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  Panama City, Panama
Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Our decision to stop for a couple of nights in Panama city turned out to be a good one!
One because the canal is cool....but mainly cause we could drink some real beer!

We arrived in the evening....after a long annoying day of waiting around, and the first thing that hit us was the heat! It was really humid. We stupidly hadnt realised it would be hot...it hadnt been in the cities in Honduras but then we were back down at sea level again.
Got our cab to the hostel....the driver didnt actually know where it was and had to ask! Not surprised really it was very descreet and on the second floor, quite nice though, small and friendly.

Went out to explore.....we were staying in the commercial district which is the new part of town....and it felt like we had stepped back in time and were back in the US!! Skyscrapers and bright lights and real roads....it was such a shock to the system compared to the two cities we are just visited previously. There was even a parade in the street. Looked like an american parade...with bands....it turned out to be firemen and scouts??? No idea what it was all about...apparantly there was something happening in Panama that week, but we never did find out what!

Despite all the lights and excitement....we were disappointed to find that most of the buildings were shops....there didnt seem to be any bars or restaurants...we were dying for a beer....but nothing! It was so damn hot too....even after the sun had gone down.
We decided as a last ditch attempt to wander down a side street off the main road....and it turned out to be the best decision we had made in a long time!! Just when it looked hopeless...we spotted a brewpub! God did that make us excited....real beer...no more crappy lager.
Turned out to be a lovely little place....they even had english beer....now how good is that!! We had only been saying over the last few weeks how we were dying for a proper english pint and there it was....must have done something right!!
So we enjoyed a couple of bottles of Bass.....damn it tasted good....there really is nothing like it....all you foreigners who call english beer rubbish, just dunno what you missin!
Then we tried a local brew.....got to sample threee of them, to decide which we wanted....opted for the dark one...wasnt the best pint in the world....very tinny....but it felt good to be holding a pint glass again....a real english one too....not a small american one. We were too very happy bunnies!!!
Decided we had had enough and headed back to the hostel....it had been a long day.....stopped at Macdonalds for chips and ice cream on the way though....the beer had give us the munchies....not quite fish and chip shop quality....but they filled a hole!

The next day we decided to explore the city. Cooked ourselves pancakes in the hostel....not the tastiest but hey they were free. Then we went to find the bus.
Had no idea where to get off....but when we saw old buildings....guessed it must be the old bit....brainy arent we?
Wasnt quite what we expected from reading the guide book. There were some amazing buildings....quite grand compared to a lot of what we had seen....but unfortunately the whole area was a mess....run down, dirty and not at all appealing. We wandered down to the sea....which was equally as dirty....and saw several destroyed buildings. Then we got collared by a guy from Tahiti...who told us he wasnt begging but her neeeded $4 to buy baby milk...cause it was $40 where he comes from....it sounded odd...but he offered to give us a tour for the $4...and was very insistent....so we gave in. He was quite a character...and the tour was kinda fun....he told us what was happening in the area....how all the locals are being kicked out of the houses in the old area.....they have been given $500 and a new house in the suburbs....but they still arent happy. They dont seem to realise that its their own fault for letting the buildings fall down!! It is a shame....so apparantly they are being sold to the americans and europeans to be restored. He also told us that in a few days time, if they hadnt all gone they were gonna be jailed for 5 years!! Seemed quite unbelievable but had no reason to doubt the guy. He also told us about how the panamarians surrendured to the americans by taking their clothes off when they invaded? Not sure what the relevence of that was!
He then took us to the white house...not the one in the US....but the home of the panamarian president. Im damned sure we werent meant to be there....he took us right past the guards and right in front of it....where he insisted we take photos of us outside it!! And that was our tour.....we happily gave the guy his $4....he had given us such a laugh!!
Wandered some more....saw many of the buildings the americans had blown up....and some houses which had been restored....giving us an idea what the place will be like in like 10 years time. We were then bored and hot....and needed refreshment. But as usual there was nothing to be found.
Ended up in the busier bit on the edge of the old town...where there were shops and loads of people milling about in the streets...still couldnt find anywhere....ended up in a dodgy KFC....the whole fast food thing is starting to become annoying again! Never thought we would be eating in fast food joints in central america!
That done, we bought some christmas cards and actually found the square with the huge fountain we were supposed to have got off the bus at! Got collared by another guy...speaking english again....this time he told us about how his granddad had come over from barbados to build the canal and how he like england. He also kindly showed us where to get the bus to the canal....had to get rid of him in the end....after he had told us for the third time that the buses in Panama where called Red Devils!
Decided it was time to find a bus back....were still unsure how they worked but figured catching one with the name of the street we were staying on would be a good idea....so on we jumped. Took our seats and waited. We started to get a little worried when we didnt recognise anywhere....thought we would do eventually.....but no.....and we were getting further and further away from the city. We were very confused....we figured it must turn round and go back up the street we wanted....but no.....it kept going. Till we were in the middle of nowhere....a housing estate.....and the bus started to empty...till we were the only ones left on the bus....our chances of it turning round looked hopeless. As we had no idea where we were and how the hell we were going to get back, we attempted to explain to the driver our problem....but he didnt understand a word. We were worried.....fortunately he must have understood enough and dropped us at a bus stop where we could get a bus back. Thank god.
Eventually we got back...only about an hour and a half later than we should have been...it was then that we realised why we hadnt understood where we were on the bus...our street was a one way street! Oops. We were starving at this point...it was like 3 in the afternoon....so guess where we ended up eating....yep Macdonalds....i didnt even taste its mingness i was that hungry!
Chilled in the hostel for ages...where it was stupidly hot....clammy and sticky....then decided to head out for the evening. Went straight back to our fav place....where we discovered they also had draft guiness...giving us the best of both worlds....a pint glass and real beer. Was hardly like the real stuff...but still very pleasant.
Spent ages trying to understand the menu....we couldnt recognise any words...or undertsand the waitress and were begginning to wonder if they spoke a different language here...when they kindly gave us an english menu! Man were we glad....we ordered a platter of meat!! MMMM...it was good...chicken wings...and chicken and beef kebabs and onion rings....just what we needed. We are really starting to love this little bar....if only it had air con though!

Time to explore the canal. We decided after our complete disaster with the buses the day before that we would take a taxi! Had to eat breakfast in Macds again, as the hostel cooker had ceased to work....then we grabbed the nearest taxi.
Maybe we should have looked for one that looked vaguely normal! The cab was falling apart...probably the only one in the city that was....and the driver was a complete nut case! I was very worried that we had got in one of the dodgy taxis and he was gonna take us somewhere and kill us!!!!!
He kept talking to himslelf, and waving his arms around....and was so impatient it was unbelievable. If there any cars at all in front of him, he would drive on the wrong side of the road to pass them, or turn round! In the end after driving on the wrong side of the road for ages...and seeing he was never gonna get past the traffic, he reversed and went on the toll road, where we had to pay the toll! Fortunately it was only a few cents! We arrived...thank god....next time i think we might choose our taxi more carefully!
We got our tickets in the lovely air conditioned building....and then went up in the lift to the viewing platform. It was stupidly hot out there....but we were here to see the canal...so see it we would. The place we were was called Miraflores locks and you could watch huge ships being taken up from sea level to the mountains in the monstrous locks....was quite fascinating....mainly due to the immense size of everything.
Some bloke told us random facts about the boats and the canal as we watched. We watched several boats go through in both directions, then had to get out of the heat for a while before we fried.
Decided to go for a drink in the cafe....only to find it was outside...and not cool....still the cold drink helped. The bloke announcing stuff then told us the next boat wasnt gonna be there till 3pm so went to check out the museum. Was quite cool, fullk of facts and in english which is always good! Told you how it was built....and hopw many thousands of men it took! also got loads of facts and figures about the water they use....millions of gallons of water are needed everytime a boat goes through the locks. Its incomprehensible to be honest. Was a bit about the environment and the creatures that live there and then a bit saying what they plan to do in the future,.....and they have big plans. They intend to widen it all and build bigger locks so they can have boats like 3 times the size they have now....thats bloody big boats!!
We then wayched the short movie of the canal, which was basically a advertisement for the company which run the canal...but was kinda interesting too....then we went out to watch the last two boats come past. We grabbed a sandwhich while we waited, then saw them arriving early so dashed up to the viewing platfrom. This turned out to be the main event of the day. 2 huge container ships.,....going through the locks side by side.
It was an amazing site....they really are huge boats....scarily so. Got told more facts....the most interesting of which was probably that the ships we watching were paying like $250,000 to pass through the canal...but considering the ships were carrying millions of dollars of stock....doesnt seem quite so much!
The excitement over we headed off to find a taxi back.....tried to rip us off...but we has enough of taxi drivers and were having none of it.....at least it was a normal car and driver!
Got back chilled and then headed out for food.....were gonna try somewhere else but couldnt keep ourselves away from the brewpub. Enjoyed more pints of guinness and were very naughty and treated ourselves to steaks as it was our last night in central america. Was bloody good!! Drank more beer then headed to bed....

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