To get to it, we had to drive the only road from us to the Caribbean side; the freeway to Colón. This time, we actually had to cross the Panama Canal in order to get to the other side. At the time we hit Gatun Locks,
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There were already a couple of ships waiting to pass, so we had no other choice, but to wait.
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Finally it was our turn to drive through the locks.
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Once we passed through them, we continued on a decent road through the jungle,
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until we hit what we took as a National Park. The attendants said Playa Diablo, where we were going was closed, but we saw a few cars parked in front of its gates, so we decided to chance it.
The car was hot, so as soon as Kaleb was released, he headed for the waves. I wasn't too excited about the wave action; having had enough of being in the washing machine of Nicaragua's waves, so I just let Kaleb get himself wet.
Chuck really liked the beach, but I wasn't as happy with it, because of the waves (swimming would be difficult) and its proximity to the Canal, and its high traffic.
On out way home, we passed through an former US military base, Fort Sherman.
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Nice views for army barracks.
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There were also some hotels and restaurants built on the side of the Canal, but we decided to head home.
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Hi Dennis!
ReplyDeleteAunt Lisa couldn't figure out how to comment. I'm showing her how. Forgive me
Sascha
Panama Red. 😎
DeleteI was stationed there while attending Jungle Warfare Training in 1978 . I was in the Marine Corps and we had a Battalion of Marines go for the Training. That beach was hot .
ReplyDeleteI was stationed there 72 -74 at ft Davis traveled all over that area swam at devil's beach many times and gatun lake lots to see plenty of history beautiful country
ReplyDelete1977-1980 I lived just to the right, (if facing the Caribbean whilst standing upon Devil's Beach), and about 700yards uphill, through the jungle from the Beach, in Upper- Ft. Sherman.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up there, in that era, was nothing shy of being surreally magical in experience. I was 10-13 years of age then. I am now (obviously) 55 years old. To this day, I still both dream and reminisce of my most formative youth years invested in that amazing environment.
At 12 my father allowed me to become PADI SCUBA certified. The open water portion of that curriculum was performed at Devil's Beach, in exactitude of where your picture of the Southeastern part of the Beach is taken.
My mother, sister and I, (when I wasn't grounded for whatever offence du jour I had most assuredly committed) walked along Devil's Beach, Northwestward to Hidden Beach (about 1/2 to 1/3 mile further along the beach line, and through and past the jungle), collecting a myriad sea shells. of all genus, shapes and colors. A treasure trove of marine life beauty, that which I still possess to this day.
I later in life, after becoming an Army Ranger (2/75), I became a commercial diver, a co-owner of a commercial diving company, and later, a commercial diving instructor. So my collection of shells has increased exponentially. That said, it if hadn't been for my experiences in life, gleaned from my personal development in Fort Sherman, Panama, in particular, those achieved; nay, survived, in that jungle and within the locale of bodies of water such as Gatun Lake, the Fort Sherman Lagoon, Shimmy Beach, Puerto Bello, Fort San Lorenzo (a.k.a, Chagres River) and most importantly, Devil's Beach, I most probably wouldn't have developed the passion to make pursuit of the multiple career paths which I have. All of which, exponentially rewarding, both financially, and spiritually.
Therefore, thank you for taking the time to post the above pictures, and eloquently narrate them each encompassing your personal experiences there. Collectively, they made my little heart smile like a giant!
-Mike