Chagres National Park and Kuna Yala Expeditions ,
January 2011
We had some great trips on January 2011. A group of 12 women did
our
100-15 Chagres and San Blas Adventure, 7 nights package. The owners (Alfredo, Marcelo y Felipe
Meneses) of Ecuador Adventure a Tour Operator based on Galapago Island
s had a chance to visit Panama and they were atonished by it,
specially by San Blas Archipelago and Chagres National Park. Here are
some few shots taken mostly by our new staff member Matthew Podobinski.
"Aventuras Panama San Blas Trip Rocks" by Hope Haff
(from tripadvisor.com)
By Hope Haff,
Boston, Massachusetts,
Feb 7, 2011
The 5 days I spent exploring the San Blas islands by
kayak were the best commercial sea kayak trip I have ever been on, and I
have been on a dozen, all over Latin America. The trip is pricey, on the
other hand everything, including Panama airfare and airport transport is
included. The gorgeous, untouched San Blas islands, a Kuna Indian
independent territory, are totally inaccessible by sea kayak to the
independent traveler, so trips like this are "it." The guide and the
cook/camp manager were both experienced and thoughtful, the food (very fresh
fish and lots of trimmings) was plentiful and varied, the tents/mattresses
were super quality and comfy, the corasl of the reefs were more varied and
healthier than in Belize. We explored different islands and snorkelled
different reefs every day; I could often set my own agenda. Kayak equipment
was high quality, and the launch accompanying made for super-safety and
convenience. Almost best was the chance to talk to Kuna about their very
self-aware and so far successful campaign to keep their culture and islands
safe from destructive development, while allowing for some income for tribe
members through ecotourism. Thank you Javier, and good luck!
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor
member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
In January 2011 Adventures Panama and Ms. Ana Royo teamed
up to make a
new company, Panama Travel & Explore, Inc., which now operates
Experience Panama,
the country leading Destination Management Company offering fresh,
dynamic and professional services, adapting its programs to suit the need of
every client.
Ms. Royo, until recently the President of Panama Tour
Operator Association, still manage
Experience Panama and it is now
backed by Adventures Panama (Aventuras Panamá).
The Biggest Rain in
200 Years (Taken from La Prensa, Dec 28, 2010, by Wilfredo S. Jordan)
The Panama Canal shut down operations for the first
time in its history due to natural events
Between
December 7-9 the Panama Canal watershed was hit by a storm of
unprecedented intensity. According to metorological data the rainfall was
the most intense in a 2 day period in 200 years.
The Lake Alajuela Basin
recorded an average of 281.88mm(11 inches) on December 8 alone.
In a span of 30 hours the level of
the Gatun Lake rose from 87.4 feet to 88.57 feet. According to Alberto Zubieta, the
Administrator
of the Panama Canal Authority, ACP, this caused one million gallons
per second to flow from Alajuela Lake to Gatun L
ake.
The Chagres
River, which feeds Gatun Lake grew to 43 feet. In some places the raging
water demolished everything in its path, including 2 ACP weather stations.
Force of water during
the opening of the 14 spillway gates Gatun on 8 December. CORTESÍA/ACP1487467
It is estimated that in
less than a minute (55 seconds) was pouring 55 million gallons of water,
the same amount used for a ship transiting the Canal, or in one hour
poured water equivalent to 65 transits ships.
Due to the magnitude of the
spill on Gatun Lake the administration had to order the use of the three
culverts Gatun Locks and Pedro Miguel. ´´ It was a unique experience and
required us to make decisions in a time of emergency and will help us
prepare for future unexpected emergencies´´ said Mr. Zubieta.
Meanwhile the ACP is working on
studies to increase the discharge capacity of Gatun Lake to the sea. These
studies may result in an increase in landfill capacity, as well as
design and construction of a new landfill on the Atlantic side of the lake
to increase the capacity of water dispersion.
Paddler Killed in
Crocodile Attack
(Reproduced from American Outdoor Newsletter)
In December of 2010 expedition guide Hendri Coetzee
was killed by a crocodile while leading a group of American paddlers.
The expedition was in its third week and had travelled a series of
rivers. Coetzee had taught the boaters to tap their boats to make noise,
stay out of the eddies where hippos might attack them, and keep clear of
the banks where crocodiles sunned themselves. The fatal attack
happened on the Lukuga River in Congo.
The two American boaters and guide Coetzee were
paddling in a close formation on a quiet section of the river when the
croc swam up behind them and tore Coetzee from his plastic boat and
disappeared with him. The crocodile was estimated to be 15 long and
weigh 2 tons. The two Americans were unharmed in the incident and
managed to paddle to safety.
Coetzee, 35, was a highly regarded paddler who had
run a 200km section of the Congo River and the Murchison Falls section
of the Nile River solo (and unsupported). He also led the first Source
to Sea expedition of the White Nile in 2004. He had been living in
Uganda before embarking on this expedition. This latest trip was
sponsored by Eddie Bauer’s First Ascent line of outdoor gear
For reservations please call us at Phone 260-0044,
Cel 6679-4404 or email us at
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prior to tour date. Trips departs from our office
HERE
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available preplanned trip into the outdoors.
The Bridge of Life building, which is designed by one of the
world's most important architecture firms —
Frank O. Gehry & Asociados — will be a new icon for Panama. It will also be
a striking building unlike anything most of its visitors have ever experienced.
It is expected to open to the public in 2011.
For more than a decade,
Ecuador
Adventure has been leading adventurers like you to one of the world's most
exciting travel destinations, a place of countless natural and cultural
wonders...Ecuador
Aventuras
Panama's Resources around 2,200 links to
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