31st January 2016

So here we are again, moving on. Today we once more get collected from our hotel at precision timing by the company that run this tour for Trailfinders, Travel Excellence. They really are top dogs at punctuality. Every single guide and driver has never been even a minute late. The tours, the trip everything has been brilliant and as we prepare to leave Costa Rica, with very sad hearts, it is one place I would come back to very easily and I know Peter feels the same. It's always felt safe, the people, from chambermaids, barmen, reception staff and the ordinary folks we've met have all been a delight. Always cheerful, never grumpy, they've always seemed happy with their lot. It's a most beautiful country, totally diverse, from the rain forests and rivers of Tortuguero and the lovely Capuchin and Howler monkeys we came across. The mountainous central area of Arenal and Monteverde was green and drier at times than Tortuguero but just as amazing and as much as the wildlife was stunning - oh, the sloths - I was never scared of anything as I thought I might re our 8 legged creatures. The tarantulas we saw were, as they should be, fast asleep in their burrows during the daytime and there is no way I would go anywhere near a forest at night. Full stop end of story! 
Then our warm and wonderful 3 days in Manuel Antonio and its Parador hotel was a delight, with a night at the beginning and end of this trip to C.R. at Hotel Gran Oro, there is little we would want to change. We've been, we've seen and we've fallen in love with it all. Plus we've adopted our very own Sloth (our fluffy friend Graybing - named after our guide in the Monteverde National Park) so we'll never forget our fabulous time here.
So to San Jose airport we go for one last visit and after a 50 minute flight we arrive into Panama City and get a 30$ cab to our central Waldorf Astoria hotel. It was on the 'front row' of Panama's sea front, when built. But now with a high rise between it and the main Ocean highway it's quietly tucked away just behind the very stately Meridian. It's very much a ' business persons' place, but clean, functional and with huge bedrooms and luxurious bathrooms, will do nicely for our 2 day stopover to see a certain centurion (better known as the Panama Canal)
We walk along the promenade during late afternoon and it is roastingly 90 degrees, we sup water as we go, walk under the trees as much as we can but it is energy sapping. As it is a Sunday and also the start of Carnival week, the cities residents are all promenading too. There are wide cycle lanes which are taken by every age and type of 'wheels' from kiddies on bikes with stabilisers, skateboards, Bradley Wiggins lookalikes and even Police on cycles and a 4x4 with two Police guys one driving and one with a sub machine gun!!!
So it's time to return to our hotel to catch the last of the afternoon rays from the 9th floor pool. We decide to eat at Brio, the hotel's brassiere for our evening meal. Big mistake, service snail like, 2 glasses of identical sized wine the red at least a third more than the White!!!! The language of Panama is Spanish, words were not needed when we summoned the only decent member of staff and pointed at the glasses put side by side on the table! After ordering our starter, a full 35 minutes later we were still waiting and this was blamed on the 30 second electricity blip we had at least 2 hours earlier! This meal got progressively worst when Peters main of a pasta arrived and that had been made and placed under a lamp prior to our starter being cooked. Disgusted of Teignmouth, summoned the useless Maitre D who said, "I hang my head in shame of what we'd been put through." (nevertheless he did waive all dinner and drinks costs) so we left after we had enjoyed our free wine and also the very fancy plate of Macaroons delivered the next day. Tomorrow will will eat elsewhere!