Panama.....Reflections

A milestone reached as we end our time in Central America by completing the first third of our nine month journey. The next period is a bit confusing as we fly to South America, back to Central America, up to North America before ending back in South America for Christmas.

Nine weeks spent in Central America and Guatemala was the favourite destination by far. Panama has been a little disappointing particularly as the first week was more or less washed out but Panama City has been a strange place.

Vanessa eating ceviche in Panama City

It may have fantastic shopping plazas, an ultra modern skyline, marinas full of million pound boats but bizarrely it has the most diabolical food and we’ve been searching for something edible for six days. To say it has been shite would be paying it a compliment.  Everywhere we’ve been they’ve either run out, even in fast food joints, served us undercooked food which had to be returned or its been comically bland and tasteless. We even resorted to eating glupe, sorry, I mean Chinese food and to cap it all, on our last night after looking round the recommeneded area for food, we ended up in the Chinese again! Our philosophy...... why pay $15 for crap when we could get it for $3?

The only tasty thing was ceviche at the fish market which is raw fish in lime juice with onions and spices.

The taxis in the city are cheap, comical and challenging. Normally we have to ask where they’re going, negotiate a fare, listen to them  talk to us continously in Spanish after we’ve told them we can’t speak it and the best was when I asked to go to Hostel Mamallena and he told us that it was OK because he spoke English, so I replied, ‘’Hostel Mamallena’’, and suddenly he understood.

The Panama Canal was a huge highlight of our stay but unfortunately we have to return to the city for two nights after our visit to Colombia.

DAYS SPENT:   13

TRANSPORT:  2 buses, 3 boats, 20 taxis.

NUMBER OF PLACES WE STAYED:  3 (1 hotel, 1 tent, 1 hostel )

ITEMS LOST/BROKEN:  none

FAVOURITE EATERY:  Thanksgiving at Palmar Tent Lodge on Red Frog Beach

WILDLIFE SPOTTED:  white faced monkey

TOURS TAKEN:  none

BEST VALUE FOR MONEY:  Thanksgiving (free party with tons of food)