| The history of beach towns along the
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| | incidents by local police Veracruz now
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| Pacific Coast in Panama is coupled to the
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| | rates as a high-crime area.
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| history of the Panama Canal. Most of the
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| | Veracruz, is nestled between the
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| population that settled these Pacific
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| | beautiful Pacific Ocean and the base of
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| beaches came from small villages that now
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| | lush green mountains. The drive is about
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| are under the waters of the Panama Canal.
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| | thirty minutes to downtown Panama, and
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| They were relocated from their hometowns
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| | only fifteen to twenty minutes to get to
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| and settled along the coast so that their
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| | Balboa, Panama which has just about
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| villages could be flooded over and turned
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| | everything one could need or want for
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| into the floor of Lake Gatun.
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| | everyday living.
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| The major problem with the beaches in the
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| | The former US Howard Airforce Base which
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| area of the canal and just past the canal
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| | is located just in front of the area of
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| area is the debris that washes up on the
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| | Veracruz, and former Rodman Naval Station
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| beaches. Part of the debris is from the
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| | recently received approved legislation to
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| city itself and another contributing
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| | become a free trade zone for the Pacific
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| factor are the ships waiting to transit
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| | making this another area to watch for
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| the canal. Recently Panama City began a
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| | growth explosion.
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| clean up project for Panama Bay which
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| | Playa Chumical
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| will include a new water treatment plant
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| | Veracruz, flows into Veracruz de
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| and sewage system for the city. Of
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| | Chumical. Chumical, has a sand and
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| course, the problem wasn't recreated
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| | volcanic rock beach that is cleaner than
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| overnight and it won't be fixed
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| | Veracruz, the homes are larger and better
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| overnight, but at least we begin. This
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| | maintained. In this town are fishermen
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| should cut down on some of the debris
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| | and residents that work in the city.
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| that washes ashore. However, unless
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| | Chumical is the cleanest of the public
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| stricter ordinances are put in place and
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| | access beaches since leaving Panama City.
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| imposed with consistency on the residents
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| | Entrance to the beach can be gained by
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| and the vessel in the bay the beaches
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| | the various paths the allow access
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| will continue to be trashy.
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| | between the houses. There is nothing but
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| Panama's FarFan Beach
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| | open water and islands to be viewed from
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| Across the bridge of the Americas in
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| | the coast in Chumical. There are no
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| first position is Panama's Farfan Beach.
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| | concessions or commerce on this stretch
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| The roads are a little rough, similar to
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| | of beach.
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| a forgotten county road in the US, rough
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| | The day I visited I found a delightful
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| road patches and peppered with a some
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| | sight. Three children playing in a tide
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| potholes. Even with the road conditions,
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| | pool whiling away the hours in the Panama
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| once you've crossed the bridge it is only
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| | sun. They stopped long enough to allow me
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| a two minute drive to the entrance of
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| | to take their pictures. Their presence
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| Farfan Beach. The first thing you will
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| | definitely added to the beauty of the
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| notice is the barricade that blocks the
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| | scenery.
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| paved road's approach to the abandoned
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| | Playita Vacamonte and Vacamonte Port
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| beach area. The second thing of notice is
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| | (Vaco Monte)
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| Panama's Balboa Gun Club positioned
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| | Playita Vacamonte, Panama sits just
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| directly next to the barricade. The third
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| | outside the official entrance to the
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| thing you should notice is the alternate
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| | Vacamonte Port. It is the smallest of the
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| off road paths that have been created to
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| | public access beaches since leaving
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| access the beach.
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| | Panama City. Like Panama's Playa Bonita,
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| Panama's now forgotten Farfan Beach was
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| | this area is a little rustic since it set
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| once a hot spot as is evidenced by the
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| | road side and you have to descend a steep
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| abandon concrete concession stand that
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| | hill to reach the beach area. Parking is
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| was once complete with toilets
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| | minimal but the view is breath taking.
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| facilities. Farfan is a canal beach, from
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| | The waters here are clean and the
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| the concession area you can look out to
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| | Vacamonte Port area is well maintained
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| the left and see Panama's Amador Causeway
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| | free from the normal roadside debris.
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| with a clear view of Naos Island and the
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| | The Vacamonte Port of Panama is an
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| Smithsonian Institute's Culebra Island.
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| | international port. You will need to show
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| Looking straight ahead you can view large
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| | your passport to the guard and enter the
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| and small vessels anchored just outside
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| | area.
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| the Panama Canal waiting for permission
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| | Vacamonte Port consists of a few small
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| to begin their transit and since the
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| | building and a port of industrial
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| canal is operational twenty four hours
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| | fishing. The port has two wharves and a
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| day, seven days a week, you are sure to
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| | pier. In the port are all manner of
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| see a vessels at the beginning of its
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| | fishing boats whose main commodities are
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| transit.
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| | shrimp, shark, tuna, and various local
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| Since Farfan is no longer managed, tall
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| | fish. The fish are sold to the general
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| grass now covers some areas of the once
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| | public from 8:00 until 2:00. There's a
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| popular beach, from the well worn grooves
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| | bank and a restaurant in the port. Shop
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| made by vehicles that drive out to the
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| | early if you want small fish for your
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| beach area it is evident that Panama's
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| | home, the small fish sell out early.
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| Farfan Beach still receives it's share of
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| | From Vacamonte International Port seafood
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| visitors. Even if you choose not to drive
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| | is shipped all over the world.
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| off road, it only a short blocks walk
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| | Peurto Caimito
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| past the barricade on the paved road to
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| | Peurto Caimito, Panama is home to Mariano
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| the beach area.
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| | Rivera, relief pitcher for the New York
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| It's important to note, being a Florida
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| | Yankees. Mariano has a large home just
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| transplant; the beach here is not sandy
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| | outside of Peurto Camito, and with
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| but mostly volcanic rock. However, it is
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| | residents like this it is hard to list
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| well worth the time to drive out and see
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| | Peurto Caimito among the forgotten
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| the canal area from this prospective;
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| | beaches of Panama, but we can definitely
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| spend a little time imagining this area
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| | call it off the beaten path. Puerto
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| in its glory day. I hope there are better
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| | Caimito is situated at the mouth of the
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| days to come for this forgotten
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| | Caimito River, and is a commercial
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| recreational area.
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| | fishing town with a fish meal processing
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| Panama's Playa Bonita/Playa Kobbe
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| | plant and is an old pirate village
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| Panama's Playa Bonita is also a beach on
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| | Of all the places previously listed
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| the canal, it is a little rustic in
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| | Peurto Caimito caught my attention and
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| location. It sits beside the road with
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| | begged me to stay a while. It's hard to
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| just a little pull off spot along an old
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| | say if it was the signs that hang from
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| bridge. The area never had a concession
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| | the homes along the beach front road that
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| or toilet facilities and the beach area
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| | entice you with promises of fresh fish
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| is a steep drop from the road. From under
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| | for sale. Or maybe it's the thought of
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| the old bridge a river empties into the
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| | the fishing boat moored behind the house
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| canal.
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| | that go out on the rising tide, when the
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| Many of the beach areas in Panama are fed
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| | water has sufficiently covered the vast
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| sand and water from Panama's rivers. This
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| | expanse of beach and brings the day's
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| is note worthy to swimmers who might
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| | catch to vendors living in the houses. I
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| encounter the whirlpools they create as
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| | was also struck by it was the fishermen
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| the rivers empty their content into the
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| | tending to net repairs and daily
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| larger body of water.
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| | maintenance of their outboard fishing
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| From Playa Bonita you can see the bridge
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| | boat on the beach. And rusty vessels in
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| of the America's and the hill the old
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| | the port and as well as the few rusted
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| Howard Air Force Base is on. The beach
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| | past use on the far end of town where the
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| was a mix of sand and volcanic rock and
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| | road ended at the ship yard. The child in
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| was from a Florida transplant
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| | me came out saw I watched a town's child
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| perspective, a bit trashy.
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| | climbing in and out of the rushed out
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| A four star resort area has been built on
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| | boat hull on the beach. I could have
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| the road to Playa Bonita,
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| | spent the day climbing, exploring,
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| InterContinental Playa Bonita Resort &
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| | poking, and turning things over.
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| Spa. About ten minutes from the actual
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| | Peurto Caimito, residents are mostly
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| area of Majagual, fourty Minutes from
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| | descendants of the island peoples and a
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| Panama City's International Airport
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| | lower socioeconomic class level that live
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| Tocumen.
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| | off the sea. They catch sardines or
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| Panama's Playa Veracruz - the local beach
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| | anchovies, they have no refrigeration, so
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| Panama's Play Veracruz is still a busy
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| | the boats all smell and are sealed with a
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| local beach. There are roughly twelve
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| | slime of fish oil.
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| rancho style concessions along the beach
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| | There is a couple of large ranchitos on
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| where you can enjoy entire fried sea bass
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| | the beach with patios facing the beach,
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| for three to five dollars and beers for
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| | music blaring loudly. The beach was
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| sixty cents. Playa Veracruz flows all the
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| | easily accessible and was mostly sand. We
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| way into the beach town of Veracruz.
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| | didn't see anyone swimming or lounging,
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| Veracruz, Panama is located approximately
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| | but was week day and from the positions
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| twenty five minutes from Panama City and
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| | of the ranchitos I would wager to say to
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| known for its various fish markets, it is
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| | some extent the weekends bring pleasure
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| a small fishing village that is made up
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| | seekers to the area. The smell of wood
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| mostly of lower socioeconomic class
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| | cook stoves and signs selling carbon add
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| level.
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| | to experience that was hard to leave
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| .
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| | behind as my day ended.
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| Veracruz, once was an attractive area in
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| | If leaving with locals and cheap land
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| front of US Howard Airforce base. It's
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| | with ocean front property appeals to you,
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| city park once had a concrete concession
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| | it will probably also appeal to you to
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| stand complete with toilets facilities,
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| | know that El Chorrera is only fifteen
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| swimming pools, and sheltered picnic
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| | minutes back up the road and has
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| tables. The abandoned structures are
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| | practically everything necessary for
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| still standing in the park area. A small
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| | living a comfortable life in Puerto
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| fee was paid to gain entrance to the
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| | Caimita.
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| park. But based upon recent reported
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|
