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Shore Food on a Panama Canal Cruise

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A few months ago I took advantage of a great rate to do a Panama Canal cruise. I traveled on the Island Princess, IMHO one of the nicest cruise ships around.  The gourmet food on the ship was very nice, but I was on a mission to find some local type places in the countries I visited.
Cabo San Lucas was first. Beer for $2.50 USD----with a free shot of tequila!

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I found my next good meal in Acapulco, going off the beaten (touristy) path in a quest for a taco. I found this stand, out on a side street with nary a tourist in sight. The menu says it all. Aprroximately $2.50 USD for 5 tacos!











 

 
 

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The experienced waitstaff, ready to take my order.



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I ordered a variety of tacos---chiccharon, al pastor pork, chicken, mole and barbacoa. This is what I got.

Each one was delicious. I also got a side of beans (visible in the row of containers on the front of the cart) and some salsa. The cost---$2.50 American. Street food at it's best!
Walked back to the touristy part for a local beer to finish it off. Yum!

 


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In Puntarenas, Costa Rica, I found this ceviche------strictly local sea bass.

!

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Some of my adventures were cut down some by the weather. It's the rainy season in Central America and I got a good dose of rain. In Panama City/Puerte Amador, I did make it to a neat little outdoor area where I got some great empanadas.
The dough was flaky and fresh and the chicken and pork stuffings were delish.

 








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There was another street vendor grilling some meat on skewers. And after all, what could be more street food than a meal cooked over a auto wheel!


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Later on, I did my search for ceviche. I had decided to see if I could try some in each of the cities I visited. Here's the ceviche in Panama City.

A mixed type, with octopus, shrimp and local fish.

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It came with the hottest----and possibly best---hot sauce I had ever eaten. It's a Panamanian specialty called aji chimbo. I asked if the had it bottled to go, but no such luck----they made it fresh during the day. Look at that color. Habanero supreme!

 

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The local Panamanian beer was good too.

 


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The first time I was in Aruba I just walked a few touristy places and had some coffee and that was it. This time, I decided to talk to the locals and see what to try. Some of the locals at a store I was in steered me on to this thing called a pastechi. It's essentialy Aruba's version of the empanada or Jamaica's pattys. The first place I was sent to looked promising. The women at the store said they got them all the time from this place. I went there but they were out of just about everything.


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I went back to the store where I had been and got a suggestion of an even better place but one that was quite a walk. Well, I was on a mission!
The sign in from of the place left nothing to doubt. I had arrived
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I looked at the menu. Too many interesting things to choose from!


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I decided to try a beef one and a conch pastechi. Conch happens to be one of my favorite things so I was really happy. They came quickly, accompanied by two bottles of sauce---a hot sauce and a curry sauce.


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I split them in two so I could try each half with a different sauce.

They were delicious. The conch was tender and still had the taste of the sea. The beef was good too. If I could have ordered one of everything on their menu I would have. The sauces realy kicked things up but did not overpower the flavors. 




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After that I went to Iguana Joe's to sample the local beers.



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The Polar Beer, while technically not local, comes from Venuzuela-------seventeen miles across the sea from where we were.


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I had a few disappointments. Cartegena, Columbia, was the port I wanted to see the most. I had a place called La Cevicheria all picked out as well as planning on walking the streets to buy a few more vendor treats. We shared a taxi with some women from another ship and got a great 4 hour guided tour from the taxi driver. It poured rain the whole time and traffic was a mess, so all I got was some of the local beers at a little bar out of the rain, outside but under an overhang. Good, but not what I wanted foodwise and certainly not the walking day I had planned in Cartegena.


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Even in the rain, though, Cartegena is one beautiful city.

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When I arrived in Ft. Lauderdale, I still was looking for some good local places.

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What better way to end the trip, sitting across from the beach..........

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....and having a rum and coke at the Elbow Room!

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