I need to check to Canal
Trip Start
Sep 14, 2005
1
11
88
Trip End
Dec 05, 2006
Panama City,
Panama
Monday, November 21, 2005
Casinos like Las Vegas, high rise buildings like New York, a old town center like Venice, 150 year old nicely refurbished buildings next to slums, a developed former America area next to a destroyed area from the former government Noriegas, shopping like London, black markets I have never seen before and the old harbor which is the biggest illegal business zone during the night when the speed boots form Columbia deliver Cocain to Panama City. (They have 3No. 250PS outboard motors to be quicker then any police in case the try to catch them on the sea)
But that¨s not all. After Switzerland Panama City is the second biggest banking City, there are very nice properties for a good price and a lot of realy pretty Colombian girls for 15-100$ for 15 min
A picture to proof I was there
. pleasure. Prostitution is legal in Panama and the Panama tourist information even advertises the "Girls"In the Hotel I met Thomas a 40 year old crazy Swiss guy (I think I was th only normal person in this Hotel) who lives on the Caribbean cost of Colombia with his girlfriend and his child. He met her when he was travelling...and now he can´t stand the corruption, the standard of living, the people and his girlfriend. He said to her that he is on business in Panama but I think he is not going back there....
We did a bar tour through the old and new town...which means 4 Tabeldance bars or brothels (don¨t know how to call bars like this), two Casinos and finished with a chicken at a food stand I normally would not eat but after this night...
When to US attacked Panama in 1989 to get rid of their corrupt leader Noriega they destroyed all the government and police building in the town within a few days. Most of these areas are now NO GO areas/slums but a taxi driver/tourist guide showed me the area and it´s really the worst thing I have seen so far.
I found a good link in case you want to read about the invasion
or about Manuel Noriega
The canal is really impressive (at least if you are an Engineer)
Border Costa Rica - Panama
. I checked the Locks, took the Railway to Colon (on the Caribbean side) to check the shopping in the free Zone (you can only buy in bulks on 100) and the town of Colone with a taxi as it is a absolut No Go area. For some extra money the taxi driver was our guide for half a day, our body guard, and he would organize everything we want to do. He expected us to say that we want some girls but my challenge for him was more difficult then that.
I asked him to get me on a container ship to go back to Panama City. Right now, I would skip the train and go with the ship because it was always my dream. After asking me if I´m serious and what I would pay for that he made a few phone calls and even called his brother who is a Panama Canal pilot.
He failed!!! The difficulty is that the pilots earn 50$/hour and therefore are not really interested to get a crazy guy on board for an other 100$. And also that the company who owns the ship must hand over the ship and all the responsibility to a Panama Canal pilot. This means they need to accept me as well, not just the pilot....so I took the Jungle train back to Panama City :-( I will try again to get on a container ship!
If you want to know more about the Canal check this site
Now I try to organize my trip to Bogota/Colombia to visit Olga Tenjo a Colombien girl I met 98 in London....
