Last entry from Central America...
Trip Start
Jul 11, 2008
1
12
Trip End
Sep 30, 2008
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Panama City,
Panama
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
From La Fortuna in Costa Rica we headed up to Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean again - finally, after leaving it way back in Belize. The place was, as you would expect from the Caribbean, completely chilled out with an amazing national park just down the road. We were taken to this park by a German biologist and his Costa Rican wife and we all went trotting through the forest, him carrying a huge telescopic lens thing on his back. When his wife spotted an animal up in the trees, he found it on the lens and we could see it up close and make out all the details. There´s nothing quite like watching a hairy sloth having a big yawm and scratching his tummy, or being able to make out the up and down of baby caiman´s lungs as they breathe because you can see such minute detail. We also spotted a kinkajou, a nocturnal animal that was out late and that our guide had never seen before in his ten years of living there. So I hate to admit it, but Costa Rica was actually pretty darn good, even if it was a little expensive. We both enjoyed it a lot more than we expected to.
On to Panama... which is without any doubt whatsoever just THE best country in the world. It has everything! First stop was Bocas del Toro, an archipeligo of islands on the Caribbean just a short hop over the border (which was technically a long walk over a rickety old railway bridge from one customs to the other) from Costa Rica. The main town is incredibly touristy but had happy hour G&Ts for one dollar (!!), amazing sunsets and cute little places to eat and drink on stitlts over the water. Afer a couple of days there we headed to Isla Bastimentos, just ten minutes by boat across the water. We stayed at Tio Toms, an amazing guesthouse where the rooms are on the water and where beer and wine flows from about 9:30am. Isla Bastimentos has no roads at all, and everyone speaks a fun dialect that is a mix on Spanish, English and Creole. There was an organic choccy farm up in the hills where we went twice because I miss chocolate so much and it was delicious.
Isla Bastimentos also had the most beautiful beach we've seen so far (sorry, Belize) and some amazing snorkeling which was accessed by kayaking across the lagoon to a deserted beach and then having a little scout around at all the parrotfish.
Next stop was Boquete for a coffee tour. Boquete, up in the hills, was completely different because it was fresh, drizzly and full of old Americans (as opposed to young Americans). Apparently it is the 4th best place to retire in the world, but I can´t think why what with all the rain. They make some yummy coffee, all organic and speciality grown etc etc etc, so we bought a lot of it. It was great to finally find a tour where you learnt something about coffee and how it is produced and how to determine a good coffee bean and so on. So well worth putting up with the rain!!
Boca Brava was next on the list. This is an island on the southern (Pacific) coast of Panama. When we arrived it rained all day and all the boating tours were way to expensive for us to afford on our own, so we were about to call it quits and head off the next day when at dinner we met Brydie and Alice, two fellow travelers who we have been bumping into again and again ever since Santa Ana in El Salvador. They were planning on doing a snorkling and beaching trip so we were able to go with them. Things went from better to even better when, about 20 minutes into the trip, we ran into a group of humpback whales and followed them across the swells of the pacific in our little motorised canoe for a couple of hours while they fed. We saw their blow holes and the smoothness of their skin and everything we were so close. Scott really really loved it and is pleased to have another thing ticked off his "things i must do before i die" list. He spent the afternoon playing with hermit crabs on the beach (conducting research) while I lazed.
Now we are in Panama City. This place is all about the white/glassy sky scrapers, crazy traffic that refuses to slow down when you dare to actually cross the road, friendliest people you could imagine (although same goes for all of panama), heat heat heat, oh and the canal. We got to Panama City courtesy of a friendly old chap we met in El Valle. I dont think they do driving lessons or tests or anything formal like that here because on the 1 hour journey he nearly crashed twice and got us locked in the car with all the alarms going when he couldnt work out how to work the electronic key. All good fun.
Yesterday we went to the Bodies exhibition that Han saw in New York. The corpses of Chinese prisoners of war were donated to some guy who dissects bodies and you could see all the muscles and livers and stomachs, as well as small foetuses at different stages of development. I´m not sure where he got these from as I´m pretty certain the chinese POWs were all male... Also took in a great view of the city in a nearby park with hiking trails - really surreal to be walking in the rainforest when you can hear sirens and car horns.
Today we finally saw the canal, something i´ve been looking forward to since we booked this trip, and it did not disappoint. We got to the look out point to see a cruise ship steaming through, and as we took photos of all the wealthy tourists on their cruise ship they took photos of all us budget tourists on our look out point. It was completely cheesy (i.e. a man on a microphone telling us to welcome them all to panama on the count of three...) so it was awesome. We stayed there for ages, watching them all come in and each time being astounded at the size of the ships. The cruise ship paid $166,000 to get through the canal and it only had 2 feet of room each side as it squeezed through.
Wow ok I´m finally up to date for the first time in ages. Sorry for the really matter of fact entry, I guess its not going to be that fun to read but at least it means we have it all written down so we can write stuff up properly when we get back. Scott says we´re not going to do that but i figure we´ll have lots of free time on our hands with the recession and all.
We´re off to San Blas tomorrow, again on the Caribbean, and then back to Panama City for the all important GP next Sunday. Very very excited about that!
We were so happy this weekend as well, when we found out Livepool had beaten Chelsea at home (top of the league baby!) and that Wycombe are still unbeaten (top of the league as well baby!!). Turns out all our teams needed was for Scott and I to chip off out of the country!
xxxxxx
Comments
Bye to Panama
Hi kids - been keeping up with your news & keeping Nan updated too.
The guys are already in Vegas, so can't really help any more than what's on facebook.
have fun.
Dad.
How close was that??
Guys, just thought I'd drop you a quick line after possibly the craziest grand prix I've ever seen!! The boy done it - just!!!! The craziest thing was watching Ferrari's pit crew celebrating, only to realise Glock had swapped his car for a tractor over the last lap!!
Following the sporting theme, Wycombe may not be top of League 2 any longer, but they're now the only unbeaten league side in the country.
Liverpool were robbed by happy Harry's Spurs (yes - Redknapp is now at Spurs).
Hope you enjoy your last few days in Panama. Will you be able to adjust to the cost of living when you reach the States? - or is this just where the budget gets blown?!?
Take care, and see you soon - Mark