Deville Hotel Panama City

Howdy *ll,

After 2 much loved *nd h*ted months in Indi* (Smellyl*nd) we decided it w*s time to dep*rt e*rly (strictly for ment*l he*lth re*sons).
We m*de the c*ll to duck b*ck to Th*il*nd for * few weeks where we gr*tefully b*thed on litter-free be*ches *nd dined on s*lmonell*-free food *ll the while gently nursing one helluv* sub-continent h*ngover.

Exit Mumb*i, enter B*ngkok.

Ok, so we st*rted reh*b off in B*ngkok for * few d*ys, Beko *nd I ...

... owners of the hostel, Dan. After Dan told us that there was no way to cross the border on the Pacific coast he off handedly said that we could check the fishing dock down the hill. That night at 5:00am I, as calmly as possible, asked the group of 9 Australian guys, and the girls they had picked up at the bar, if they could kindly shut up and move to a different room since I had already been listening to them yell and shout for over an hour ...

... and where to eat, have fun, and contacts with more information. His dog, Vegas, gave both of us a much needed dog fix.

We walked around the old town of Casco Viejo, but unfortunately as today is the Inauguration Day for the new President, all the museums and churches are closed. We ran into an incredibly friendly "Policia Tourista" who explained some of the area's history and also helped us find an incredibly well ...

... to make sure they are decent quality. But over all, the shopping is awesome if you find the right stores! Many Panamanians speak English too. This has to do with the canal the fact that up until recently many American soldiers were stationed in city to help monitor the canal, which the US completely owned until the 70s. I went to the Canal museum called ...

... The area has a lot of old buildings and most are falling down or have already fallen down. It is gong through a rebuilding period and we were right down the street from the president's palace. There are police with AK47s everywhere and they look like they mean business. They are very protective of the tourist and are keeping us safe as the banditos and pan handlers leave us alone if they see them ...

... at the locks, there is a fancy restaurant with a buffet for lunch or dinner. It has a great view of all the ships that pass through the canal. I felt a little under dressed in shorts and a t-shirt but apparently we were ok with the hostess. There was a ton of good food, it cost around $20 per person. Miraflores closes at 5pm. We grabbed a taxi and went back to the hotel and watched the sunset.

... br>Carnival starts in a few days, so i've got a couple of days to see the Canal and the other banal touristy stuff...then hit the party...and then Colombia.

Carnival...the real party is apparently in Las Tablas a bit further along the Pacific coast - but as i´ve never been to Rio´s Carnival (or any other sizable one for that matter), i figure Panama's will be enough party for me.

After a(nother) fried chicken, our group from the hostel bevvied ...

... escape. No, I didn't escape, I helped him put on the jacket and ensured that it was fastened securely. That is the price you pay when you said in the front row. At the previous show, the lead singer sang to Harriet. I help put on a straight jacket. I guess that is the order of things. Now it is bed time. We are going to bed a little early these days as we get up early so that we can spend an hour in the gym. That was today. Tomorrow we cross the equator. Dan and Harriet

... Eurpoean retirees who have made this their second home we just didn´t have too good of timing. Panama has been an interesting country. Though we aren´t spending enough time to really get a grip on its culture and dig deeper we have had a chance to appreciate it. The currency is called the Balboa however only US bills are used. The bills we get are always crisp and new that it seems every one we ...

... some jaguars, eagles and monkeys. On Saturday and Sunday, I had brunch at a cheap canteen run by grumpy Chinese women ($1.60 for a meal), had gelato or coffee ($2) and just walked around Casco Viejo. Next door to the hostel is a church, Iglesia de San Jose, with a gold altar that escaped the invasion of British pirates (surprise, surprise) in the 16th century. I also went to the Canal Museum, stopped by the Presidential Palace down the road then went ...