After we have sailed 1185 nautical miles, from Nassau, Bahamas, we arrived in Colon, Panama, our first port in South America. The sun was up, bright and shining at 29 deg Celsius and that sets for a perfect condition to take a stroll ashore.
As I was still duty-bound, I did not find time to leave the ship which is kind of saddening considering the opportunity I am missing. All I can do is look back 3 years ago when the ship last visited Colon where I explored Colon’s “Free Trade Zone.” In here you will find lots and lots of shops offering a variety of duty-free products. Name it – perfumes, electronics, clothes, and many other interesting stuff.
Despite its name, entry into Colon’s Free Trade Zone is not as free as the malls or similar stores we are used to. If you are a foreigner, you must show your passport in order to gain entry or if a crew member like myself, a crew card is necessary.
For more information about the Colon Free Zone, visit this link here.
The ship stayed in port just before midnight in order to arrive at Gatun Lock on schedule. We were scheduled to make a transit at the Panama Canal by 6 AM, so we to reach Gatun Lock on time. Also considering that several other ships were scheduled to transit the Panama Canal so arriving on schedule is of utmost importance.
Have a great day!
