Blogs from Panama, Central America Caribbean - page 134

Here we are, once again! This is the first time we have actually travelled on a bus for an hour and a half to use the internet! Since we last wrote we have travelled up to Santa Fe. It is a cute little town in the center of Panama and mountainous. There is excellent hiking here and many rivers that are very clean. The little town itself has no road signs and no real organization, but it is fun watching the wandering cows graze in the market. Before coming to Santa Fe we made a quick stop at Las Olas (the waves) to celebrate our anniversary. It was an all inclusive 3 day stay. John surprised me with a nice bottle of champagne delivered to our room. Apparently it was suppose to be delivered while we ... read more

At the request of my English-speaking family, this will be in English. It means I can type faster anyway. Yesterday was a holiday from school (I was told it was a remembrance day in Panama for when someone killed a lot of children in a school - Martyr's Day) so no classes. But instead, not knowing the solemnity of the occasion at the time, I went to Calzada de Amador (the Causeway), a long jetty built out into the bay near Panama City (Gulf of Panama). It connects to some of the different islands. It is made from the dirt (or at least a small portion of it) that was extracted to make the Canal. It is very modern in the sense that it caters to tourists, with beautiful views on either side of the sidewalk ... read more

1-5-07 Since my internet connection is being screwed up, and feels like depriving me from all I know and enjoy, I will type this up in word and cut and paste it later. Today they (meaning the FSU people) arranged for an English-speaking tour guide to take us around Panama Viejo, Casco Antiguo (the European-influenced, old center of the city), the Miraflores locks at the canal, and a craft fair right near where we are staying. I’m in old military housing with my own bedroom and three other very nice girls in the duplex. The adjoining apartment in the duplex is also full of International Program FSU students. We’re in a suburb of Panama City, Balboa, in a neighborhood called La Boca. Es debajo del Puente de las Americas (Bridge of the Americas) which is part ... read more

Ok. Sunday. Emailed everyone. Set up sites and blogs. Hopefully some will work. Hotel in Costa Rica changed to Green House Hostel. Looks ok. Right downtown San Jose! Not sure. Will let you know what that is like. Marcia is all packed. We used those new compression bags and they work great. Half the volume of clothes.... read more

BOCAS DEL TORO (Carribean Coast) - Thu 28/12 to Sat 30/12 Well after a bit of confusion at the Costa Rican border - them trying to convince us that we never left Nicaragua and us trying to convince them that we did cause there we were standing in front of them in Costa Rica, we finally got the exit stamp from Costa Rica, put our watches forward and hour and crossed the death trap that was a bridge into Panama. No problems at the Panamanian border and onto a bus to the boat that would take us to our first stop in Panama, Isla Colon in the province of Bocas del Toro. Bocas was a nice town but filled with tourists and it being 2 days before New Years Eve it was nigh on impossible to ... read more