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Baby
Lion at the bottom and Skyline at the top are Photos by Kay
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OCTOBER 2010
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PANAMA
TRIP REPORT AND OTHER TRAVEL UPDATES
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PANAMA
TRIP REPORT
 As I
begin this report I am in
Panama at the Playa Bonita Resort. This 8-day trip has been very
rewarding and informative. We are a group of 38 agents
accompanied by the owner of Tara Tours, Hermine, and two of her Fam
specialists, Lynn and Jackie (pictured below). For those of
you who don't know what a FAM is, it is short for
familiarization. A trip of this sort allows agents to travel
to a destination in order to become familiar with and provide
educational knowledge on
a specific destination and/or tour
company and what it has to offer. Most often it is sponsored
by a Tour Company or Tourist Board. This trip was sponsored,
and organized by TARA
TOURS, a recognized company in the industry, specializing
in Central, Latin and South America. Our Panamanian Tour
Director Patrick and the Sales Director Oscar were instrumental in
making this trip a huge success. For me personally, Panama interested
me for several reasons: 1) the trip was offered by a
reputable and well respected tour company and 2) my interest in
experiencing the Panama Canal without being on some mega-ship and 3)
the opportunity to learn about the country and decide whether it was a
place that I could organize a future trip to. There are many
fam trips offered to agents, some are reasonable, others are
not. Some are offered by internet companies or companies for
which I am unable to authenticate and others by reputable,well-known
and respected companies. The latter are the ones I look to
when booking for clients and are the only ones I will travel
with. So this trip not only met my expectations, but exceeded
them in hotel accommodations, learning experiences, quality and
service, so look for more later on this destination. This was the
itinerary for our trip.
Day
1 : USA-PANAMA
Day
2 : PANAMA-HALF DAY CITY TOUR & CANAL
Day
3: PANAMA EMBERA VILLAGE (That's me with the Chief of the Village)
Day
4: PANAMA CITY-GAMBOA
Day
5: GAMBOA CANAL CRUISE
DAY
6: GAMBOA RAINFOREST RESORT-PLAYA BLANCA
DAY
7: PLAYA BLANCA
DAY
8: INTERCONTINENTAL MIRA MAR-PANAMA-USA
Panama is a great destination for
several reasons, one of which is that the country's currency is the US
dollar, and many people speak English. There is no need for
adapters for converting electricity and YOU CAN DRINK THE
WATER. For those history buffs and those who want to know
more about the Panama Canal and all it's workings, this trip presented
a perfect and spectacular way to see it via small private boat tour,
rather than a huge cruise ship, though we saw many of them crossing the
Canal.
The
Panama Canal is a 48 mile ship canal that joins the Atlantic Ocean and
the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime
trade. One of the largest and most difficult engineering
projects ever undertaken, the canal had an enormous impact on shipping
between the two oceans, replacing the long and treacherous route via
the Drake Passage and Cape Horn at the southernmost tip of South
America. (Partial Source: Wikipedia)
The
Panama Canal was built by the United State and opened in
1914. Panama was occupied by the USA at the
time. It was given over to Panama December 31,1999
under the Jimmy Carter administration. It is currently owned
and operated by ACP (Autoridad Del Canal De Panama), an agency of the
Panama Government. The United States has no ownership or interest in
the Canal. To be able to see and appreciate the significance
of the Canal, there is only one way to do it (in my opinion)
and that is by small boat. Because boats are only allowed to
cross one way at a time, with the exception of small boats which
piggyback off the big boats and may often cross with them, boats coming
from the other direction must await their turn to cross. That
means anchoring out in the harbor for sometimes twelve or more hours,
depending on what time they get into port. For ships carrying
perishables, it is often the Canal Master who makes the decision about
whether they can cross and when and more importantly, how much they
will pay for that privilege.
Crossing
fees from all of the ships approximate four million dollars per day,
with the Norwegian Star paying the highest fee on record, at three
hundred eighty seven thousand dollars. They must have really
wanted to cross. Fees are based on passengers, tonnage, and
if they have made pre-reservated a spot. If reservations are
made, and they can be made a year in advance, and for whatever reason
cannot make it, they forfeit the money they paid in fees. For that
reason, most ships do not make prior reservations, even though they
know that they may have to wait as long as twelve hours to
cross. The most I counted while in Panama were 33 ships
waiting out in the middle of the ocean.
EXPANSION
OF THE CANAL:
The
expansion of the Canal consists of the widening and deepening of
existing navigational channels in Gatun Lake and the deepening of
Culebra Cut. The program consists in the construction of two
new sets of locks - one on the Pacific and one on the Atlantic side of
the Canal. Each lock will have three chambers and each chamber will
have three water reutilization basins. Despite the
construction, the Canal is not closed. The construction is not in the
path of the current channel. The widening will allow more than one ship
to cross at the same time, and will allow the huge mega-liner cruise
ships to cross, as they cannot do at this time. The scheduled
completion for this project is 2014. At that time not only is
the Canal scheduled to be completed, but all of the major construction
projects currently in progress of the many hotels, condos, shopping
malls etc. should also be completed. Check back with me for the next
group to return Panama after the scheduled completion.
If you're interested in returning in 2011, possibly October,
just let me know and I can try to build a group for 2011 if you can't
or don't want to wait until 2014.
Most
importantly, the cost for this TARA TOUR trip is affordable, at under
$2500.00 per person from the West Coast. We certainly could
not have had a better guide than Patricio, who is known throughout
Panama as 'the best in the industry' and Oscar, who is the Director of
Sales for the top ten hotels in Panama (three of which we were booked)
also accompanied us. To say we were in good hands is putting
it mildly. You too will be in good hands if you are
interested in any of these destinations. Please feel free to
contact me regarding this destination or any other destination they may
offer.
When
you've finished reading the newsletter, and would like to see more
Panama photos, please return to this section and click on the
link: http://Panama Photos
Click on My World Travels, top left to see other
destinations.
It's
difficult to show the true marvel of this canal, and the large
construction project going on, it is something you have to physically
see for yourself. THAT'S WHY I PLAN TO ORGANIZE A TRIP BACK
IN 2014 WITH TARA TOURS, ONCE COMPLETED. I HOPE YOU WILL KEEP
THIS IN MIND, FOR A FUTURE AFFORDABLE TRIP. But, if any of
you don't want to wait, I'll be happy to work with you on an individual
trip.
As I
end this report I am at home remembering the fantastic experience I had
and to capture it while it's still fresh on my mind to present to you
and before my next adventure Nov. 10.
Photos:
Above: Kay and Chief Antonio Tocamo of the Embera Tribe, Kay
and Kathy with Tara Tours Owner Hermine, and Fam Specialists, Lynn and
Jacqueline; Below: Kay and Kathy aboard the Pacific Queen,
Kay inside of Pedro Miguel Locks, Kay against Panama Skyline,
Muņeca Pollera Mujer, the beautifully dressed lady; Kay and Patricio,
our Tour Director, Kay with Oscar, Director of Sales for all
the accommodations where we stayed; Kay with Embera Indians; Every
country has them, in Kenya they are Matatus, each trying to outdo the
other with bright flashing lights, neon etc, in Tanzania they are
DalaDalas and in PANAMA, they have the Diablos Rojos, brightly painted
busses, each one trying to paint more and more colorful than the next
and be more and more creative. They all have one thing in common,,
however, they all cram in more people than the bus can
COMFORTABLY hold, translation, people hanging off the steps of the bus,
sitting on the floor of the bus, with the rear door open, and legs
dangling out. They are quite the site in every country. See
more photos by clicking on link above.
       
To my fellow Panama colleagues who traveled on the trip and for whom I
am grateful to have met. Thank you for sharing this
experience with me. I have included you on this newsletter
because you were part of the Panama experience and to provide you with
a link to my photos. If you see any photos of yourself or
your travel companions, and would like me to forward, please fee free
to send me an email.
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 KENYA
- November 20, 2011
This trip has already begun to fill
up, with just five spaces left on this fabulous trip. Now is the time
that I would encourage anyone who is or has been remotely interested in
travel to this Continent to consider this trip. You can look
at the itinerary and see that most of the camps are four and five star
properties. I'd really like you to join me and the rest of
the travelers on this fantastic adventure. Whether you travel
alone or with a companion, I'd like you to be a part of our group, and
part of the party in Kenya.
My
birthday month is November and as I am usually away during that time,
this is my way of celebrating. Won't you join me?
Whether you have a birthday, anniversary or any other November
celebration, it's a perfect time and I'd love it if you would join
me. You don't have to have a November celebration, just being
in Kenya is celebration in itself. You won't be
disappointed. Repeat travelers are always a good sign that
they liked a destination and trip that they are willing to do it all
over again. That has been the case on most of my trips and
this one is no exception. If you've been to Africa before, or
if you've never been, this is still the trip for you. PLEASE
JOIN ME. The full itinerary and details are posted
here: Kenya 2011 Itinerary
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COMING SOON!!!!!!
MOROCCO, anticipate Sept.
2011
ISRAEL/JORDAN, anticipate
March 2012
EGYPT, anticipate September
2012
Note:
Spain/Portugal will be rescheduled as there was not enough interest in
moving forward with this trip.
When I return from South Africa in
November 2010, I will actively begin recruitment for interest in any of
the above trips. As always, in order to get you the best
pricing and amenities, I need a group of a minimum of six travelers and
I hope as in past trips, if you are interested, you will indicate your
interest to me as soon as possible. A couple of past
travelers have already alerted me of their interest, so just waiting on
you now, if you haven't already. Working early to plan a trip
is the best way of planning an itinerary and working to get all the
amenities required for a trip. One year is usually my goal,
but some destinations require much more planning.
Israel/Jordan is a very population destination and many of the hotels
want groups of 20 or more in order to give the best rates, so the more
we have, the better the trip and the rates, of course. I am
in the process of negotiating rates and as soon as I can confirm them
to you, I will.
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AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT UPDATE
DID YOU KNOW?
American
Airlines charges $25.00 for your FIRST checked bag
There is an $8.00 charge for a
pillow and blanket on American Airlines, For that price I suppose you
would be able to keep the blanket and pillow. So far they
haven't started charging for using the bathroom. An anonymous
source says when they start that practice, she just might use the floor
instead, that will surely make them think about continuing to charge,
don't you think. Not sure what else they can charge for,
bathroom would be over the top.....but you never know these days.
OTHER AIRLINES UPDATES
Southwest
is in the process of finalizing it's purchase of Air Tran.
United and Continental has completed their merger!
Quantas has proposed cutting back on First Class service and enlarging
their Business Section, which, of course, means packing more people
into Economy. Other airlines are cutting back on the numbers
of First Class seats, making room for more economy seats.
Some airlines are still proposing a charge for aisle seats.
We don't know where this will all end, but every day, airlines are
finding more and more 'creative' ways of gouging the
traveler. Do you remember when flying was FUN? I do!
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INTERESTING FACTS
TODAY
IS ABOUT THE RHINO
Rhino Horn demand from the Asian
markets has increased to such degree that recent studies show more than
20 animals are slaughtered every month by poachers across the African
continent. This is an alarming figure but the most concerning part is
that we are losing rhino to poachers faster than the current population
can reproduce.
JUST FOR
YOU! DESTINED TO TRAVEL has negotiated some fantastic safari
rates for 7-night safaris most under $2500.00 plus air.
Imagine traveling to the spectacular Okavango Delta in Botswana
starting December 10, 2010 and dates throughout 2011. I can
book you individually or with a group of six, I can escort
you. All rates are land only rates, based on double
occupancy. Bring your friends, make your own group.
These rates are super and you'll want to get in on some of
them. Here are some examples of the negotiated rates:
LAND
ONLY RATES:
Kenya
7 or 8 days, From $2499
Botswana 7
days From $2399 plus 4 day Kalahari Extension From $1200
Zambia 8
days From 2100.00
Namibia 11
days From $3500.00
A PORTION
OF THE PROCEEDS FOR THESE TRIPS GOES TO RHINO CONSERVATION PROJECTS.
These packages are valid for travel from 01 November 2010 through 30
November 2011.
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Look for my next update late
November when I return from South Africa.
This
newsletter is meant to provide information, resources, travel
information that may be useful or just informational for
you. With that in mind, I would like to personally thank you
for your interest in my newsletter and your continuing
support. Whether you travel with me or just enjoy reading the
newsletter and keeping in touch, I always appreciate it. I
recognize that some of you may travel virtually with me through my
newsletter and that is just as appreciative as it is if you were
physically traveling with me. It is never my intention to
bombard you, so always feel free to unsubscribe if you feel that I
am. However, if you have not traveled and would like to,
please do not hesitate to contact me. I'd love to have you
join me. Working with your budget, I'd be happy to assist you
in the planning and organizing of your special trip. Please
feel free to pass on this newsletter to anyone you may think is
interested.
Sincerely,
No
portion of this newsletter may be copied or reprinted without the
express consent of this author.
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DESTINED TO TRAVEL
CORONA, CA, 92880-8912
951-898-6094
kmactravel@earthlink.net
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