Blogs from Panama City, Panamá, Panama, Central America Caribbean - page 23

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Miasto Panama to swiatowej miary stolica, gdzie drapacze chmur dumnie wyznaczaja bogate dzielnice finansjery. Jak to w duzym miescie, wszedzie dookola bogatego centrum, gniezdza sie biedniejsi mieszkancy. Tutaj jednakze, roznice sa bardzo kontrastowe. Wystarczy skrecic w zla przecznice i po 50 metrach mozna sie znalezc w prawdziwych slamsach. Na szczescie na rogatkach getta stoi policja i wygania zablakanych turystow gdzie pieprz rosnie... A kanal... jak to kanal... Tyle, ze calkiem duzy.... read more
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After consuming pancakes for breakfast we met up with Rafael again to do a tour of the city. An English girl by the name of Lisa joined us, she had just finished a trip through South America and had been in Africa before that. She works a few months each year and then travels for the rest on a tight budget, not a bad life really. We started our tour at Panama Viejo the site of the ruins of the old city which was raided by pirates in the 1600's. The old tower still stands so we ascended it and had great views of the city. After the attacks, the city was moved inland and to a higher vantage point to avoid being sitting ducks on the shoreline. Our next port of call was to a ... read more
Panama - Old ruins
Panama - Golden alter
Panama canal


From Los Angeles we ventured south, taking Copa Airlines down to Panama. Unfortunately I was sat next to a fat bloke who dominated the arm rest early, snored and smelt like rotting cheese so it was a long flight. The flight attendants spoke mainly Spanish with a little English, we realised quickly that for the next few months there'd be a lot of pointing and charades in order to communicate. Thankfully I knew "Uno Cerveza Por favor." At the airport, we were picked up by a local Panamanian named Rafael who spoke perfect English. Fortunately for us, he had attended a local school where almost all of the attendees were Americans. He reckons the principal must have really liked his Mum to let him in there. Rafael was a brilliant guide, who shuttled people to and ... read more
Panama - Clouds
Panama - Church
Panama - Colourful Buses


Jump back, whats that sound? Here she comes, full blast and top down. Hot shoe, burnin down the avenue. Model citizen zero discipline. Don't you know she's coming home with me? You'll lose her in the turn. Ill get her! Panama! Panama! Panama! Panama...ah..oh..oh..ah...ah! Yes, my friends, I made it to Panama safely. I thought I was mistakenly flewn to the States. The city is very modern. I didn't know what to expect, so it's resemblance to the U.S. really opened my eyes. U.S. troops were stationed here for a long time, so they had a lot of influence on Panama's growth. Plus, the Panama Canal of course! The U.S. managed the canal for more than 80 years until they transfered ownership back to Panama in 1999. Panama now maintains and runs the canal with a ... read more
Panama City, Panama
Abandoned hotel in Casco Viejo neighborhood.
Panama Canal


QUEPOS and MANUEL ANTONIO After we left Jacki in Jaco, we traveled farther down the coast to Quepos, Costa Rica. Our two favorite things about Costa Rica were the wildlife and the beaches. Quepos offered both of them with world class surfing and Manuel Antionio Park. The road from downtown Quepos to Manuel Antionio is littered with small resorts built into the cliff. It is quite beautiful and had more of a family appeal than did Jaco. We stayed in the only lodge that offered direct beach access so we could watch the surf. The first day the water was calm and I felt confident that I would be able to handle the waves, but there was a storm off the coast that night and when I awoke for my lesson the waves were easily twice ... read more
monkey
3 toed Sloth
5 toed Sloth


We are in Panama, our last night in Central America :( But before we got here, we were running short of time so decided to get out of Nicaragua and head straight to Panama. We tried to get one of the international buses with toilet and the works but they were all full, so once again, chicken bus it was. We were very optimistic, thinking we could get to Panama in one day. That was until we got to the first border crossing - it was the most chaotic thing we have ever seen, no signs saying where to queue to get your stamp, or where to get any forms to fill out. Manic! We ended up in the wrong line but thankfully did not have to queue again as we were there for over an ... read more
The best we could get of the Dolphins
The best we could get of the Dolphins
Garry snorkelling


We arrived in Panama City with exactly one week left on this trip. Along with nearly our entire group from our boat, we checked into a highly recommended hostel in Panama City called Luna's Castle. Not wanting the good times we shared on the boat to end, six of us with flexible schedules decided to continue the party and spend a few more days together. This included Drew and myself, Adina and Linn from Sweden, Jonny from London, and Amy from Canada, who conveniently for us is well connected in Panama since she spends a lot of time visiting her retired parents here. Amy managed to hook us up with a house, which we all rented together, for hostel prices, in a beach town called Coronado an hour and half outside the city. We all were ... read more
Notice the boat on the left is much higher than the one on the right.
Camping at Playa Gargona
Kyle... I know you are jealous of my fire starting skills


Hi Everybody! Today is our last day in Panama. The airport is 15 miles out of town. We decided to move to a resort type hotel in that area since we have a very early flight tomorrow. Our hotel has several pools that are connected and a very tropical atmosphere. We went by the airport to check on our flight. I bought a few craft items there. They are my first purchases in this country. Guatemala and Costa Rica have had more handmade goods than any other country. I am sure that they all have items of this type, but I haven´t always been able to find them. When we were at the airport, Walt met a soldier serving in the Air Force. He was just coming from Baghdad to meet his family for a cruise. ... read more
Pacific coast
Muddy little girl
Toucan


Geo: 8.99427, -79.5188Monday 30/03/09 At Sea Temps Air 27°C Sea 28°C Around mid day we started to notice the odd green turtle swimming around in the sea, we'd been told in Acapulco that the turtles migrate to beaches all along the coast there every year to lay their eggs, and as the afternoon progressed we passed alongside hundreds of turtles all making their way back to the nesting beaches still some hundreds of miles away. The clouds started to darken after lunch and we expected a passing shower which never materialised, but when we looked over the starboard side there in the distance was a waterspout, you could clearly see the funnel emanating from a massive dark cloud formation on the near horizon down to the sea, what a sight! Other than a strong surge of ... read more
Entering the First Lock
Slowly Does it there's at least 2' clearance
The Locomotives


Panama, tja was lässt sich sagen über Panama? Die panama city ist eine kleine Metropole von ca.1,5 Mio Einwohnern (die Hälfte von ganz Panama) und hat viele viele Hochhäuser. In einem davon wohnen wir im 3. Stock. Mit kleinem Balkon und schönen Blick über die Dächer und auf die Hochhäuser;-) Leider wird es abends in letzter Zeit immmer recht windig, und tagsüber unerträglich heiß. Zur Erfrischung dient der swimmingpool auf der Dachterasse. Das wasser darin ist erstaunlich kalt. Das Viertel ist ziemlich zentral, und modern, nicht gerade eine Augenweide, aber immerhin es gibt ein wenig grün, es ist ruhig, teuer und recht sicher. Und es gibt einen kleinen spielplatz um die ecke, wo sich nachmittags viele Nannys und noch mehr kinder tummeln. Aber jetzt schicke erstmal ein paar fotos.... read more
ankunft flughafen
spielplatz hotel
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