We have safely arrived in Panama and the journey has begun! Our flight landed on time today at about 2:15p.m. The kids were immediately immersed in Spanish and I found them attempting to read signs and listen to the conversations of others. We found ALL luggage and successfully went through customs. Many students are already practicing their middle-school level Spanish skills and are loving their new surroundings!
After gathering our things and signing all important papers, we rounded
the airport corner and met our tour guide, Alonso Madrigal! I have
traveled with as my guide on two other tours to both Costa Rica and Nicaragua. He is an excellent guide and definitely knows his trade well. It was great to see a familiar face on the other side of the fence! We met our bus driver Paulino and started the drive to Panama City. The airport is about 15 minutes outside of the city. As we drove to our hotel, we were inundated with views of the skyline of Panama City.
We left the airport to get to our hotel, the Holiday Inn Express, in Panama City. This is a beautiful hotel in the heart of the business/financial district of Panama. (More pictures of the hotel will come tomorrow.) After arriving at our hotel, we took about 45 minutes to unpack and unwind from the flights before Alonso took us on a small walking tour to visit the Santuario Nacional (a beautiful church that was holding mass - students were able to hear part of the mass in Spanish and see the elegant alter). We also stopped at a local diner for dinner (students tried fried plantains, rice and beans and their choice of meat or vegetables), and a supermarket to compare prices, get water/snacks and take a small look at the city skyscrapers. We have an actual walking tour of the city planned for tomorrow, but we had a great look at some of it this afternoon!
Ready at the hotel and waiting to begin our mini-walking tour!
It's rainy season in Central America and that means ponchos, patience and a whole lot of fun! Just wait until you see how soaked we are at the end of this walking tour. You should not read any sarcasm into my text as the rain was one of the best parts of the day for the kids! It's not everyday in Kansas that you have a really hard, hot, downpour with really high humidity!
The building that you see in the picture above is the largest building in Panama City and it is the Trump Tower. Who would have guessed?
The building pictured above is the World Trade Center of Panama City. This is the first tour that I have actually stayed in the heart of a city instead of smaller towns or villages. I am very impressed by the architecture that is in place in the city. 
Although it is a blurry/rainy photo, this was the first glimpse that students had of the Pacific ocean outside of the airplane window. We discussed mangroves, endangered species and the impacts of development on our way to the hotel.
The two pictures above feature a very well known spiral building in Panama City, known as "El Tornillo" or the screw. This was a beautiful piece of architecture and is very "jengaesque".
Have I mentioned that I have the best husband in the world? Yes folks, we have caught a glimpse of the one and only, rare, Warren S. Potter. He is the caboose to all of my student lines and I love having him along to help me on tours! He also takes wonderful pictures!
The pictures above feature the Santuario Nacional de Panama. This is a cathedral where we were able to pop in on this evening. Students heard part of a mass in Spanish and were able to see a beautiful alter inside. Several students were able to pick out words in the prayer. These kids are really trying to use the Spanish they have learned this year and make connections to the new culture they are visiting. Students have also mentioned words in the city that they have seen and now know what they mean because they learned them in the airport!
Prior to returning to the hotel, we visited the local supermarket for snacks, water and to see what local prices were like. We also caught our first glimpse at the Balboa. In Panama the dollar is used as the main currency, but Balboas are still given as change.
This is the first view of the Panama Canal from the air. We will visit and learn a lot more about the Panama Canal on Friday.
From our hotel window (the 7th floor of the Holiday Inn Express), we can see a little bit of everything. What a beautiful start to a great tour with wonderful kids!
Soaked and ready to hit the sack!
Last but not least, I leave you with a video of the rain that we danced, walked and played in this evening. We were welcomed to Panama, weather wise, with rains and humidity. Students are definitely glad they packed ponchos!
I am excited and ready to see what Day 2 has in store for us tomorrow! Sources say, an in-depth historical tour of the city, Casco Viejo, the Biomuseo and the Amador Causeway!
Thanks for reading, stay tuned!
Heather Potter - Student Travel Group Leader
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