Panama

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We set off by boat from the small fishing village of Sapzurro in Columbia for a three day journey along the Caibbean coat of Panama, known as the San Blas islands. There are thirteen on the boat, two English, three Swiss, one Austrian, two Swedish, two Irish, two Israeli and one U.S. Together with the Kiwi and French Canadian skippers, it makes for a very enjoyable journey with so many nationalities. The only slight let down is the weather, i.e. it rains in part every day. However, this does not disguise the beauty of the islands which improve the further along the coast we go. Our first stop for lunch is on a deserted island - it being one of 365 which make up the San Blas islands of which 40 are inhabitated by Kuna communities. Our first sighting of the Kuna communities is the location of our first nights accommodation - a deserted island save for one Kuna family and our tents which we erect on the beach. We eat and drink with the Kunas and have a great night away from it all, enjoying the secluded scenery and the company of the Kunas and each other.

The following day, we hop back on the boat and stop off for lunch at Dog Island. This is the main island amongst a grouping of extremely beautfiful islands. Even the sun decides to make an appearance. As well as the islands themselves, a definite highlight is a ship wreck located off the island which ranges in depth of about 15m at one end to plus 3m where it peaks above the surface of the sea. The visibility is incredible and you have to remind yourself that this is the sea and not some fabricated giant tropical fish tank. Given the scale of the ship wreck - being a large cargo ship sank in the 1940s - it is a haven for innumerbale tropical fish which seem all too accustomed to our presence.

We then head to one of the larger Kuna communities on Nalunega island. The communities still retain the majority of their traditional ways - such as their dress and their palm leaf huts. The skippers have a good relationship with the islanders, hence why we are allowed to camp on the island. We have a wander around the island and find ourselves having a friendly but competitive game of volleyball with the local team. The game appeared to be level until I slam my decisive serve into the net! Unfortunately, there are signs of modernisation entering their lifestyle, albeit minor. This is evident from a tin roof being erected at a property near our camp. Our skipper advises this might be as a result of a drug hoist some months ago. Incredibly, the Kunas are permitted by law to keep any drugs they find. Their luck was up some months ago when a cocaine laden boat was being attacked by a U.S. drug enforcement plane (the route along the coast and the rainforest of the Darien Gap are apparently key cocaine routes from Peru, Bolivia and the rainforests of Colombia where the paste is made before being turned into cocaine in Colombia and then onward through central america towards its main market of the US). The occupants of the boat disposed of the stash overboard, which was soon picked up by the Kunas which now appears to be financing the redevelopment of some roofs! Earlier in the day we had bought 5 lobsters from a local boat which is now served for dinner prepared by the Kunas together with the usual - and copius amounts - of local rum. Needless to say that a very enjoyable evening was had.

Our boat drops us off at Mirador - this being the closest place where a bus service operates. We catch one to the town of Sandanista (thereby avoiding the dangerous city of Colon on the northern coast) and then a further coach to Panama City. Arriving into Panama City one is struck by the amount of modern high rise buildings which wouldnt look out of place in northern america or Europe. However, this is juxtaposed against some very poor residential areas and it is clear to see that there is a very wide gap between the rich and poor, no doubt exacerbated by the income acrrued from the Panama Canal. This is the main reason of my visit and manage to get a place in Lunas Castle in the Casca Viejo (the old city) - anybody heading to Panama City should stay at this fantastic hostel (it has even contructed its own cinema!)

The Panama Canal is not a life changing experience - it is interesting to watch some quite colossal ships make their way through very narrow locks but the history and statistics are the most memorable aspects of the Canal. It had a peak workforce of 19,243 workers in 1884, used 60 million pounds of dynamite for drilling which could bore a hole straight through our planet and 900km beyond, the canal extends 80km with some nearly 14,000 vessels passing through it each year and with the passing of each ship a staggering 52 million gallons of fresh water are released into the ocean. Ships pay according to their weight with the avergae being US$30,000, the highest being US$200,000 paid by a French cruise liner and the least being US$0.36 paid by Richard Halliburton who swam through. The largest locks are the Gatun locks which if stood as a sole structure (I recall there being a set of three locks) would have been the highest structure in the world, surpassing the Eiffel Tower! Also, the canal is to become even bigger when Panamanians voted in favour of a US$5.25 billion with new locks being 60% wider and 40% longer with container traffic expected to triple.

The Panamanians now own the Panama Canal after it was handed over on 31st December 1999 by the US after a fracticious relationship originating from its development, which even included a war between the two when General Noriega foolishly declared war against the US in 1989. This was only going to end the way the US only knows how; using a sledge hammer to crack a nut. The day after Noriega declared war on the US, an unarmed US marine dressed in military clothes was killed in Panama City. Within the first hour of the fifth day that followed the marine's death, the US attacked by aircraft, tanks and 26,000 troops leading to the deaths of 2,000 civilians, tens of thousands homeless and destroyed entire tracts of Panamn City. It seems the poor continue to suffer the consequences of this by living in dangerously instable buildings whilst their rich capitalist counterparts spend cash with the secured compounds of Panamas high rises. Interestingly, Panama uses the US dollar as its currency and the amount of people from the US is noticeable no doubt encouraged by the percieved safety of a country using its currency. I also hear that Costa Rica is also popular with the people from the US. Im not sure if this is a good thing but there's only one way to find out. Read my next blog for my thoughts on Costa Rica.

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