Blogs from Panama, Central America Caribbean - page 13

Our first official port was Cartagena, Columbia. Out waitlisted tour came through and we drove to the National Avery. On the way our guide Sergio told us about the history of the revolutionary movement. The FARC started out as a protest by villages that were being shortchanged by the cities and the National government. Unfortunately the movement joined with the drug cartels to get money to buy weapons. The conflict went on for sixty years and a peace treaty is currently being negotiated, the first one was rejected by the people. We drove through an industrial area where oil refineries and chemical plants pollute the air and ground. Although the soil was once very fertile, nothing grows there now. The Aviary is a national treasure. We wandered the trails for three hours and saw all kinds ... read more

28. Dezember. 2016 Booze Cruise Day Nach einem leckeren Frühstück im leo's clan ging es zu unserem Party Boot. Bis zum späten Nachmittag fuhren wir in der Bucht von Potosi in einem Boot wo wir unlimitiert gratis Caipirinhas bekamen. Drei Stops zum schwimmen, Lunch Stop und eine einzigartige Landschaft erwarteten uns. Nach diesem Bootstrip ging es noch zum Strand ein bisschen chillen bevor wir uns leicht angeheitert in die Stadt zum Abendessen begaben. 29. Dezember. 2016 Chilltag Ausschlafen war angesagt! Am Tagesprogramm stand den Strand genießen und bummeln gehen. Ein sehr relaxter Tag. Bevor wir unsere letzte Fahrt in Tortuga (der Name unseres Dragoman Trucks) antraten. 30. Dezember.2016 Letzter Tag in Tortuga Um halb 9 hieß es zum letzten mal "Bag locker". Wir verstauten unser Gepäck und los ging die lange Fahrt nach Rio de ... read more

THE PANAMA CANAL When I started my trip this year, I wondered where I would dive, and what I would see. I started in Costa Rica…now where to??? Right on down the map was Panama. On the water so I can go diving. And I haven’t seen the Panama Canal, that I knew was a massive engineering feat. I knew it was a waterway that used locks like those in Seattle but far bigger and grander. I knew it connected the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean. I knew it was a shortcut so boats didn’t have to go around the tip of South America. That was about the extent of my knowledge. I don’t intend to give much statistical information. I did look up a few facts…the Canal is 48 miles long. It is considered ... read more

Le 12 octobre 2016, Aujourd'hui, on se paie une petite folie, un tour aux îles San Blas, dans la Comarca de Guna Yala, un territoire indigène faisant parti du Panama mais indépendant et autogéré par la communauté. La communauté guna compte environ 300 000 personnes réparties dans la région. Il s'agit d'un véritable modèle de préservation de la culture indigène ancestrale, l'une des mieux préservée en Amérique. Dans la Comarca, aucun étranger ne peut posséder de terre ni exploiter une entreprise. Les gunas sont rois et maitres de leur région et il faut montrer patte blanche, son passeport et un billet de 20$ US pour obtenir l'autorisation de pénétrer dans leur territoire. Ici, ce sont les touristes qui s'adaptent à leur mode de vie et à leurs normes, et non eux qui s'adaptent aux attentes du ... read more

Panama city We flew into Panama city and coming from Cuba the city seems like a different world. A large, busy, modern airport and skyscrapers galore. The difference in wealth between Panama and Cuba is striking. We setup camp in the old town of Panama which is part crumbling and part superbly renovated, home to the president and several wealthy Panamanians and yet situated only metres away from a very poor community and dodgy "don't go ther after dark" neighbourhood. Up until recently this was not a desireable location and most of the buildings were in ruins. Then someone discovered that tourists like old colonial towns and started to renovate. Now the whole place is either renovated, being renovated or waiting to be renovated. It will be quite beautiful in the near future. There are many ... read more