Blogs from Panama City, Panamá, Panama, Central America Caribbean - page 16

Monday March 7, 2011 (Skip) It always seems to happen this way; when I reflect back on any adventure/journey the events always seem like a dream. Did all these perceived events really take place? Sure I know that right now I am in Panama; the surroundings confirm this, a different language confirms this and I surely feel that I am in Panama. But still the many events the took place over the last three weeks are a blur at best. My favorite dream state of Panama keeps coming back to the many wonderful people we encountered during our travels; the challenge Barb and I faced whenever we entered into any eating establishment (most of the time someone in the restaurant came to our rescue); the truly changing panorama of the land and sky as we ... read more

3/5/11 (Barb) We left Santiago this morning around 9 am after having our usual breakfast and then taking a pic of our cute waiter. Off we head for Panama City...praying that the car makes this one last trip!!! Uneventful ride except the other side of highway is packed...heading OUT of Panama City...our side..not so bad. We begin to hope the city has emptied and we will have it easy thru the city. Not to be! Not to be! Ms. Garmin had an idea where to go BUT we'll seestreets are blocked off for Carnivalle parade (we guessed) and after going thru the same packed streets....packed with people and cars....3 times....we headed back OUT of the city planning on trying another way on our own...Ms. Garmin just wanted us to keep making circles....guess she was thinking we ... read more

Cartagena, Colombia. Vi har klumset oss nedover fra Panama til Colombia. Ha det bra, Sentral Amerika. Her er vi, Sór Amerika. Tjohoo! Jeg skal skrive litt mer om Costa Rica og Panama senere enn det jeg skal skrive om ná. Har hatt saa liten tid til á skrive her inne. Ikke rart med den reisefarten vi har. Ikke minst: Ting tar tid i Sentral Amerika. Bare det á handle pá et supermercado tar en eeeevighet for kun en flaske vann. Alt pakkes inn i tynne plastposer. Og det er ekspeditóren som pakker alt inn for alle kundene. Det kan det jo ikke bli effektivitet av? Av og til har ekspeditóren hjelpere. Da gaar det smidigere, seru. Ekspeditóren gjór som alle andre i Sentral Amerika. Kommer det noen bort til kassa og spór om noe mens han ... read more

Panama City It wasn't much of an experience. Well actually, it depends on which way you look at it. I guess it was a very memorable experience, yes indeed it was. One that I won't forget any time soon and I guess it therefore makes my Panamanian experience all the more memorable. I was rather sick during my 4 day stay in the city of Panama. I had food poisoning, I'm guessing from a very suspect kebab I so keenly devoured on my last night in Bocas. Unfortunate really, because for the 5 nights prior to this very unfortunate evening I had indulged in at least 3 kebabs a night (now, now, don't judge!) So on the morning following the night that I so keenly devoured the very suspect kebab it was so unbelievably unfair that ... read more

Geo: 8.99427, -79.5188Isabel would never have let this happen. We'd planned to spend three days in Panama City, take the Canal train to Colon on the Caribbean side, then a bus to Portabelo where we'd stay for 2 days, then return to PC to catch the flight back to Costa Rica on the 13th.We had NOT planned on a holiday. Panama really knows how to holiday. After our fiasco "English" city tour yesterday the manager of the hotel tried to make up by giving us a $30 refund and offering the hotel shuttle (normally strictly for airport transfers) to take us to the train station this morning.So we get up 2 hours early (our wake-up call was a little over zealous), pack and haul our gear downstairs and try to explain to the overnight desk clerk ... read more