Purple Panama

---

From Nicaragua we motored through Costa Rica to Panama just stopping for a nights rest in San Jose (Costa Rica’s capital). We have about two weeks to explore Panama the southern most country of Central American before we return to Costa Rica on January 13th to rendezvous with both sets of parents for two weeks. Panama was in our minds as just another country in the region and knowing nothing more about it than that it possessed a rather famous canal we did not have it down as a potential highlight. However, we’ve been impressed. Actually very impressed. Welcoming and friendly locals, endless options on enticing places to explore and prices not far removed from Nicaragua. A pretty irresistible blend.

On our first day in the country we discovered the Purple House in David, Panama’s second biggest city, a very endearing backpacker hostel. Started over six years ago by Andrea an American who now possesses an encyclopaedic like knowledge of Panama and what it has to offer a traveller. Andrea and her docile fully side kick ‘Cute-si’ an American cocker spaniel have created a very chilled and well thought-out hostel. However, Cute-si does have her moments of upsetting the guests in her pursuit to fully acquaint herself with their luggage. At one stage during our stay we had to quickly hunt down Andrea to remove a mysterious string from her pouches chops. Apparently, Cute-si most recent fad is tampon munching and we had had the fortune of witnessing it first hand (delightful creature). Oh and yes the Purple House is purple as well as rather impressively pretty much everything in it excluding Andrea and Cute-si (although reliable sources have told us that Cute-si predecessor was dyed partially purple).

The Purple House has become a very handy base where we can leave much of our excessive amounts of luggage (hopefully out of Cute-si’s reach) whilst we travel around exploring the delights of Panama. The plan is New Year in Boquete, followed up by Panama City and the rest of our days in a remote hostel in Panama’s only cloud forest where the hiking has been highly recommended.

---