Panama (5)

Panama: the Canal & the Capital

 
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We were up at silly o'clock for this trip  ... but we caught the Bridge of the Americas at sunrise, and that's quite a sight.

It is written, somewhere, that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. That might be true for dates, job interviews and the like, but it doesn’t necessarily apply to places. We’ve visited a number of cities we weren’t too impressed with at first sight, but grew to like.

Panama City struck us as a warren of high rise: the guide said they weren't quit

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9009058092?profile=originalNo one really knows how Nicuesa Beach in Costa Rica got its unusual name.

One thing is for certain, the picturesque little cove in the Pacific gulf of Golfo Dulce in southern Costa Rica takes its name auspiciously from the Spanish conquistador and explorer, Diego de Nicuesa (1464 – 1511). His name further lives on in Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge, a beautiful ecotourism and nature lodge located on Nicuesa beach.

9009059057?profile=originalBut who was Diego de Nicuesa, and how did a little Costa Rican beach receive his name

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9008955053?profile=originalEver wanted to have your own private tropical island?

 

That was the dream of Argentinean Jorge Benatuel, co-owner of eco-boutique Hotel Laguna Azul in Bocas del Toro, Panama.

 

The intense city-life of Buenos Aires is a far-cry from the backwater southern Caribbean archipelago of Bocas del Toro in northwestern Panama. But in 1998, Benatuel and his wife traveled from Argentina to Bocas del Toro on vacation. They spent 15 days boating around Bocas del Toro’s nine major islands and 200-plus islets, lo

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9008920860?profile=originalArticle by Shannon Farley

Every February 14, around the world, people exchange cards, flowers, candy and gifts with their loved ones on this day of romance we call Valentine’s Day. But who is this mysterious St. Valentine, and where did these traditions come from?

9008920474?profile=originalFebruary has been celebrated as a month of romance dating all the way back to ancient Rome. The Roman fertility festival, Lupercalia, was celebrated in the middle of February from Feb. 13 to 15. In the 5th century, two martyred saints na

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9008906864?profile=originalSome of the most elaborate traditional Christmas celebrations take place in the seven countries of Central America. Read on for more about each country’s unique festivity.

 

Christmas Celebrations in Central America

 

Panama

The Panama City Christmas Parade is the big festivity here. Decorated floats, marching bands and dancers in traditional costumes parade through Panama City to the beach where there is a tree lighting ceremony. At nightfall, there is also a parade of boats decorated with Christmas

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