beach...

The second day, we took a half day excursion to a "zoo", a mineral bath, small rain forest and a small craft town called Anton Valley.

The bus stopped at the side of the road on the way to the "zoo"  for us to take pictures of the breathtaking view.  It is currently the dry season in Panama and the weather was great 30-35 C everyday , with no humidity.

This will continue on Monday, because this weekend one of my good friends is turning 30!!  We are heading to a chalet up north for the weekend to PARTAY!  The weekend will conclude with a cocktail party (Pearls and Pocket Squares) on Sunday evening.  The festivities began last night!

Happy Birthday A!