Day 1 - Bound for Panama City

Elliot at 3:30 a.m.

Our day started early, really early. At 3:30 a.m. we woke up... well I and the kids woke up, Mom didn't get to sleep at all the night before, a little bit too much anxious energy.

Tegan is ready to jump in a taxi.

Our taxi arrived just after 4 a.m., we loaded up the trunk with our bags and off we headed for the airport. A quick run through the check-in counter and US customs onto some breakfast and a little break before boarding our flight for Houston.

In-flight entertainment was really poor, it kept Tegan and Elliot occupied at least. When we landed in Houston we went and got a bite to eat; I had some great tacos and Mom went and got Tegan and Elliot some Chinese food.

We actually weeded through 10 cookies for these.

There was an amusing moment when Tegan was opening her fortune cookie and it flew across our table. Our fortunes seemed to be finely tuned to us or an airport in general.















The flight to Panama started to board as soon as we arrived at the gate. Tegan was sitting in the window seat on this flight and I explained to her that we would be flying over the Gulf of Mexico on our route to Panama. I attempted to show her the oil rigs that dot the surface of the water off the coast of Texas, but she was just not that interested in sightseeing.

The final hour and a half of our flight was turbulently exciting if you know what I mean. The plane took a few dips that had the kids thinking this is more like Disneyland than coach travel. Upon our approach into Panama City we were facing the Pacific side of the Panama Canal and in the dark Tegan counted 38 large ships waiting their turn to proceed through the canal.







On the ground we went through customs quite quickly. All our bags arrived with us, so we were out the doors of the terminal to catch a taxi. A 1/2 hour ride in the taxi and we arrived at our hotel in Panama. We went for dinner downstairs in the hotel. We tried the local Panama beer and food and everyone seemed pleased.

We have yet to make plans for tomorrow, but the canal and old city district are of interest.