Panama/Costa Rica

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Just checking out of my hotel in Panama City as we speak and catching a 7 hour bus up to David. NYE turned out to be pretty cool. I was minutes away from going solo to la zona rumba, which is a closed off area with multiple discotecas. Thankfully, things worked out for the better and I was able to get a hold of Jason´s friend Marian. Jason, thanks, she has been a fantastic tour guide during my brief stay. We ended up going to her parents´ house for a small wedding anniversay party. Apparently her dad was a former pilot, the captains that take over the cargo vessels through the locks. Then we went over to some other "zonian" friends of their´s and spent NYE at a small house party. One guy bought a decent amount of fireworks and put on a good show. And some other house party down the road put on a full proffesional style display, it was ridiculous. We stayed there until about 3am and then went back to Marian´s place, which is right on the Panama canal, spectacular. We kept the party going there until about 6am until we finally crashed. All in all, a very good NYE. Sunday Marian drove me around, starting off with some dim sum for breakfast, we were the only white people in the joint, all chinese. So it must have been quality. HA. Then she took me up to the rain forest in Gamboa and we checked out the two locks along the canal on the way back. Got to watch a boat go through Mira Flores, which I believe is the biggest lock in the world. Pretty interesting. We grabbed dinner on the Causeway by my hotel and then went over to her friend Kim´s house for another small gathering. Fantastic outdoor balcony backed up right against the jungle. Saw some interesting racoon type animals cruising in and out of the jungle. A few drinks and some good laughs and we called it a night. Yesterday we drove around the city trying to find a place to eat, as everything was still closed for the holiday. Checked out a few cool hotel lobby bars and outdoor patio restaurants, then headed over to old town Casco Viejo. Very interesting mix of absolute poor of the poor, right next to some rennovated specatuclar homes. Stopped at two friends´ houses down there. One house of some artist was crazy. All concrete, spread out, with some great paintings. Very cool. After that we headed back to Marian´s place on the canal and sat on her porch eating a few appetizers and having a few drinks with a couple other local neighbors "zonians". So that is my story until now, time to move on. Although, I am getting nervous again. We checked out the biggest hostel in Panama City, which was in Casco Viejo. It was very cool, but reminded me that I´m about to lose my personal guide and it´s time to sack up, be outgoing, and meet some interesting people. Hopefully it all pans out in David, and perhaps I can hook up with some other travellers heading to Bocas del Toro. Time will tell. Talk to you all later.

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