On a rainy day in May as today, I offer some ideas that Panama News readers have asked me to do and new activities that return natives will surely enjoy.

Colon is spreading and expanding its activities, because it is trying to offer tourists and locals alike good alternatives to visit on the Atlantic side.

For starters, there is the train. For those of you who remember the Panama Railroad with the aluminum water drum at the back to which children (and grownups alike) traveled a zillion times to draw water into little paper cones --- all this for $2 a ride --- I must say those times are gone. But if you are in town, especially with out-of-town friends or visitors, a ride on the renovated Panama Canal Railway is a must. The cost is not inexpensive, but there is a special glass-domed tourist car in which you feel you are traveling under the forest canopy, and sometimes you can see forest animals too. This car has a bar where you can get a beer or something stronger for yourself and your friends after a busy day in Colon. The old tunnel you all remember is there, so much fun to go through when we were young; and the train stations, at Mt. Hope and Corozal are very convenient. The train company is trying to set up a tourist souvenir center at its Corozal station, and although this was going slowly when I last visited, maybe now it is more developed. They have beautiful T-shirts with the Panama Railway logo on it that are a great deal. There is something fancy and yet homespun about the Panama Railway: a modern version of the Panama Railroad trains we all remember as kids.

Another novelty for the Atlantic side --- and a gem of a novelty --- is the Tesoro del Caribe. Tesoro del Caribe is a beach hotel located on the coast beyond Portobelo, which you access by hotel motor launches provided free of charge. The hotel is not inexpensive - -- think of $$$ for a one-night stay --- but it is incomparable in every way. It is comprised of a main rancho surrounded by individually designed, very sophisticated staterooms. Each is individually decorated and has its private path with a view toward the surrounding greenery. Decoration is simple yet very upscale. So is the service. Owner Russ Goedjen, a retired US citizen, and his Panamanian wife, oversee everything, making sure every guest feels at home and has everything he or she might need. Snorkeling equipment is free, and the hotel boasts a small but very generous coral reef right off its receiving dock.

In addition to the main "house," there are individual little two- story casitas or bungalows for those seeking more privacy. Every bed has a mosquito screen just in case it's needed, and the owner and his wife individually designed each room, both in the main house and in the bungalows. I truly recommend a trip out to Tesoro del Caribe if you want a change from the traditional sites or Portobelo and its environs. Tesoro has its own website where you will find more detailed information about the hows and whens.

Also in this section:
Some of Colon's attractions
Plaza Francia

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