Panama City

Trip Start Aug 21, 2008
1
27
59
Trip End Ongoing


Loading Map
Map your own trip!
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
shadow
Where I stayed
mamallena
(Panama City hotels)

Flag of Panama  ,
Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Apologies for the lack of updates....I´ve been far too busy getting stuck in remote Colombia after being dropped off a 5 day sailing trip from Panama in the middle of nowhere..anyway..thats a later story....Panama already seems so long ago and after early hours drinking and dancing (yes- I was dancing - badly) its hard to recollect the details but here goes..

-Collected $ from Western Union and made way to P.C (6 hour journey (I think)..polished off reading ´Into the Wild´
-Stayed outside the old part of town (too touristy) at Mamallena`s (great little hostel)
-Checked out the palm tree-lined Causeway (think Miami South Beach jogging route) with views of the city´s skyline
-Visited Casco Veijo (old colonial part of town where dangerous slums are two avenues away from the presidential palace)
-Ordered by police to take a taxi as the part of town I was walking in was too dangerous (even in the day!)
-Cinema trip to see new Bond Film (I wanna be James)
-Early hours drinking and listening to amazing Israili guitarist (regular traveller) at hostel play (50% was in Hebrew..I was amazed how soothing the typically harsh sounding language could be sung)
-$23 1 hour train journey from Panama City to Colon along the Panam Canal...not really worth it unless in a rush
-Survived Colon (scariest town Ive been to so far - very poor and desperate people)
-Visited Gatun Locks...the largest of three sets of locks on the Canal and saw massive cruise liners pass through with a foot either side to spare(crazy!)
-Took cover in local supermarket in Colon waiting for the Captain of my booked sailing trip to Colombia to pick me up
-Picked up 48 cans of lager for $19 and a 7 year bottle of rum along with some food for the 6 day journey
-Got slightly ´tipsy´in the super market drinking promotional handouts of rum and tequilla
-Spent night in Portobello (departure town of cruise) and woke up in the morning and fed local monkeys and parrots
-Finally disembarked on cramped sailboat with 9 others (6 beds!) Destination Colombia   

As ever - loving it...
Slideshow Print this entry