OK… So I got my Thrifty car reservations changed and I booked my Aeroperlas flights. The first task was easy -- I just logged into their website, entered my confirmation number and went through the "change reservation" process. In a matter of minutes I received a new confirmation number and had the details of my new reservation in my email in-box.
The Aeroperlas ticketing was a little more interesting. The website is in both Spanish and English… until you get to the actual reservation part. I speak just enough Spanish to order a café con leche or cerveza and to ask where the baño is to eliminate them both; beyond that I have zero Spanish language skills. So now I am trying to fill out the form that will let me choose the flights I want and pay for my tickets while simultaneously making good use of the Spanish-English dictionary I bought a month ago. I was tempted to call one of my Latin American friends but decided that if I am taking a trip there, I will have to learn to figure it out. Many words are familiar enough to make an educated guess or you could figure out what they were asking by the context or where they were on the form.
Anyway, I got it done but what is hilarious is that the confirmation and itinerary are in both English and Spanish. At least I was able to determine immediately that I had done it right.
The last two tasks left before I really feel settled on my plans is to book hotel rooms and tours of the canal and Darien Province. I have researched lodging in Bocas del Toro, Azuero Peninsula and Boquete but still need to find a place to stay in Panama City. Do I choose a hotel close to the airport or something in the heart of the city? If the city, what part? I will probably go to TripAdvisor and other sites to read about the experiences others have had to help in my research. I suspect at least part of my decision will be influenced by the details of the tours I take.
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