August 15, 2026

 Big Travel Day — Dawn to Dusk in Panama

We were on the road at dawn, leaving Cambutal with that familiar mix of anticipation and grit that comes with a full travel day ahead. This time, thanks to the Waze app, we were routed the right way—avoiding the mistake from last time. The notorious pothole section was mercifully short, about 45 minutes instead of the two-hour gauntlet we endured on the way in.

The outbound leg more than made up for the rough bits. The road lifted us onto beautiful mountain ridges, with sweeping sea views appearing unexpectedly between turns. It was one of those drives where you’re reminded why slow, overland travel still matters—the landscape tells its story mile by mile.

For the final two hours, Rebecca took the wheel as the weather closed in. Rain followed us toward Panama City, and then came the traffic—dense, chaotic, and demanding full attention. It made for a harrowing bookend to the day: challenging at both the start and the finish.

We ran a few errands in the Fort Clayton area before arriving at our destination for the night, the American Trade Hotel. We checked in mid-afternoon and were immediately taken by the place. Our fourth-floor room looks out over Panama Bay and Ancon (Cerro Ancón), a view that stirred memories of my days as a cadet transiting the Panama Canal back in 1982. Time collapses in moments like that—same skyline, different life chapter.

In the evening, we headed out to the Elks Club, and I was genuinely excited to put my Elks membership to use at the Panama Canal Elks. We were warmly greeted by the Exalted Ruler, and Alan Dekle was behind the bar. Dinner was simple and satisfying—cocktail shrimp with rice and beans—while Rebecca and Alan shared stories from their Canal Zone days in the 1980s and earlier. It felt like stepping into a living archive of the Zone’s social history.

We Ubered both ways, at roughly three dollars each trip—money very well spent. The route took us through El Chorrillo, a section of Panama City that’s more than a little sketchy, and it was nice to leave the navigation and vigilance to someone else after such a long day.

With a full day of travel behind us, we returned to the hotel ready for a deep, well-earned sleep, except that Rebecca checked out the pool on her climb up the four flights of stairs and is already eager to spend an evening swim there tomorrow night