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Panama City, Panama : Tocumen Airport and into the belly of El Cangrejo
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I live in Boquete Panama but I just flew into Panama City from Guayaquil Ecuador. It has been at least two years since I flew out of and arrived at Tocumen, Panama’s largest International airport.
When I left I had only carry on luggage and printed my boarding pass online, it made the Tocumen experience painless, no lines, no time at all. The airport is a melange of duty free shops few if any bargains, but busy. Flying Copa was smooth, they left on time, they served a meal, they provided free drinks including wine, beer and rum and finally they arrived on time in Guayaquil.
I left Panama with some gifts, a bottle of Ron Abuelo and a pound of my own coffee. They did not make rum in Ecuador and although they do grow coffee, nothing is better than Boquete Panama coffee! I returned with a Panama Hat. The hat internationally known as the Panama hat is not made in Panama, they are from Ecuador.
Not having a portable printer I could not print my return boarding pass. The long slow line to check in have motivated the need to acquire a portable inkjet printer before my next flight. The Internet can make flying easier.
When I arrived back in Tocumen immigration and customs were a breeze. If you have a permanent residency in Panama you short cut the process and get in the short line for citizens. Then came the annoying issue of getting from Tocumen airport to El Cangrejo, the site of both the conference and my hotel. Panama City lacks even passable public transport.
The taxis want an outrageous $28 to drive into the city and I was feeling adventurous. I said no, es caro.( It’s too expensive) to the taxi fare. I was surprised when I was seamlessly transitioned to something new to me, a collectivo. A nice car with air conditioning and two other passengers going to the same area; the fare $11. The collectivo works well if you are traveling alone.
The conference is in Veneto Hotel and Casino and I was offered a deal on a room for $125 a night, $50 less than their $175 rack rate. A $28 cab ride was too rich for my blood, a $125 room in Panama City seemed obscene. I booked a room at another area hotel, the Marbella. I have never stayed at the Marbella before and it is low on my list for the future. Their rate is $80 a night plus taxes, $40 with the jubilado discount, not too bad compared to the Veneto. Then comes the fine print, if you have a roommate add $15, not discounted, if you eat breakfast it’s not included either. The room I was in 222 had view of a wall, an air conditioner that had no controls, just plug it in and freeze or unplug and bake. I lasted one night.
Later that evening I took a friend out for a belated birthday dinner. We wanted steak and I remembered the sign at the Veneto for a New York steak dinner, $19 including a bottle of wine. It seemed to be worth a try. The New York Steakhouse in the Veneto Hotel is a beautiful venue. After being seated we waited, we waited and waited some more, finally we waved, jumped and caught the attention of an inattentive staff.
Menus and a wine list arrived with prices rivaling Smith and Wollensky in New York City, $65 for an imported Porterhouse; we ordered the special. It started with a nice salad and fresh rolls with honey butter. A bottle of cheap Chilean red wine and finally a not so wonderful steak, served with overcooked vegetables and a small dab of decent mashed potatoes. We completed masticating the steak and drinking the wine, then headed across the street to the Wine Bar.
If you want a really good Filet and far better bottle of wine for about the same cost, allow me to recommend the filet at the Wine Bar or the shared El Pomodoro, which has the same items often for a lower menu price. The El Pomodoro in El Cangrejo Panama is far better and less expensive then its namesake in Boquete. Don’t let a poor experience in Boquete prevent trying the Panama City location.
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