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Wizard
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February 26th, 2011 at 9:10:48 AM permalink
Here is a rough draft of a future blog entry on my Odds site. I'm making a thread out of this, rather than a blog entry here, because my last one generated quite a number of comments. I welcome all questions, comments, corrections, and suggestions.

This is the story of my visit to Panama City in February 2011. I already wrote about the casino scene in my last two blog entries, Gambling in Panama (combing soon) and Confessions of a Cangrejo. This entry will focus on the touristy activities I managed to squeeze in between my casino research and business meetings.

If you do just one thing in Panama City it should be to see the Panama Canal. The canal is 48 miles long, with a lake in the middle. If you're in Panama City, I would suggest going to the Miraflores Locks just outside the city. This is a two-step lock that elevates the ships eight meters. There is another set of locks further inland, taking ships up to the lake level, and another set on the Caribbean side lowering ships from the lake level to the sea.

A taxi ride from the center of the city to Miraflores will cost about $15 in a yellow cab and $20 in a white one. I'll tell you more about the taxis later. The Miraflores visitor center is a four-story building with a nice viewing area on the top floor. The inside has a museum, theater, restaurant, and overpriced gift shop. As I recall a ticket for everything was about $8. I call the gift shop overpriced because I paid $25 for a license plate there that I would later find elsewhere for $10-$15.

During the opening hours the ships go towards the Caribbean from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.. Then nobody goes through for four hours. From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. ships go the other way, towards the Pacific. So make sure you get there for one of the two crossing periods. I got there right at 11 a.m. so had to sit around for four hours waiting to see a ship. During this time I enjoyed a time-elapsed video in the museum of a crossing of the entire canal and the movie about the history of the canal.

As I waited I feasted on churos and beer in the snack bar. The churos were the best I have ever had. Between the two main Panamanian beers, Panama and Balboa, I thought Balboa was much better. It had a sharp and slightly bitter taste, while Panama was very light and watery. To compare them to Mexican beers, I would say Balboa is like Tecate, and Panama is like Corona.

When the ships started to make their way through I took the following pictures at five minute intervals. It was suddenly very crowded on the observation deck at this time, and a little difficult to find a spot at the railing. It was also agonizing as the American next to me was trying to impress his girlfriend with his knowledge of the canal -- all of it completely wrong. I tried to correct him at one point but he blew me off. This I should have expected. I see the same thing happen in Vegas all the time, but about gambling.











Here are a few more miscellaneous pictures from the canal.






The next day I took a historical tour of Panama City. The first place we went was in the former Canal Zone. This part of Panama was controlled by the United States until 1999, and is still a very nice area, and retains an American look to it. Then we went to a restored village called "Mi Pueblito." This was meant to show what life looks like in small villages in Panama. A little touristy, but worth doing if you're in the canal zone area and have extra time. It is along Avenida de los Martires, up a hill in a forested area. I'd give you a street address, but they don't have them in Panama, nor mail service.





The next stop was a church called the Alter de Oro (Alter of Gold). All I can remember is a lot of gold from Peru came through Panama on its way to Spain. However, some of it was used to make this church altar, which is hundreds of years old. I tend to doubt there was actually much gold there, as I didn't see much in the way security.




Then we went to the French part of the city, known as San Felipe. Little did I know before this trip that France was the first country to attempt to build the canal, but they gave up after too many people died of malaria. However, their influence remains in the San Felipe section of the city. The buildings look much like those in the French Quarter of New Orleans. I was planning to take pictures on my way back to the van, but we got picked up in another spot. All I have is this picture from there looking towards the downtown area. I also easily got my fix of Panamanian license plates. I'm an avid collector and some of the vendors had a good selection of them. My advice for souvenir hunters is to head for this part of town.




The next stop on the tour was the Casco Viejo (old town) section of the city. This was where the city first stood, before pillaging and fires caused it to move further west. The main point of interest, and only thing we had time to see, was the Iglesia Cathedral. Our guide emphasized that this was the oldest standing structure along the Pacific Ocean in all of the Americas. It has been heavily damaged, and then restored, so not much of the original thing remains. They added a staircase to get a look from the top.




The following pictures were taken from each direction.






I'm afraid for a week in Panama that is about all the sightseeing I did. I spent most of my time in casinos, which I wrote about last time (link). However, here are some miscellaneous pictures I took elsewhere in the city.



This is the Multiplaza Pacific shopping center. I must say I was never expecting to see such high-end shopping in Panama. It is close to the Punta Pacifica section of the city, which is made up of modern skyscrapers, most of them banks. Quite a contrast to the other parts of the city.




This is in the Cinco de Mayo Plaza area of the city. It has a street blocked off to car traffic, so makes a nice place to wander around. I asked my tour guide if this referred to the battle between Mexico and France that is celebrated in the U.S.. He said the Panamanian Cinco de Mayo has nothing to do with the Mexican one, but I think he was in error.


So my knowledge of Panamanian history didn't get any better but I did get a good salon haircut in the area for $6. I wasn't sure if I was expected to tip, so didn't. When I relayed the story to a local later she said I should have. Now I feel badly.

Another evening I went to the Calle 49 section of the city, also known as Calle Replublica de Uruguay. The Lonely Planet guide said this was the trendy disco/restaurant area of the city, and I think they were right. There were lots of restaurants and bars. My guide took me to a great place for dinner, the best meal I had in Panama by far. However, after much searching I can't determine the name of it. I know, I'm terrible. After dinner we went to a jazz club and then a dance/karaoke place. It was not an especially scenic area, but a lot of fun.

Another day I wandered around the University of Panama and then this modern Catholic Church. Many of the university buildings looks in disrepair, but it was a quiet place to escape the noise of the rest of the city.



Here are some other pictures I took near my hotel. The buses all look like these, which is very cool.






Here are some pictures of my own hotel, the Riande Contenintel.






Finally, here are some miscellaneous pieces of advice.

LANGUAGE

Spanish is the official language. Not many people speak English. Of course your odds of encountering English are better in the touristy areas, but don't count on it.

FOOD

After spending a week in Panama, I still don't know if there is a specific thing called Panamanian Food. There were lots of ethnic restaurants, as in the U.S.. However, your basic simple restaurant served things not much unlike what I see at home, in particular a lot of fish, chicken, and rice. Just from the one meal I had, and eyeballing other restaurants, it seemed like your odds of finding something good is best in the Calle Republica de Uruguay area. There is also a good restaurant across the street from the Marriott called Beirut, which obviously serves Lebanese food.

TRAFFIC

Traffic is horrible in Panama City. During rush hour traffic moves extremely slowly. I would try to avoid traveling by car during those times. My advice is to try to concentrate on a particular part of town each day and minimize time on the road. Lots of streets lack sidewalks, which is also frustrating.

MONEY

Panama uses the U.S. dollar. So no getting screwed with bad exchange rates or doing math in your head to convert prices.

TIPPING

I'm not still sure what to make of the tipping etiquette in Panama. However, here is my two cents on that topic:

Taxis: Tipping is not expected. However, if I felt I got a fair price, and the driver was nice to me, I would add a buck or two if I was in a good mood.

Restaurants: A 10% service charge is added almost always. Tipping is not expected beyond that. Personally, I just rounded up the next dollar.

Bellmen: There were always a host of bellmen hanging around the entrance of my hotel and always were super nice to me. The first few days I didn't tip and I started to get the shakedown pretty hard. So I gave the person I saw the most $5 and that made things right again.

Casino dealers and cocktail waitresses: Tipping is not expected and seldom done.

Housecleaning: I have no idea. I left her a pile of change when I left.

Hair salons: As I wrote above, I got a very good haircut for $6, didn't tip, and now feel guilty about it. In a perfect world tipping should be only for service above and beyond the call of duty, which it was in this case. It just goes to show you shouldn't always go by protocol but sometimes follow your heart.

TAXIS

There are two types of taxis in Panama City, yellow ones and white ones. The white ones are about 25%-50% more expensive, but nice new vehicles, and I think you're less likely to get cheated by the driver. An annoyance with the yellow taxis is they sometimes pick up more than one set of passengers. Once when I flagged one down there was already somebody else inside. The driver said he had to drop her off first, and she was going way out of my way. So what should have been a 10 minute drive turned into 30 minutes. In retrospect, I should have refused to get in.

If you ask for a taxi at a nice hotel they will probably summon a white one. If you get one off the street, it will probably be yellow. I've read some comments on bulletin board warnings about the white ones as being rip offs, but I think they're fine. You pay more but you get more.

Neither color have meters, or if they do have one, they don't use it. If you don't ask for a price in advance the driver will just throw a number at you when you arrive from out of nowhere, and it could easily be inflated. You should always ask in advance for a price. Even if you have no basis of knowledge of a fair price, just asking will keep the driver honest.

At one point I took a very short ride late at night and was charged $10 for what should have been a $2-$3 ride. Unfortunately, I didn't take my own advice about getting a price in advance. I told the driver I would pay the full amount if I could take a picture of his driver's license, or he could accept just $5, which was still too much. He made up lies and excuses about why he asked $10, but eventually drove off with $5. This is a picture of his license plate.

BEACHES

I had hoped to see white sandy beaches in Panama City, like in Honolulu, but alas, this is what I saw.



There are lots of islands along the coast, which I hear are very scenic with nice beaches. Unfortunately, I never had a chance to get outside the city.

SHOPPING

In general I found prices in stores to be higher in Panama than the United States. If you want to spend money, do it on services, which are much cheaper.

NAUGHTY SIDE

Gambling is legal in Panama. There are about nine hotels with associated casinos and about nine more that have slots only. I'm not sure if prostitution is legal in Panama, but it may as well be. There were lots of Columbian beauties strutting around the Veneto casino looking for customers. I hear some of the strip clubs (they call them night clubs in Panama) have rooms you can take the girls to.

SUMMARY

I think Panama City is worth spending a day or two in if you are passing through. I'm happy I went but would probably not go there twice unless I had some compelling reason to.
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
odiousgambit
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February 26th, 2011 at 9:26:50 AM permalink
Quote: Wizard

I think Panama City is worth spending a day or two in if you are passing through. I'm happy I went but would probably not go there twice unless I had some compelling reason to.



Angie isnt' compelling enough? [g]
the next time Dame Fortune toys with your heart, your soul and your wallet, raise your glass and praise her thus: “Thanks for nothing, you cold-hearted, evil, damnable, nefarious, low-life, malicious monster from Hell!”   She is, after all, stone deaf. ... Arnold Snyder
pacomartin
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February 26th, 2011 at 10:48:21 AM permalink
I was reading an article in Time Magazine called Casino Gambling: Russia's Export to Latin America

Quote: JEAN FRIEDMAN-RUDOVSKY

La Paz, Bolivia, Saturday, Dec. 26, 2009
In the last year gambling operations here have nearly doubled — there are now more than 80 casinos and about 10,000 gambling machines in his country of 9 million people.

Bolivia's gambling boom is not unique: Mexico and Colombia opened new Russian-owned mega-casinos this year; Chile's gambling sector is rapidly expanding despite the economic downturn; and Lima, Peru, is now known on the South American traveler's circuit as a sweet spot for gambling. Argentina's casino business, the largest on the continent, brings in between $4 billion and $5 billion a year.



I have no idea what mega-casino they are talking about in Mexico. I thought gaming in Mexico was limited to sports betting and those slot machines styled as "bingo style" operations.

The Veneto Casino in Panama is owned by Andalex Group in New York City. Do you think they have Russian investors?
Wizard
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February 26th, 2011 at 11:06:37 AM permalink
Nice find with the above picture! I met Angie at the table where the guy with the red baseball hat is sitting. I don't recall that canopy; I think they removed it.

I think in some cities in Mexico they have bingo and class II slots. When I was in Acapulco we drove past a fairly large building with "casino" in the title, but I didn't get a chance to go inside. My driver said it was a bingo hall. As far as I know table games are illegal throughout the country. I'm sure Nareed can speak to this much better than me.
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
Nareed
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February 26th, 2011 at 11:54:01 AM permalink
Quote: Wizard

I'm sure Nareed can speak to this much better than me.



Lots of bingo and slots, plus sports books.

Lately some casinos have put in automated roulette and BJ tables. The roulette uses a wheel and ball, but no dealer, and you play in electronic screens. BJ is all-electronic (no idea about rules). That's it.

Here's my report from a Mexican casino:

Link
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PaulEWog
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February 26th, 2011 at 12:07:31 PM permalink
Quote: Wizard

So my knowledge of Panamanian history didn't get any better but I did get a good salon haircut in the area for $6. I wasn't sure if I was expected to tip, so didn't. When I relayed the story to a local later she said I should have. Now I feel badly.



I seem to recall reading somewhere that only people who are intimidated tip so unless Manuel Noriega was standing behind you with a machete while you got your hair cut you did the right thing ;)

Thanks for taking the time to write a great trip report. I love engineering marvels, and while I knew a bit about the canal I learned a few things. I always figured there were two lanes so traffic could move both ways at once so I was surprised they had times for each direction. Perhaps they get nervous when they have two 100 ton ships that are only 25' away from each other moving in opposite directions.

The TV show "Build it Bigger" did a segment on the new canal lanes in 2009. The Science Channel airs the show, but it doesn't appear that episode is on the schedule right now. If you are interested it is listed at yidio.com: season 3, episode 4. I think "Modern Marvels" on the History channel also did an episode on the canal, but I couldn't find a listing for that one either.
Wizard
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February 26th, 2011 at 12:13:50 PM permalink
Quote: PaulEWog

I always figured there were two lanes so traffic could move both ways at once so I was surprised they had times for each direction. Perhaps they get nervous when they have two 100 ton ships that are only 25' away from each other moving in opposite directions.



I'm not sure the reason the traffic moves in one direction. My hunch is parts of the canal are not wide enough to handle traffic both ways, so they alternate the direction of traffic flow.
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
PaulEWog
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February 26th, 2011 at 2:01:50 PM permalink
I was curious so I looked it up.

This page says:

Quote:

The canal locks are paired with two locks side-by-side to allow two-way traffic. The locks can also be operated in parallel in the same direction depending on the traffic flow requirements for the canal.



So they may run two-way at times, or used to. Part of the expansion will raise the level of the lake 1.5 meters, which may make it easier for two ships to pass in the narrower sections.
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February 26th, 2011 at 4:19:49 PM permalink
I made the trip through the canal on a cruise ship in 2007. We passed through the locks with same-direction travel in both lanes, much as the Wizard described. It was my impression that smaller ships may pass through the locks at night, with one lane traffic in each direction in both the eastern and western regions. Some ships spend quite a bit of time waiting in the lake, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if there is a price premium placed on getting passage for your ship at the time that you want. Since there is limited capacity for traffic throughput at the locks, this actually makes quite a bit of sense -- give priority to those willing/able to pay extra and offer the "economy" rate for those willing to wait for periods of low demand.

Wizard, your photos are quite small in this thread, and I don't know whether you plan to show them bigger in the final edition or have full-size images linked. If it would add anything to your presentation and you would like them, I have lots of photos from the perspective of the ship, showing the locks and buildings at the side. Some photos show the tow vehicles that pull the large ships through the locks -- it's interesting how the tow vehicles are designed to deal with the elevation change of their loads. I also took photos of the Bridge of the Americas, where the Pan-American highway passes over the canal.
Wizard
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February 26th, 2011 at 4:28:18 PM permalink
From the plane window I could see lots of ships, roughly 50-100, parked along the coast by the entrance to the canal. Evidently they were waiting their turn. I tend to think small boats would not have a long wait because the locks seems more than long enough for a big container ship, but too small for two. I saw them put in a yacht with a big ship twice.

About the pictures, when this is on the Odds site if you click any of them you'll get an 800x600 version. I didn't want to fuss with that twice.

By the way, there is a company that takes tourists from Panama City to the lake on Saturdays, and the full way once a month. That I think would be a good idea if you were there on a Saturday, which I wasn't.
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
EvenBob
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February 26th, 2011 at 6:16:17 PM permalink
>>I see the same thing happen in Vegas all the time, but about gambling.>>

I see it too and I never say anything anymore. Not wising up chumps is my motto. People don't really want to be wised up, they like being ignorant.
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Wizard
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February 26th, 2011 at 6:28:10 PM permalink
Quote: EvenBob

People don't really want to be wised up, they like being ignorant.



With much wisdom comes much sorrow. -- Ecclesiastes 1:18
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
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February 26th, 2011 at 6:47:32 PM permalink
If anyone wants to really see and experience the Panama canal, I strongly urge you to take a trans-canal cruise. Apart from all of the great things you'll find on the cruise ship itself, you'll have a full 9 or so hours transiting the canal and seeing it from a perspective you'll never get from anywhere on land. When I worked on ships I transited the canal a good 20 or more times and it never got old. I would make sure that if you do want to cruise the canal that you avoid the Forida round-trip cruises as all you do is enter through the locks, spin around in Gatun lake for a while and then head back out. You really should do a trans-canal from Florida to California. Sailing under the Bridge of the Americas is quite an experience.

It is true that cruise ships get preferential treatment in the cue. Back in 1999 we used to give away the receipt from the canal transit to one of our guests as a prize and on average we paid about $190,000. The mega Panamax ships pay a lot more today, well in excess of $300,000. The cheapest transit ever was 36 cents for Richard Haliburton who swam through... but that was back in 1928.

The canal is a true engineering marvel and the history of the building of the canal is amazing, from the French effort to how the US took over, how many lives were lost and the political implications along the way. If you want to learn about the canal, read "The Path Between the Seas" by David McCullough as it is considered the difinitive work on the subject.
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pacomartin
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February 26th, 2011 at 10:14:06 PM permalink
Quote: Wizard

From the plane window I could see lots of ships, roughly 50-100, parked along the coast by the entrance to the canal. Evidently they were waiting their turn. I tend to think small boats would not have a long wait because the locks seems more than long enough for a big container ship, but too small for two. I saw them put in a yacht with a big ship twice.

About the pictures, when this is on the Odds site if you click any of them you'll get an 800x600 version. I didn't want to fuss with that twice.

By the way, there is a company that takes tourists from Panama City to the lake on Saturdays, and the full way once a month. That I think would be a good idea if you were there on a Saturday, which I wasn't.



The large number of ships are bidding at auction for the opportunity to pass through the canal. It's very capitalistic. I think many of them have a reservation far in advance of the time they arrive, but then they pay for the right to go through sooner. I met someone whose job it was to take those bids from the ships.

The Gamboa Resort is the best place for romantic or family vacations if you want to see the interior of Panama near the canal, but also near the jungle. You can go to the beach anywhere.


Nareed
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March 3rd, 2011 at 8:35:58 PM permalink
Quote: Wizard

As I waited I feasted on churos and beer in the snack bar. The churos were the best I have ever had.



I've been meaning to ask you about this: beer?

Churros are usually served with hot chocolate. Milk or coffee, too, but I've never heard of anyone having them with beer. How does all that sugar and cinnamon go with a bitter drink like beer?
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Wizard
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March 4th, 2011 at 4:42:30 AM permalink
Quote: Nareed

I've been meaning to ask you about this: beer?

Churros are usually served with hot chocolate. Milk or coffee, too, but I've never heard of anyone having them with beer. How does all that sugar and cinnamon go with a bitter drink like beer?



Churros and beer go great together. Something about the bitter taste of the beer, especially Balboa beer, offsets the sweetness of the churro. They compliment each other like yin and yang.

There was also not much else to eat in the snack bar. I was tempted to go to the restaurant on the second floor, which looked nice, but I hate formal dining by myself.
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Nareed
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March 4th, 2011 at 7:00:24 AM permalink
Quote: Wizard

Churros and beer go great together. Something about the bitter taste of the beer, especially Balboa beer, offsets the sweetness of the churro. They compliment each other like yin and yang.



That's really odd.

The other thing is most people dunk the churros ni the chocolate. And if you've ever had traditional Mexican chocolate, you can guess a diabetic comma is a distinct possibility ;)

Quote:

There was also not much else to eat in the snack bar. I was tempted to go to the restaurant on the second floor, which looked nice, but I hate formal dining by myself.



I take it you don't travel alone often? When you do you get used ot it. me, I will take a magazine with me sometimes, or drafts of my stories and a pen.
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Wizard
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March 4th, 2011 at 8:38:28 AM permalink
Quote: Nareed

I take it you don't travel alone often? When you do you get used ot it. me, I will take a magazine with me sometimes, or drafts of my stories and a pen.



I often travel semi-alone. I arrive by myself, but often make advance arrangements to meet people wherever I'm going to do stuff. Panama was an exception where I had no social plans with anybody before I left. I had dropped some strong hints with people I was doing business with that I was by myself and unfamiliar with Panama, but that only got me one dinner. That would explain why I was an easy mark at the Veneto.
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Nareed
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March 4th, 2011 at 9:03:57 AM permalink
Quote: Wizard

I often travel semi-alone. I arrive by myself, but often make advance arrangements to meet people wherever I'm going to do stuff.



My business trips are typically one day affairs, two at most, and largely consumed by business. So that's out. I've distant relatives in Monterrey, but I've never tried calling them when I go there. I really don't know them.

On vacation I prefer to travel alone. I've traveled with family and with friends, and alone suits me best. It's more restful not to have any obligations at all.
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pacomartin
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March 4th, 2011 at 9:07:03 AM permalink
In central America you won't normally go wrong with fish or seafood. They love ceviche and it's almost always a good bet. Corvina or sea bass is popular. If you are worried about getting sick, then stick with Tasajo, which is extremely well cooked meat (like delicious jerky). Panama is known for it's crabs (hence the name for the district).

Rice dishes and stews are very typical. Generally stay away from lettuce and other food items like juicy fruits. There are simply amoeba's that your body is not used to in the soil. You get an annoying stomach conditions. Food like platanos (a type of banana) are safe. Always get ice cream. They have flavors you've never heard about.

I think only the USA is obsessed with chicken. While every place in the world has chicken, you don't eat it as often as you do in the states, and you will often find it stringy.
Nareed
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March 4th, 2011 at 9:32:51 AM permalink
Quote: pacomartin

In central America you won't normally go wrong with fish or seafood.



Seafood is wrong all the time. But that's just my opinion about such inedible, so-called "food" :P

Quote:

They love ceviche and it's almost always a good bet.



Careful. That's raw so-called meat.

Quote:

Generally stay away from lettuce and other food items like juicy fruits.



That depends where you get it. Fancy restaurants and chains like Vips and Toks disinfect their vegetables. Other places just wash them.

Quote:

I think only the USA is obsessed with chicken. While every place in the world has chicken, you don't eat it as often as you do in the states, and you will often find it stringy.



It's quite popular down here, too. As meats go it's the cheapest option. Rather high in protein and low in fat.
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