Panama City : Tocumen Airport and into the belly of El Cangrejo
Posted by Lee on October 15, 2009
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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4 Responses to “Panama City : Tocumen Airport and into the belly of El Cangrejo”Leave a comment, and if you'd like your own picture to show up next to your comments, go get a gravatar!
Il Pomodoro in Panama City is AMAZING! I usted to play chess, read and drink espressos with my friends in their terrace area when I was a teen… I love it!
El Pomadoro is fantastic. The Veneto is only well known for the bar in it’s casino, lined up with well behaved women of the night. Down the side street is The Tuscan Inn Hotel with excellent value in it’s rooms, next to the Ginza Steak house (Fabulous but expensive). Both give honest Pensionado discounts and are new.
The New York Steak House in the Veneto advertised US DA PRIME steaks. Many restaurants in the states do the same and serve low choice or high select. I have learned to ask to look at the steak before it is cooked before ordering it. The steak at the Veneto was high select-low choice, just the beginning of a rip off. A rancher from Minden Nevada was there and he confirmed the grade of the meat. Neither of us ate there.
When I look for lodging or food, I do not look at price, I look for value! I am hesitant to go places without a recommendation from someone who knows their stuff. Of course, getting to KNOW, takes time. This guide really helps, thank you!
Thanks Lee for another informative post – we also liked the Pomodoro in PC but what about their sister restaurant “Rincon Suizo”? I thought the steak there was as good as any I’ve had in the States – it was almost 4 years ago that we ate there but it only cost us about $40 for 2 (no booze/wine).
I graduated from high school in Quito, Ecuador so it was nice reading about your trip to Ecuador. Although Cuenca is an interesting place and does look like Antigua in some respects, I have always favored the northern part of the country – Quito, Otavalo, Latacunga, Ambato to name a few nice places. I’ve told my wife that once we move permanently to Boquete a nice vacation would be to Ecuador. Out of curiosity, how much was airfare on COPA to Guayaquil?
Regards,
Bruce