Trip 2 - Panama City

---

---

Welcome to the US, well it may as well be. It seems Panama City is a spin off of some dodgy American city. Highrises, mcdonalds on every corner, not what I was expecting.
After a gruelling mission of flights with broken entertainment systems and every meal full of cheese I finally made it here on my second trip. Stayed in Mamallena, one of the few real hostels in Panama city. Day 2, after a mamouth night´s sleep, I head to the old town. This is more like it, colonial buildings about to fall down, jutting out into the Pacific. Dangerous area so an armed guard keeps a close watch on me at all times. It´s sweltering heat so my attempt to walk all the way back to the hostel is short lived and I get a taxi. Seems to be the done thing here so not too much of an extravagence. The jet lag sets in so an afternoon nap is needed, then quickly up to the town park before it closes. This isn´t a standard park, it´s more of a jungle. So armed with super strength bug repellent I have an hour´s hike around. It´s full of crazy coloured birds and butterflies, then a small monkey runs across the path in front of me, I then get nervous of every sound as I remember there are also larger animals in here. Made it out in one piece and back to the hostel roof terrace for some beers. Panama beer is so weak it should be advertised as water, Balboa is the way forward!
Another early start as I have a crazy plan of lots of sights... Then I get told I will need to go to the bus station to buy this evening´s ticket in advance, that takes an hour out of my day. Finally back as cinco de mayo for the Gamboa bus but there is one every 2 hours and I´ve just missed it. Finally after a dull wait I am on the way to the out of town park, when the heavens open and everyone outside is drenched. After 45mins we enter the park but the bus driver says not to get off there, further up is better, I agree but then he realises he doesn´t know where he meant to suddenly I´m in the town of Gamboa dropping people at their houses. The rain is still going so I decide a trek around unmarked parts of wet jungle is probably not that fun and change my plan to now see the canal instead. We get to the end of the line and I explain to the driver, he is very confused but agrees to drop me off on the way back into town. Looking around, we are in the middle of nowhere and all the remaining passengers are milling about outside, the driver explains they now have to continue their journey in their own row boats. Quite a feat for the heavily pregnant lady with toddler I have just been sat next to. Finally we get back to Miraflores and the driver remembers to let me off. It seems more like an industrial estate where I shouldn´t be randomly walking so the guard starts to explain the route. A passing man says he'll help so I follow him, even better his mate passes in his taxi so then drives us round for free. There is a whole museum built around the Miraflores locks so well worth the $8 entry fee. The canal took many years and phases to complete and killed over 5000 people in the process. Most people died of malaria or yellow fever and this lead to the discovery of the cure and almost complete irradication within Panama. The canal finally opened in 1914 and is now in complete ownership of Panama. After an hour of reading the ins and outs of the canal and a rather gruesome display of Panama insects, a boat finally arrives. It takes 30mins to enter the first section of the lock, guided by small motorised cars at the sides. The lock then displaces 100,000 cubic metres of water and the huge ship lowers and passes through the first gate, this takes about 40minutes so I decide not to wait and see it drop a second time. Must be a dull job for the ship´s staff. Back to the hostel to waste the evening waiting for my midnight bus to David.

---