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Published: March 4th 2013
Magic Bus
On the bus from Colon to Pina. Jesus has our back.....Hola from the tiny fishing village of Pina. Actually, a 30 minute walk from Pina.
We are in a very remote area on the Caribbean ocean at a “Work –away”. We found this experience on a website where you volunteer 4-5 hours of work a day, in exchange for free accommodations. We are about an hour west of the city of Colon and the Caribbean side of the Panama Canal. We actually have to cross the “Gatun locks” to get to our hide-away. The bus had to wait for some ships to pass before the one lane swing bridge let us through. Colon is a really sketchy town and when you leave it is with a sense of relief. A cop on every corner for good reason! After 100 years the people of Panama voted to add a third lock which will take larger ships and increase the traffic across this 50km wide strip of land. We are told that shipping to LA and other west coast ports is going to suffer. Anyways, a huge construction project which gets Ian all excited!
The bus ride here was an adventure in itself. I’m sure they are privately owned and leased
Gatun Lock
Ship just came through which held us up by 30 minutes. Total lift to lake level 85' to the city, because they are converted school buses all decked out differently. There is a cartoon busty blonde on the front window and Praise Jesus on the back. Smoking speakers cranking out the top 40 Spanish tunes, and everyone from babies to elders crammed in and standing room only. While waiting on the bus at the depot in this hot and sweaty space all kinds of venders walk down the aisle trying to sell water, snacks, light bulbs, razors, matches and other valuable stuff. No air con, so you’re thankful for the slight breeze that comes through the half opened windows. ( didn’t see any chickens…)
The place where we are staying is owned by a local who speaks 14 languages and his three dogs. It is a large property with approximately 1,000 feet of ocean front with his house and a guest house where we live. He has a caretaker who lives in a little bungalow on the property as well.
Ian's job for the past 10 days has been to build concrete stairs down to the beach. He has the caretaker Jose (what else could it be lol) helping him with the construction and also
Gatun Lock
There are two side by each. These were full of water (leaking out) ready to drop a ship down to sea level helping him with his Spanish as they work. Ian puts in far longer than 4 hours a day but he is happy to be working as this trip has been quite relaxing. I on the other hand have been working at cleaning up the beach, doing yard work and painting signs. Which leads me to my forthcoming rant - please bear with me……….
........the amount of garbage that floats on the ocean and lands on this beautiful beach has left me close to tears. The main things that wash up are plastic bottles. This has got to be dealt with on an individual level and at a corporate level. The ocean cannot sustain this level of pollution. This government has to start educating their people on the effects of throwing garbage on the ground and in the ocean. Ian and I rode the local bus into the town of Colon for some groceries, and we were sat behind a young kid, who, when was done with his pop, threw the can out of the window, then his mom passed hers to him, and he threw that out also. The guy ahead of him threw out his water bottle, and
Gatun Dam
This is the spillway for the Gatun Lake. We drive right by it on the way to where we lived. The lake provides the water for the locks and the ships sail across the lake to the Pacific locks in Panama City a small tied up bag of garbage. I wanted to start flicking their ears! Perhaps if the government instigated a deposit on the plastic bottles like they do in Canada, this would help solve a few things as it would help the poor people generate a bit of money and obviously help with the cleanup. I understand the whole Maslow theory comes into play here with having to look after yourself first. I also get that that is why the dogs are treated so poorly compared to how we treat them. BUT, there is no reason that people have to throw the garbage on the ground. These are not stupid people, but they need education. Fifty years ago they threw the banana peel and coconut shell on the ground where it composted but the plastic that lands on the ground will last 500 years. But that’s not all folks, apparently the cruise ships that travel through the Caribbean ocean, are able to dispose of their wastes if they are 25 miles from shore: Everything! If they are in within a few miles of land they are supposed to grind everything up to within an inch of size. Who is there
to police that? A young couple we met worked on cruise ships and said that it just doesn’t happen. So, one of the small countries asked one of the major cruise companies for a $1.50 fee per person when they dock at their port to help deal with the amount of garbage left by the ship. The company refused and did not return to that port anymore. This is bullying in the 1st degree. All these Caribbean countries are small and relatively poor and they can't take on these mega corporations. These same cruise companies are not allowed to do this in the Pacific Ocean or over in Europe. Why here? What can we do? Plastic floating in the ocean can last a lot longer than 500 years. I’m sure everyone has now heard of the large "plastic island" floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. If you are planning a cruise, call the headquarters and demand to know what is done with the refuse. Threaten to not give them business unless they take a look at how they are contributing to this travesty.
A few other things that wash up are Styrofoam, by the bucket loads. You
can see this breaking down into such tiny little Styrofoam balls that you can't even pick it up. I’m sure the fish are eating this, thinking it is food. Think again when you buy that carton of eggs in Styrofoam, or meats....ask for other options. Choose other options. It all has to go somewhere. The 3rd most common thing that washes up and still has me baffled is sandals. Unfortunately I have never found "a pair” to use, but there are 100's of them, all sizes, all brands. Someone suggested that they fall off of cruise ships, but I find that a bit of a stretch, that there are that many dumb dumbs that loose their footwear. You will see from all the attached pictures that this is dear to my heart, and if anyone has any suggestions, I am all ears.
Ok enough of that. Back to our “Work-Away” experience:
Our room is a converted garage that is quite rustic but roomy and comfortable. We have a cold shower bathroom which is quite typical for Panama but so far we have not had the pleasure in our previous accommodations. The water here is not as cold as
Our Bungalow
Converted garage home but it is not warm either; it’s like a cool shower. You get in and out quick but it’s also refreshing after working outside all day. The wind is constant. Not breezy but pretty heavy, enough to knock your hat off. While it does keep you cooler when working outside, am I looking forward to a break from it. Most of Panama has been windy in the 2 months we have been here. I guess it is their windy season. The grounds are well maintained with coconut palms growing all over. One has to be careful when walking under them because if one fell, it could seriously hurt you if it hit you on top of the head.
The internet here has been very sketchy, we are on a dongle, and even that comes and goes, so we have not been in touch with many of you lately. On Monday, March 4 we are returning to Panama City where we intend to stay for 4-5 days. After that we are going to be slowly returning to Costa Rica. We wanted to see Columbia after speaking with so many travelers who rant and rave about how wonderful it is,
but we couldn’t find a cheap way to get there. There are no roads or buses that go from Panama to Columbia, so the only option is by boat or fly. There are sailors who take people over for $400-$500 per person and it takes 3-4 days. Or you can fly in within an hour, but it costs the same...so next time.
Ian celebrated his birthday here, quietly. Just he and I, but he did get a cake 😊 thanks to Carlos for picking it up for us. We had cake, Atlantic salmon and red wine and some dinner blues. It was a good day but of course he was missing his family too.
Chow chow
(that’s what they say)
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Rose
non-member comment
I'll stick with the wet coast, at least there is no visible garbage.
Loved your blog and photos. I visualize that one day people will become more conscious. What a fluke that the steps were built the year you were born Ian.