I’ve always wanted to try surfing, so on a recent trip to Panama I decided to try and catch some waves in Santa Catalina, one of Central America’s best surf spots. While I may not be joining the pro league anytime soon, by the end of my lesson with Chris from Montezuma Surf School, I did manage to catch a few waves!!
2014 marks the 100th year anniversary of the Panama Canal. Known as one of the world’s greatest engineering feats, the Panama Canal is 80 km long stretching through the country from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. It took more than 75,000 workers over ten years to complete. Finally, on August 15th, 1914, the SS Ancon officially inaugurated the Panama Canal.
Currently around 14,000 vessels pass through the canal each year and since it opened over 1 million ships have made the journey through the canal.
Ships passing through pay according to their weight. The average fee is around US$30,000. The most expensive ship to pass through was the Norwegian Pearl cruise ship, which paid US$ 376,000 in 2010. This fee has since been surpassed. The cheapest fare was US$0.36 paid by Rich Halliburton in 1928 when he swam through the canal!
Panama took over full operation, administration and maintenance of the canal on December 31st 1999 and they are currently working on a US$5.25 billion expansion project.
You can visit the Miraflores Locks visitor’s centre (admission $15) which has a four-story museum, viewing platforms and a movie theatre showing a 3-D movie about the locks.
I’ve always had a thing for manatees. What’s not to love? The adorable sea cows always seem to be grinning as they glide through the water (or so I had seen on TV). So on a recent trip to Florida, when I learned you could actually get in and snorkel with the manatees, this became an immediate ‘must-do’ activity.
We made our way to Crystal River, Florida (where everything has my name!) and stayed at the Port Hotel and Marina, where Elvis Presley stayed during the filming of ‘Follow that Dream” in 1961. Looking out the window, we could see manatees playing in the Crystal River, their heads or big, flat tails popping up out of the water. Watching them in their natural habitat made me even more excited to get in and swim with them.
We watched a short video on the laws protecting manatees, and how to safely and respectfully interact with them. Then we donned our wetsuits and headed out to meet Captain Charlie and take our boat ride down the Crystal River on our way to Three Sister Springs to find the manatees! 
How to meet a Manatee:
On a beautiful sunny day, Three Sisters was a busy spot with lots of kayakers, snorkelers and the odd paddle-boarder all hoping to see the gentle manatees in the warm 72 degree Fahrenheit spring water.
Masks and snorkels on, we jumped in and within minutes I had come face to face with a manatee! Slowly reaching out a hand, the manatee swam right next to me, letting my hand run along its soft, algae-covered body, before continuing on itsway.
Soon I was by the designated “No Entry – Manatee Refuge” area, where inside, at least 20 manatees were resting on the bottom. They seem to know where this space is and head there when they want to be left alone. I hovered outside the barrier, watching them take turns rising to the surface to take a breath before returning to a resting state.
Out in the river, the water was fairly churned up, but once inside the narrow channel heading into the springs, the water was much clearer. Here, a mother and her calf swam straight at me, allowing me to pet them both on their way by. Manatees in general are cute, but a baby manatee is adorable and even more playful.
Many of the manatees today showed battle scars from being hit by boats. This is a serious issue in Florida. Under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, both the State of Florida and the U.S. Federal Government oversee the protection of these beautiful creatures. Laws are strictly enforced to ensure the safety of the manatees and as we snorkeled, volunteers and conservation officers were there to make sure everyone was following the rules.
By the time our two-hour snorkel was over, I had pet five manatees and seen over 40! What an incredible way to spend a few hours in Florida, getting to know the state’s gentle giants.
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Crossed another thing off my travel bucket list when I got up close with the manatees, snorkelling with them in Crystal River, Florida.
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“Chances are, she doesn’t want the life her friends have. She’s a dreamer who is unafraid to make those dreams a reality. She will show you a side of yourself that you often run from. She will not just listen to you complain about your job; she will try to show you how to change it.
She will never need you; making the relationship you build one based on choice, not obligation. She is independent and she understands that there are some dreams you must chase alone.” Hmm. This one may be even more me….
“Don’t date a girl who travels for she has chosen a life of uncertainty. She doesn’t have a plan or a permanent address. She goes with the flow and follows her heart. She dances to the beat of her own drum.” Pretty much sums me up….
I had always wanted to go to Las Vegas for my 30th birthday. Not because I’m a big gambler or like to party all night, but because I hoped all the bright lights, showy hotels and casinos and crowds would distract me from the fact that I was about to leave my twenties behind.
Tales of a Travel Addict 
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