Panamay: Day 8 - The Causeway

I had an amazing (albeit very hot) adventure this afternoon! I took a taxi to the Amador Causeway near the Canal Zone. The thermometer already read 27 degrees and the sun was beating down.
I rented a bike (only $4 for 2 hours!) near the start of the Causeway. What is the Causeway? It's a narrow strip of land connecting mainland Panama to 3 islands. It was built with stone excavated during the building of the Canal. At some points, I would say the causeway is no more than 35-40 feet wide, surrounded by water. As I rode I had extraordinary views of the ocean, nearby islands, and the Panama skyline. I took lots of breathtaking pictures. Click here to see some of them.
When I reached the first island (Isla Naos), I needed to get out of the sun for a few minutes. So I bought an ice cream and sat in the shade to enjoy the breeze coming in off the water. Before I left the island, I visited the Marine Exhibition Center. Admission was only $2, and it was worth far more than that. I walked the path through the dry tropical forest. I saw butterfiles, lizards, beautiful birds, and some unidentifiable 4-legged animal up in a tree (it was hidden by leaves, so I didn't get a good look at it). There was a small indoor aquarium (with air conditioning!). They had a tank with Caribbean sealife and another with Pacific fare. An outdoor pool contained various fish, a shark, and a sea turtle (check out the pictures!).
After all that exercise, I needed to cool off and relax. The hotel pool did the trick. After a cool, refreshing dip, I lay out in the sun and dozed for a bit.