Who Doesn’t Want a Strong Lover?

Friday, January 31, 2025

I am going to skip over Thursday, January 30. It was another pleasant sea day where few photos were taken. The highlight of the evening was seeing the production show, On the Bayou. The show is only performed on the Coral Princess, and it’s a very entertaining show, so we try to see it every time we are aboard this lovely ship.

So here we are. It’s Friday, and we have docked at Fuerte Amador, Panama. Panama City, 20 miles away, is the capital of Panama, and the skyline is dominated by a forest of tall apartment towers.

I was thinking Fuerte Amador could mean “strong lover”, and perhaps there would be a Romeo and Juliet-type story to go with it. However, it actually means “Fort Amador,” and was named for the first president of Panama, Manuel Amador Guerrero.

It is really hot here, and we were not up for a long tour of stuff we have already seen. We opted to walk to the nearby marina to look for a geocache. It’s just far enough to provide some exercise and make you appreciate the heat. I do not use “appreciate” in the sense of “being thankful for.” It’s more like “I completely understand that I could never live here.”

Fuerte Amador has a brand new cruise ship dock, and a brand new cruise terminal. It is a very long walk from the exit of the ship down a gangway full of switchbacks to a cavernous terminal. We eventually found the exit from the terminal and it was a good 15-minute walk from the ship.

We must have looked like rich Americans, because we were instantly surrounded by taxi drivers who wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. This experience inspired me to make up a new word - TAXIRAZZI. (I have applied for a trademark.)

We did truly want the exercise, heat or not, so we held up newspapers over our faces and pushed through the crowd, avoiding eye contact. We missed out on many amazing bargain tours of Panama City. Oh, well.

The new cruise terminal

The road to the marina

We finally got to the marina and ran into another couple from our ship looking for the same geocache. That was a good thing, because I don’t think we would have found it without their help.

The geocache hiding place is somewhere in this photo

There really wasn’t much to see or do at the marina, but we made the most of what was there. 

Marina fun:

I am lurking in the shade behind the “P”

Nearby were a few closed restaurants and a commercial area that appeared to be open. We wandered through a little shopping mall (air-conditioned) to cool down before heading back. The passengers on shore excursions would be gone for a few more hours, so we enjoyed the peace and quiet of the ship (air-conditioned). Did I mention that it’s really hot in Panama?

As we walked back to the cruise terminal we stopped for a few photos of the fabulous Frank Gehry Biomuseo. We went there on a previous stop here, and I do recommend it.

The Biomuseo, with the Bridge of the Americas in the background

Back on the lovely, deserted, desserted ship, we indulged in an ice-cream-for-lunch treat.

The Captain continued to make his daily announcement about passengers reporting a gastrointestinal illness, please wash your hands, etc. Inaddition, today we learned that the upcoming Captain’s Circle Party and the Most-Traveled Guest Luncheon have been canceled due to the outbreak because the health protocols do not allow for large gatherings. We are disappointed.

Today’s fabric is the Panamanian mola. Molas are made for and by women. These colorful hand-stitched textiles normally become elements of women’s clothing. The designs are created as part of a complex process known as “reverse appliqué.”  Read more about molas Here.

“Ground Cuckoo” from Dallas Museum of Art

Shabbat Shalom!