http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Central America Caribbean , Panama en-us Mon, 16 Nov 09 21:51:09 +0000 Mon, 16 Nov 09 21:51:09 +0000 DearestI gave you a bit of an hint in my last blog about leaving the project which you think would be really easy but wasn't. We wanted to leave Saturday morning the 4 o'clock buspainful. But the night before we understood that besides a truck blocking the road a bridge collapsed and we were in Code Yellow because of a hurricane close to Nicaragua and they didn't know yet the course of the http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/blog-453394.html Still living with no basics. Haven't had a shower in 11 days. Haven't had a hot shower in almost 2 months. Days we aren't correcting shoddy workmanship I come over to Bocas and internet. I will go with a different carpenter for the rest of the job. Mine has not been truthful with me and that is worse than making mistakes on the house. The house won't be perfect but it has charisma and http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Bocas-Del-Toro/blog-451198.html October 9 2009 to ..... January 2010We are spending 3 months in Panama neither one of us has been to Central America before. The people speak Spanish and I'm trying to get us by but seem to be using more sign language than anything else We're here in the rainy season and it's very humid but we're getting used to it.We rented a lovely apartment in the Punta Paitilla district. We're on the 17th http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/blog-451027.html hallo all would you please let me know how is the weather in panama between Jan and FebI'm planning a 3 weeks trip to Panama in that period but I have been told that in Panama it rains till beginning of March is it trueThanksciao...Chiara http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Panama/Panama-City/blog-450901.html We have been looking forward to this trip for a long time The plan was to sail through the San Blas Islands for 3 days then on to Colombia through the open sea for 2 more days. The islands are inhabited by the Kuna an independent indigenous population living only on these islands. Every Island was owned by a family and some of the smaller ones had just one house on them.Our captain was a crazy http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Kuna-Yala/Archipielago-de-San-Blas/blog-448449.html We wanted to spend some more time in Panama but we had already spent way more time in Central America and we were eager to reach Colombia. In Panama City we explored the old city which was destroyed by Captain Henry Morgan in the 1600s. Some of it had been rebuilt but there were a lot of buildings with collapsed floors either filled with garbage or quite contrastingly plants and trees. Everywhere http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Panama/Panama-City/Casco-Viejo/blog-448446.html Dear Aventuras PanamaI did not had a chance to say good bye neither to thank you for all your attentions and profesional service that you had with our group. Now I do it with a giftThis month an article 4 pages long has been published at Expedicones Magazinedistributed in all Mexico and it is devoted to all rivers that operates Adventures Panama including contact information. It will be a http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/blog-448191.html 1018 Wanchow and I went back to Almirante where I can use my credit card as money is flowing like water into my house. I bought a water tank toilet sink inflatable mattress mosquito net plumbing and some varnish. I bought Wanchow a fridge and washerdryer in lieu of some cash. We had quite a load in our little boat.1020 Patty and Tim left. They're hopping a sailboat out of Pa City http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Bocas-Del-Toro/blog-448147.html 1017 4 days of down time. Last night Tim Patty Algo and I boated over to the marina for a meal and some makeshift music. For the videos go to httpvideo.yahoo.commypages6613427public1Today Tim and I went to Bocas Del Drago. Nice area. For some nice videos of live starfish go to httpvideo.yahoo.commypages6613427public1 http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Bocas-Del-Toro/Isla-Colon/blog-447297.html Day 7 of actual construction and I have a roof. It still needs to be painted. Unfortunately I missed roofing day as I was enjoying an interesting day traveling to another town getting more cash. I thought the bus ride over the mountains was thrilling. That was a warmup for the bus to Changuinola and the bank. And theres nothing more thrilling than walking through a foreign marginal shan http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Bocas-Del-Toro/blog-445780.html www.ArcoProperties.comIn the last few years Panama has slowly become the hub of the Americas. This year it is said that the local airline COPA was Boeings bigger client. What is certain is that the country is actively working to expand the airport at a time where most of its peers are either cutting corners. According to the note at La Prensa the new dock will include twelve new positions http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Panama/Panama-City/Casco-Viejo/blog-445188.html I met a cool couple at my Hotel and they wanted me to show them around some as well as see my shack. We hiked through the jungle and saw my site Javier's spread 2 beaches and some of The Red Frog Beach Project the marina. http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Bocas-Del-Toro/blog-445070.html So it was a down day and I was craving a salad. They're not big on salads at the cheap local eateries. I went to the produce stand and got lettuce pepper tomato onion cucumber carrot and took em back to my room. It was then I realized that I am not in a hostel with a kitchen anymore. All I had was a butter knife. Try peeling and cutting the aformentioned veggies which were washed in t http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Bocas-Del-Toro/blog-445019.html woke up today to nonrainy weather...a good day for another boat trip we felt Did a trip with another tour company today the captain was much nicer and had a lovely Caribbean accent. First stop was Dolphin Bay you cant swim here as there are hundreds of jellyfish which you could see For a while we saw nothing then other boats in the area all headed towards an area and we caught a glimpse o http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Bocas-Del-Toro/Isla-Colon/blog-444801.html Costa RicaWe took a very long 18 hour but comfortable bus ride from San Salvador to San Jos Costa Rica crossing the El Salvador Honduras and Nicaragua borders. We didn't stay too long in Costa Rica just exploring the town center . We spent a few nights in Cahuita which is a surfertourist paradise in the north of Costa Rica. We went walking along the beach with sections that looked lik http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Chiriqui/Boquete/blog-443779.html Today we switched guest houses as we have arranged a boat trip for tomorrow in which we will be picked up from Mamallena's Hostel at 5am. We will be taking a sailboat from Panama City to the San Blas Islands where we will spend a few days and ultimately end up in Cartagenia Columbia. It is quite an expensive trip so hopefully it will be worth it it has been highly recommended by several traveler http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Panama/Panama-City/blog-443672.html Today we took a cab to the Panama Canal. Unfortunately our timing was off and we waited for over an hour with no signs of any boats passing through. Finally a couple of very large boats approached so we were able to get pictures but had to leave before we actually saw one pass through the locks. We also made the mistake of cheaping out and only buying tickets for the observation deck for 5 inste http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Panama/Panama-City/blog-443568.html OK nobody's checking out the videos at Yahoo videosgtgtgtgtgtgt copy and paste this gtgtgtgtgtgtgtgthttpvideo.yahoo.commypages6613427public1They're pretty cool. They're just like pictures except they moooove. Ooooo And they have sound. Aaahhhhh Dozens of new ones over 80 in all....Today Wanchow and I went to Almirante where they takes those n http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Bocas-Del-Toro/blog-443383.html We arrived in Panama City last night around 530 after a very long bus ride. Fortunately the bus itself was good comfortable clean and the people were friendly. Recommendation Tica Bus. Crossing the border from Costa Rica into Panama was a frustrating experience that took 5 hours. First we arrived at 5am 1 hour before the offices openned. Then the computer system stopped working and the of http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Panama/Panama-City/blog-443256.html Day 2 Wanchow had quite a crew today. My labor is through the roof not really. Most of these poor unskilled guys make 15 a day. Making concrete the oldfashioned way. You can build a foundation with a plumbbob string Lsquare wheelbarrow shovels trowel wood rocks sand cement and sweat. Some of the 70 lb. bags were carried by men up a steep slope then down into slippery jungle http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Bocas-Del-Toro/blog-442469.html