Panama

Our two months in Panama gave us so much more than we expected.  First there was the delights of the fabled San Blas islands on the north coast where we enjoyed a very social Christmas and New Year.  Next came the tranquillity of the Chagres River and the highlight of the amazing Canal Transit.  But it was the pearls of the Panama Pacific that gave us the biggest surprise.  From the history and bustle of Panama City, the teeming wildlife of Las Perlas islands and the quiet northern coast, such as Coiba Island and Las Secas.  In  amongst all this, we also fit in a 10-day haulout period to get Ātea shipshape for the long Pacific crossing that lay ahead of us.