The road back to Guatemala was again uneventful, with the only real highlight being the overnight stop in San Salvador, El Salvador. I left the bus station for a bit to head out and grab dinner which consisted of papusas (sort of like a pizza pocket) with homemade hot chocolate, and then washed down with some Kolaschanpan (national pop of El Salvador). It was sweet sitting on the street corner with the locals as we all ate from the same stand, and sharing some minimal conversation.
Arriving in Guatemala, I had planned on going to Antigua for the day, in order to set up a shuttle to Coban in the Guatemalan highlands, but a last minute decision let me directly to Coban, saving some time and hassle. A beautiful little town away in the hills was to be my stop for the night until I continued onto Lanquin, about 2 hours away.
The next day I made my way to the bus to Lanquin and settled in for what was to be another tightly packed bus ride, through the highlands. However, this ride was a little more eventful than most. While waiting for the bus to depart, some Guatemalan youth came of the bus. Turns out they were medical students from the city heading to Lanquin for a bit of a vacation. They were great. Full of energy and wanting to have some fun. They really wanted to help me out with my Spanish, and one of them spoke incredible English. Another Guatemalan that I have met that has learned the language from TV and music. Incredible. So we played games and just joked around for the rest of the trip.
When we arrived in Lanquin, I was just planning on heading to the hostel and relaxing for the day, but they invited me to go to the Semuc Champey pools with them. Though hesitant about going because I was rather tired and wanted to rest in this picturesque Mayan town, I decided against it and headed off with them. A great decision and one I don't regret. Semuc Champey is a series of limestone pools with the most incredible water, and landscape. It is located in a river valley with hills towering overhead. We spent the afternoon, relaxing, and going from pool to pool, enjoying the refreshingly cool water. There was also a lookout located up the side of one of the hills, which offered an breath taking view of the area. Though arriving there hot and sweaty we were blow away by the beauty of the area. The day turned out to be so much fun and I am glad I didn't let myself sit it out. They were a lot of fun, friendly, and full of energy. It makes travel a lot more fun when you get to experience it with locals, who are discovering part of their country for the first time.
The next day I made my way back to Semuc Champey which is located 10 kms outside of Lanquin. A girl named Becca, who I had met on the bus to Guatemala, and I headed out to go caving near the pools. So we piled into a pickup truck and made for the hills. We did however make one quick stop. With that stop we picked up 20+ local Mayan men, women and children who were on their way in that direction as well. I don't know if Ive seen or even knew that many people could fit in a truck. We made out way out doing the Guatemalan bump and grind, picking up and dropping off along the way.
The cave tour we did was mind blowing. We were given candles and followed our guide Carlos deeper and deeper into the cave, with the tiny wax candle as our only source of light. Wading our way through the pools inside the cave, I like many other times n the trip did so with a stupid grin on my face, and the occasional burst of laughter as I thought about what I was doing. Climbing a series of ladders, holding our little candles, and then eventually swimming through some of the deeper pools we took a break. Carlos told us to put out our lights. At first a little hesitant and not sure if he was joking I followed along. It became a totally new feeling. Absolutely no light what so ever. It was the same with your eyes open and shut. As simple as it sounds this fascinated me. Eventually we relighted the candles and continued on until we reached the end with a small spot to jump off the wall into the pool about 3m's below. Making our way back to the entrance we had to narrowly fit through a crack in the rock and drop into a pool below. This trip was incredible, and well worth it.
After making my way back to Lanquin I had to leave for Coban again, because with the town being so small they don't have an ATM to withdraw money, and not knowing this before I only had enough to make it back to Coban. So with that I bid farewell to this dreamy little Mayan town, and the Q'eqchi' language and left for the slightly bigger Coban in hopes of catching a shuttle to Antigua in the morning.
The next day I caught a shuttle to Antigua for the Semana Santa festival which I will write more about in the next post. The place is crazy right now, with tonnes of people all over the place and a real festive atmosphere. I will be sure to let you know all about it in the next post.
Thanks for reading
Bye for now
Mike
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The Bus and a Stop in Leon
The plan at the end of the last post I was to head out from Boquete, Panama, to San Jose, Costa Rica the following morning. This didn´t happen. I realized that I really liked Boquete and wanted to stick around for another day and enjoy the town, because there was no real need to rush. So thats what I did. The extra day wasn´t all that exciting or action packed, but rather relaxed. I sat around reading and drinking coffee for a while and after a bit I met up with one of the other guys from the hostel. After chatting we decided to go for lunch with one of the Dutch girls there. We had a filling lunch at a small family resturant, and then we decided to head back to the hostel and chill there, and thats what the day consisted of. Relaxation, music, and conversation. Again, this was not all that productive a day, but it turned out to be one of my favourites.
The next morning, bright and early, I did force myself to leave the little mountain village and head down to David, Panama in order to catch my connecting bus towards San Jose. The Tracopa Bus ride north is very normal. Boring and long. Nothing much exciting happens along the ride, and all that you do is pass the time with reading, music and if your lucky, sleep.
Once we arrived in San Jose, I had to go through the unfortunate but necessary experience of negociating a taxi over to the Tica Bus terminal, were I could catch my next bus up to Nicaragua. Catching a taxi is the bane of my exsistence. They can charge whatever they want because your white, and because you need it, and they know it. So I find one that is reasonable and make my way over to the other terminal to set up my next ticket.
When I arrive I find out that the early bus I want to take is full and I am forced to take the afternoon coach. The downside to this is that I would arrive in Managua, Nicaragua,(the capital) late at night. This is undesirable because the big cities are not the safest, even in day light, and it also would mean that I will be later getting to Leon. But there is not much that I can do about this, so I book and head off to find a hostel for the night.
The next morning before I head off to the bus, I went to search out some food. I came across the main street, where a festival was in full bloom. Everyone around me was eating plates of gallo pinto (a typical dish, consisting of rice and beans mixed together). I asked around to see what the festival was all about and how much the plates of gallo pinto were going to cost me. It turns out that this is the Gallo Pinto Festival. Yes, thats right, its a rice and beans festival, where they try and break the record for the most gallo pinto made. People come from all over to celebrate with music, street preformers, and the obligatory eating of gallo pinto, which by the way is totally free! Eat to your hearts content. I went around getting plates from various vendors who all added their own little flavour or sauce to the mix. Quite a neat thing to be a part of the worlds largest rice and beans festival (possibly the only).
The bus ride was again uneventful until we got to the Nicaragua side of the boarder. I had intended to get some money in San Jose to cover the boarder crossing, but was distracted by the rice and beans. So I ended up at the boarder 1$ short of what I needed. I thought this would be fine, because I could just take money out at the boarder ATM. It wouldnt accept my card. So I was then forced to ask a fellow travelling Canadian for a few bucks to get me through. It was a bit of a hassle but once that was over the ride went smoothly. I decided to get of in Granada because it was safer and familiar for me to do in the dark.
The next morning I caught a series of buses to get to Leon, which is another colonial town in Nicaragua. I wanted to take a day or two off in Leon so that I wasnt spending my whole time on the bus. The town is beautifully colonial. I stopped into some different museums in the area surrounding the FSLN (Left wing "rebel" party) and the revolution that took place in the country in the late 70´s early 80´s. These places were quite moving. The first was run by mothers of fallen soldiers. The room was filled with pictures and write ups told of the revolution here in Leon. Talking to one of the mothers who lost two of her children and four of her brothers to American backed Somoza dictatorship was sobering to say the least. Its incredible to see first hand what happens to these countries that have their politics meadled with by the Americans, and how it destroys lives for some foreign agenda. The next one I went to was run by former rebels, in one of the Somoza strongholds during the revolution. They told of the battles in the area, with my guide proudly showing off the scar he had from where a piece of an exploding bomb ripped into him. Just 12 when he joined, he pointd out pictures of many of his friends that died in the fighting who were of similar age. He was proud to have served and he let me try on some of the equipment used during that time, along with a rocket launcher that they used during battle. The experience was so facinating but so very sad. It showed me a lot about the reality of what many have had to live through here in Central America. It makes me rather thankful for the upbringing that I have been given in Canada.
I will leave Leon today and continue to head north on the Tica Bus, with the untimate destination being Guatemala. If all goes well I should be there Thursday afternoon.
Thanks for reading, I hope you have enjoyed.
Bye for now
Mike
The next morning, bright and early, I did force myself to leave the little mountain village and head down to David, Panama in order to catch my connecting bus towards San Jose. The Tracopa Bus ride north is very normal. Boring and long. Nothing much exciting happens along the ride, and all that you do is pass the time with reading, music and if your lucky, sleep.
Once we arrived in San Jose, I had to go through the unfortunate but necessary experience of negociating a taxi over to the Tica Bus terminal, were I could catch my next bus up to Nicaragua. Catching a taxi is the bane of my exsistence. They can charge whatever they want because your white, and because you need it, and they know it. So I find one that is reasonable and make my way over to the other terminal to set up my next ticket.
When I arrive I find out that the early bus I want to take is full and I am forced to take the afternoon coach. The downside to this is that I would arrive in Managua, Nicaragua,(the capital) late at night. This is undesirable because the big cities are not the safest, even in day light, and it also would mean that I will be later getting to Leon. But there is not much that I can do about this, so I book and head off to find a hostel for the night.
The next morning before I head off to the bus, I went to search out some food. I came across the main street, where a festival was in full bloom. Everyone around me was eating plates of gallo pinto (a typical dish, consisting of rice and beans mixed together). I asked around to see what the festival was all about and how much the plates of gallo pinto were going to cost me. It turns out that this is the Gallo Pinto Festival. Yes, thats right, its a rice and beans festival, where they try and break the record for the most gallo pinto made. People come from all over to celebrate with music, street preformers, and the obligatory eating of gallo pinto, which by the way is totally free! Eat to your hearts content. I went around getting plates from various vendors who all added their own little flavour or sauce to the mix. Quite a neat thing to be a part of the worlds largest rice and beans festival (possibly the only).
The bus ride was again uneventful until we got to the Nicaragua side of the boarder. I had intended to get some money in San Jose to cover the boarder crossing, but was distracted by the rice and beans. So I ended up at the boarder 1$ short of what I needed. I thought this would be fine, because I could just take money out at the boarder ATM. It wouldnt accept my card. So I was then forced to ask a fellow travelling Canadian for a few bucks to get me through. It was a bit of a hassle but once that was over the ride went smoothly. I decided to get of in Granada because it was safer and familiar for me to do in the dark.
The next morning I caught a series of buses to get to Leon, which is another colonial town in Nicaragua. I wanted to take a day or two off in Leon so that I wasnt spending my whole time on the bus. The town is beautifully colonial. I stopped into some different museums in the area surrounding the FSLN (Left wing "rebel" party) and the revolution that took place in the country in the late 70´s early 80´s. These places were quite moving. The first was run by mothers of fallen soldiers. The room was filled with pictures and write ups told of the revolution here in Leon. Talking to one of the mothers who lost two of her children and four of her brothers to American backed Somoza dictatorship was sobering to say the least. Its incredible to see first hand what happens to these countries that have their politics meadled with by the Americans, and how it destroys lives for some foreign agenda. The next one I went to was run by former rebels, in one of the Somoza strongholds during the revolution. They told of the battles in the area, with my guide proudly showing off the scar he had from where a piece of an exploding bomb ripped into him. Just 12 when he joined, he pointd out pictures of many of his friends that died in the fighting who were of similar age. He was proud to have served and he let me try on some of the equipment used during that time, along with a rocket launcher that they used during battle. The experience was so facinating but so very sad. It showed me a lot about the reality of what many have had to live through here in Central America. It makes me rather thankful for the upbringing that I have been given in Canada.
I will leave Leon today and continue to head north on the Tica Bus, with the untimate destination being Guatemala. If all goes well I should be there Thursday afternoon.
Thanks for reading, I hope you have enjoyed.
Bye for now
Mike
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Boquete, Coffee, and the Road to the North
In the late afternoon I bid farwell to Dan. After a good handshake and some parting comments of good luck, we went separate ways for the first time in 5 weeks or so. He was on his way to catch a flight bound for Cartegena, Colombia, to meet up with his vehicle that was to be shipped there in the next few days. I decided to head north, making my way back to Guatemala, instead of continuing on to South America. There are still some things that I want to do before my trip is over and inorder to have a sence of completion to Central America. I feet as though going north would allow me to accomplish these things. So now I am traveling on my own for the first time in this trip.
Early in the morning I boarded a bus bound for David, Panama. After a painless journey, with the only difficulty being the amount of time, I arrived in the city. Quickly searching out my connecting bus I hopped on and was headed for Boquete, in the Chiriqui Highlands. Arriving just before dusk I settled into the hostel, greeted by the overly energetic and more than helpful owner Pancho, who runs the operation out of his house. A rather relaxed evening was ahead, and I tried to plan for the next few days in this new area.
Boquete in a beautiful place situated in the highlands of Panama. The temperature here is beautiful with a warm sun during the day and a cool, refreshing night to make for comfortable sleeping. The air here is fresh, and crisp, similar to that of the mountains in Alberta. The people are friendly, wanting to talk and interact with you as you go about your business. There is something a little bit magical about the place that makes it infectious. I realize that I need to do what I came for and then leave, because I very easily could be caught here for a long period of time, with such a fun, welcoming, and relaxed environment at my disposal.
In the morning I worked on coordinating the activities that I hoped to do over the next few days, with the main goal being to go on a coffee tour and visit the plantations that have made the area world famous. Finding out that a tour would be difficult to set up for that day, I decided to pursue it for the following day. This meant that the day was going to be filled with hiking and some gardens that were in the area. I made my way up one of the hills to the Explorador, on the detailed directions of Pancho. The Explorador is a garden set away in the hills of Boquete with some beautiful flower beds, and excellent vistas of the surrounding area. After a leisurely stroll through the gardens I make my way back down the hill. Instead of turning left, back towards the town, I went right. This lead up and around the hills and plantations in the area. It turned into an afternoon of beauty and leisure as I made my way past all the little farms and houses nestled in the hills. Along the way I visited another garden, where the family opened up their property for the public to walk around their estate and see what they had to offer.
After a well deserved nights rest, I readied for the real reason that I came to the area, and that was for a coffee tour on the Kotowa Coffee Estate. This expereince was nothing less than spectacular.
Picked up at the hostel by the friendly Dutch ex-pat, Hans, we made our way the the estate. This particular place was founded by a former mayor of Vancouver in the early 1900´s. Hans was to be our guide and helped us navigate through the incredibly large and complex world of coffee production. Starting with the history of coffee production, and then moving on the the progression of the actual coffee plants used, my head was spinning with all the knowledge that I was being given. We then moved on to the even more involved processing and roasting steps, as the fruit was then turned into the wonderful hot brew we know and love.
The Kotowa Estate, is actually one of the leaders in the environmentally conscious production of coffee. The production takes quite a toll on the environment, with many of the bi products created. Kotowa however has brought their waste down to almost nothing through different strategies, and are one of the unique operations in Panama. They too also have an incredible relationship with their employees, such as the pickers. The families are given good accomidations, a doctor, and schooling for their children, along with the job in the fields. A lot of effort is put into making sure they are taken good care of, which is somewhat rare in these parts. Finally, we came to the end of the tour, where we were able to take part in the wonderfully delicious cupping process. This is where the coffee is tasted to ensure quality and consistancy, but for us was just an excuse to taste what the estate was brewing up. From the smell to the taste, the coffee is scrutinized, looking for any imperfection in the coffee and analyzing the different flavours present in cup. This tour was easily one of the highlights that I have had on the trip and well worth the trip to Boquete.
Tomorrow morning I will head back down to David to catch a bus bound for San Jose, as I continue on the road north, back to Guatemala. Again, it is sad to look at it this way but I feel that I am now coming towards the end of the trip even though I have a few weeks still ahead of me. Im not going to let this affect me because there is still so much that I want to see, do, and experience along the way.
I hope that you have enjoyed this, and I would whole heartedly encourage someone to make Boquete a stop on any trip to Panama.
Thanks for reading. Please contact me with any questions or comments that you may have on anything mentioned above.
Bye for now.
Mike
Early in the morning I boarded a bus bound for David, Panama. After a painless journey, with the only difficulty being the amount of time, I arrived in the city. Quickly searching out my connecting bus I hopped on and was headed for Boquete, in the Chiriqui Highlands. Arriving just before dusk I settled into the hostel, greeted by the overly energetic and more than helpful owner Pancho, who runs the operation out of his house. A rather relaxed evening was ahead, and I tried to plan for the next few days in this new area.
Boquete in a beautiful place situated in the highlands of Panama. The temperature here is beautiful with a warm sun during the day and a cool, refreshing night to make for comfortable sleeping. The air here is fresh, and crisp, similar to that of the mountains in Alberta. The people are friendly, wanting to talk and interact with you as you go about your business. There is something a little bit magical about the place that makes it infectious. I realize that I need to do what I came for and then leave, because I very easily could be caught here for a long period of time, with such a fun, welcoming, and relaxed environment at my disposal.
In the morning I worked on coordinating the activities that I hoped to do over the next few days, with the main goal being to go on a coffee tour and visit the plantations that have made the area world famous. Finding out that a tour would be difficult to set up for that day, I decided to pursue it for the following day. This meant that the day was going to be filled with hiking and some gardens that were in the area. I made my way up one of the hills to the Explorador, on the detailed directions of Pancho. The Explorador is a garden set away in the hills of Boquete with some beautiful flower beds, and excellent vistas of the surrounding area. After a leisurely stroll through the gardens I make my way back down the hill. Instead of turning left, back towards the town, I went right. This lead up and around the hills and plantations in the area. It turned into an afternoon of beauty and leisure as I made my way past all the little farms and houses nestled in the hills. Along the way I visited another garden, where the family opened up their property for the public to walk around their estate and see what they had to offer.
After a well deserved nights rest, I readied for the real reason that I came to the area, and that was for a coffee tour on the Kotowa Coffee Estate. This expereince was nothing less than spectacular.
Picked up at the hostel by the friendly Dutch ex-pat, Hans, we made our way the the estate. This particular place was founded by a former mayor of Vancouver in the early 1900´s. Hans was to be our guide and helped us navigate through the incredibly large and complex world of coffee production. Starting with the history of coffee production, and then moving on the the progression of the actual coffee plants used, my head was spinning with all the knowledge that I was being given. We then moved on to the even more involved processing and roasting steps, as the fruit was then turned into the wonderful hot brew we know and love.
The Kotowa Estate, is actually one of the leaders in the environmentally conscious production of coffee. The production takes quite a toll on the environment, with many of the bi products created. Kotowa however has brought their waste down to almost nothing through different strategies, and are one of the unique operations in Panama. They too also have an incredible relationship with their employees, such as the pickers. The families are given good accomidations, a doctor, and schooling for their children, along with the job in the fields. A lot of effort is put into making sure they are taken good care of, which is somewhat rare in these parts. Finally, we came to the end of the tour, where we were able to take part in the wonderfully delicious cupping process. This is where the coffee is tasted to ensure quality and consistancy, but for us was just an excuse to taste what the estate was brewing up. From the smell to the taste, the coffee is scrutinized, looking for any imperfection in the coffee and analyzing the different flavours present in cup. This tour was easily one of the highlights that I have had on the trip and well worth the trip to Boquete.
Tomorrow morning I will head back down to David to catch a bus bound for San Jose, as I continue on the road north, back to Guatemala. Again, it is sad to look at it this way but I feel that I am now coming towards the end of the trip even though I have a few weeks still ahead of me. Im not going to let this affect me because there is still so much that I want to see, do, and experience along the way.
I hope that you have enjoyed this, and I would whole heartedly encourage someone to make Boquete a stop on any trip to Panama.
Thanks for reading. Please contact me with any questions or comments that you may have on anything mentioned above.
Bye for now.
Mike
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Panama City and the Canal
The days are filled with sun and warmth. There is so much to do here in Panama City and I don't have the desire to get out of the big city as soon as possible, which is the often the case here in Central America. This is not only because of the safety factor (capitals are often the dodgiest) but also because there is generally not much to do there. This however is not the case in Panama City. There is a lot to do and a lot of history surrounding the Canal and the city itself.
The past few days have also been quite busy for Dan. Panama City is more or less the end of the road for driving. Colombia is very close but there are no navigable roads though, and if you were to make your way though the mire of the Darien Gap, the area beyond is full of rebels and other characters you best not mingle with. So that leads those who are driving to go through the hours worth of paper work and bureaucracy in order to put the vehicle in a shipping container and send it to Cartegena, Colombia. This is what has been taking up Dan's time over the past few days. Dan has teamed up with a really cool couple from France, and have been working through all the paper work that is needed for such an endeavor. Vincent and Marie have been driving around the world for the past year. They left France and made their way through Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, and are now making their way down from Vancouver.
I joined them on the first day while they were searching out some quotes from different companies, and then on the last day when we went to Colon to drop off the vehicles and finish off the paper work required for the shipping. This was interesting to see the huge port city and all that goes into the running of such a massive operation as the Panama Canal. For me, though the paperwork was really boring and involved a lot of sitting around, it was good for me to see what all has to go into the process of shipping, and hopefully one day I will be able to do the same thing and go through the same hassles that they have.
However, during the other days that they were doing all the "fun" stuff I decided to do a little sight seeing in the city on my own. I started off by walking Casco Viejo again and taking some photos of the area. I also went to a museum that chronicled the history of the area and they development of the Canal.
The next day I made my way by bus down to Panama Viejo, which is on the other side of town, and is the home of Old Panama, the original location of the cities settlement. The city was raided and sacked by the famous pirate Henry Morgan back in the 1600's, and all that was left after the burning of the city is some ruins. It is a very nice walk along the ocean seeing what is left of the city. I made my way to the church tower that was left standing after the raid and decided to climb up it. I apparently made it past the guards and needed to purchase a ticket to go up. But the guard at the bottom told me that if i just payed him $2 instead of the required $4 then he would let me pass... or I could go back and pay the full $4. I payed the man the $2 and continued on my way. The top of the tower had some beautiful views of the city and a chance to see a mix of the new and old.
The other highlight to the past few days has been the chance to see the Panama Canal and the Miraflores Locks. This is one of the main sets of locks in the Canal system and we have the opportunity to see some massive ships making their passage from the Caribbean to the Pacific. All the man power that went into the making and now managing of the canal is so impressive. It was interesting to learn that Panama didn't take over the running of the Canal until 2000, when the Americans finally turned over the power to the country. This because a massive source of pride for the Panamanian people. When they took over there was a lot of skepticism about their ability to run it, and to combat that they decided to look into developing the canal to handle bigger ships and more volume. This should be completed in the next few years and will have a significant impact on world trade. Quite an interesting day watching these massive ships passing right in front of you.
One thing that my mom dutifully reminded me of forgetting in the last post was that I have now been reunited with my debit card and have a flow of money again. This is quite nice and takes a lot of stress off me. Thanks to the help that the family gave to me, I was able to continue enjoying the trip. It was however a bit of a good experience because it showed me that it is possible to continue on and travel, and that you can do some of the more expensive countries on a respectively little amount of money, and not feel as though you are missing out on things.
I hope that you have enjoyed and if there are questions or comments please email me, and I will make sure to get back to you. Thanks for reading.
Bye for now
Mike
The past few days have also been quite busy for Dan. Panama City is more or less the end of the road for driving. Colombia is very close but there are no navigable roads though, and if you were to make your way though the mire of the Darien Gap, the area beyond is full of rebels and other characters you best not mingle with. So that leads those who are driving to go through the hours worth of paper work and bureaucracy in order to put the vehicle in a shipping container and send it to Cartegena, Colombia. This is what has been taking up Dan's time over the past few days. Dan has teamed up with a really cool couple from France, and have been working through all the paper work that is needed for such an endeavor. Vincent and Marie have been driving around the world for the past year. They left France and made their way through Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, and are now making their way down from Vancouver.
I joined them on the first day while they were searching out some quotes from different companies, and then on the last day when we went to Colon to drop off the vehicles and finish off the paper work required for the shipping. This was interesting to see the huge port city and all that goes into the running of such a massive operation as the Panama Canal. For me, though the paperwork was really boring and involved a lot of sitting around, it was good for me to see what all has to go into the process of shipping, and hopefully one day I will be able to do the same thing and go through the same hassles that they have.
However, during the other days that they were doing all the "fun" stuff I decided to do a little sight seeing in the city on my own. I started off by walking Casco Viejo again and taking some photos of the area. I also went to a museum that chronicled the history of the area and they development of the Canal.
The next day I made my way by bus down to Panama Viejo, which is on the other side of town, and is the home of Old Panama, the original location of the cities settlement. The city was raided and sacked by the famous pirate Henry Morgan back in the 1600's, and all that was left after the burning of the city is some ruins. It is a very nice walk along the ocean seeing what is left of the city. I made my way to the church tower that was left standing after the raid and decided to climb up it. I apparently made it past the guards and needed to purchase a ticket to go up. But the guard at the bottom told me that if i just payed him $2 instead of the required $4 then he would let me pass... or I could go back and pay the full $4. I payed the man the $2 and continued on my way. The top of the tower had some beautiful views of the city and a chance to see a mix of the new and old.
The other highlight to the past few days has been the chance to see the Panama Canal and the Miraflores Locks. This is one of the main sets of locks in the Canal system and we have the opportunity to see some massive ships making their passage from the Caribbean to the Pacific. All the man power that went into the making and now managing of the canal is so impressive. It was interesting to learn that Panama didn't take over the running of the Canal until 2000, when the Americans finally turned over the power to the country. This because a massive source of pride for the Panamanian people. When they took over there was a lot of skepticism about their ability to run it, and to combat that they decided to look into developing the canal to handle bigger ships and more volume. This should be completed in the next few years and will have a significant impact on world trade. Quite an interesting day watching these massive ships passing right in front of you.
One thing that my mom dutifully reminded me of forgetting in the last post was that I have now been reunited with my debit card and have a flow of money again. This is quite nice and takes a lot of stress off me. Thanks to the help that the family gave to me, I was able to continue enjoying the trip. It was however a bit of a good experience because it showed me that it is possible to continue on and travel, and that you can do some of the more expensive countries on a respectively little amount of money, and not feel as though you are missing out on things.
I hope that you have enjoyed and if there are questions or comments please email me, and I will make sure to get back to you. Thanks for reading.
Bye for now
Mike
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Scuba and the City
While in Bocas del Toro, Panama, Dan and I had originally planned on staying just a few days to check the local flavour and then continue moving on. However, this was not the case, and our plans changed. We played around with the idea of doing a scuba course in Bocas because it seemed to by a pretty popular thing to do with the tourists there, and there was supposed to be some good diving for reasonable prices. So we decided to shop around for a company that would give us the most bang for our buck. After some time walking around we decided to go with the company "The Dutch Pirate" ran by a Dutch man named Rob and his wife Carol. They were a really nice couple that really wanted us to have a good time while we were there. One of the nicest perks about going with them was that we were given a place to stay that was included in our fees, which made it the cheapest, and really, the best option for us.
Waking up to rainy skies was not the way that I imagined doing the course, but it seemed like this was going to be how I would have to do it. After meeting up at the dive shop and heading over to Isla Basimientos we started our course. The dive shop also served as our lodgings for the time that we were there, which was incredible. We were living on the water of a small Caribbean island, with not a whole lot around. The town was small and had a different feel from the more uptempo main island, Colon. It was a very relaxed stay while we lazed around and listened to the rain clattering off the tin roof of the shop.
The course itself was quite fun. Obviously there was a fair amount of theory to it, but you went through the motions and it passed by painlessly. The real thrill came when we actually got to dive. You roll off the boat into the warm waters of the Caribbean, with all of your gear ready to go. Floating on the surface waiting for the others to get in, I had the chance to peer to the sea floor below. Just seeing some simple starfish on the bottom was enough to make me grin from ear to ear. The first decent into the water was met with a few frantic gasps for air until you realize that this does you and that you can in fact breathe under water. That was such a foreign and exciting feeling to be under the water, on the see floor looking around as schools of fish swim by and starfish litter the ground around you. While underwater we worked on some skills in an attempt to master the art of moving underwater. Even these became fun. The highlight was the chance to go and swim through the corals that the area was famous for. It was incredible seeing those colours and all the different shapes of the coral. Beautiful to say the least. As well the different fish that lived among the coral only added to colour spectacle of the ocean. The whole time I was down there I was smiling and laughing along, as I took in this whole new world and all that it had to offer.
The next few days are full of similar things. Lessons and more diving. We had the chance to see some incredible things even though the visibility was poor due to all the rain. We even had the chance to see a ship wreck. In total, we were able to have 6 dives over 4 days, quite impressive and loads of fun. So now I am a certified open water scuba diver. It is neat because this is another thing that I didn't plan on doing but it turned out to being one of the best things so far.
After leaving Bocas in search of some sun we made our way back to the Pacific side. We stayed the night at Playa Las Lajas, which was nice to be back in the sun warmth, while we tried to dry out from 4 days of constantly being wet.
Only spending the night there we continued on, for a 6 hour trek down to Panama City. Finally making it there we crossed over the Bridge of the Americas which is the only solid object connecting the two sides. The view was incredible and Dan and I chatted with each other about how big a milestone this was for both of us. After trying to navigate the narrow one way street of Casco Viejo, which is the old section of Panama City, we make it to the hotel for the night. The one we originally book was full and so we had to settle for another for that night which was a rather shady place. Casco Viejo is an area with a lot of reclamation going on. The city is trying to turn these slums into a new and vibrant tourist destination, and it seems to be working. This old world architecture gives the city a bit of a European feel, mixed with some Havana-esque latin charm. This place, though sketchy and dangerous in sections has a lot of beauty to it, and right down the road from us is the residence of the President of Panama!
This time now is really for Dan to work on the details of shipping down to Colombia, and he has been putting in the hours with a French couple that he is shipping with. During the day they work themselves through the bureaucracy and paperwork that accompanies such a task. The past couple days for me have been relaxed as I walk round and take in the beauty of this very modern and built up city, with a skyline very similar to that of Toronto or any other major city in Canada or the States. Last night I had the chance to go to a professional Panama League baseball game. Though Im not the biggest fan of the sport, it was the chance to take in a big and popular part of the cultural make up of the area. The stadium was huge, but the game was rather poorly attended. However, the fans made there presence know by being loud and rowdy, with drums and other instruments, music and baseball filling the night.
So that is where the journey takes me so far. The next few days will have some more sight seeing such as the Canal Locks and Old Panama, and then I will continue my trip back north, parting ways with Dan.
If you have any questions or comments please send them through, I would be happy to talk with you able them.
Thanks for following
Bye for now
Mike
Waking up to rainy skies was not the way that I imagined doing the course, but it seemed like this was going to be how I would have to do it. After meeting up at the dive shop and heading over to Isla Basimientos we started our course. The dive shop also served as our lodgings for the time that we were there, which was incredible. We were living on the water of a small Caribbean island, with not a whole lot around. The town was small and had a different feel from the more uptempo main island, Colon. It was a very relaxed stay while we lazed around and listened to the rain clattering off the tin roof of the shop.
The course itself was quite fun. Obviously there was a fair amount of theory to it, but you went through the motions and it passed by painlessly. The real thrill came when we actually got to dive. You roll off the boat into the warm waters of the Caribbean, with all of your gear ready to go. Floating on the surface waiting for the others to get in, I had the chance to peer to the sea floor below. Just seeing some simple starfish on the bottom was enough to make me grin from ear to ear. The first decent into the water was met with a few frantic gasps for air until you realize that this does you and that you can in fact breathe under water. That was such a foreign and exciting feeling to be under the water, on the see floor looking around as schools of fish swim by and starfish litter the ground around you. While underwater we worked on some skills in an attempt to master the art of moving underwater. Even these became fun. The highlight was the chance to go and swim through the corals that the area was famous for. It was incredible seeing those colours and all the different shapes of the coral. Beautiful to say the least. As well the different fish that lived among the coral only added to colour spectacle of the ocean. The whole time I was down there I was smiling and laughing along, as I took in this whole new world and all that it had to offer.
The next few days are full of similar things. Lessons and more diving. We had the chance to see some incredible things even though the visibility was poor due to all the rain. We even had the chance to see a ship wreck. In total, we were able to have 6 dives over 4 days, quite impressive and loads of fun. So now I am a certified open water scuba diver. It is neat because this is another thing that I didn't plan on doing but it turned out to being one of the best things so far.
After leaving Bocas in search of some sun we made our way back to the Pacific side. We stayed the night at Playa Las Lajas, which was nice to be back in the sun warmth, while we tried to dry out from 4 days of constantly being wet.
Only spending the night there we continued on, for a 6 hour trek down to Panama City. Finally making it there we crossed over the Bridge of the Americas which is the only solid object connecting the two sides. The view was incredible and Dan and I chatted with each other about how big a milestone this was for both of us. After trying to navigate the narrow one way street of Casco Viejo, which is the old section of Panama City, we make it to the hotel for the night. The one we originally book was full and so we had to settle for another for that night which was a rather shady place. Casco Viejo is an area with a lot of reclamation going on. The city is trying to turn these slums into a new and vibrant tourist destination, and it seems to be working. This old world architecture gives the city a bit of a European feel, mixed with some Havana-esque latin charm. This place, though sketchy and dangerous in sections has a lot of beauty to it, and right down the road from us is the residence of the President of Panama!
This time now is really for Dan to work on the details of shipping down to Colombia, and he has been putting in the hours with a French couple that he is shipping with. During the day they work themselves through the bureaucracy and paperwork that accompanies such a task. The past couple days for me have been relaxed as I walk round and take in the beauty of this very modern and built up city, with a skyline very similar to that of Toronto or any other major city in Canada or the States. Last night I had the chance to go to a professional Panama League baseball game. Though Im not the biggest fan of the sport, it was the chance to take in a big and popular part of the cultural make up of the area. The stadium was huge, but the game was rather poorly attended. However, the fans made there presence know by being loud and rowdy, with drums and other instruments, music and baseball filling the night.
So that is where the journey takes me so far. The next few days will have some more sight seeing such as the Canal Locks and Old Panama, and then I will continue my trip back north, parting ways with Dan.
If you have any questions or comments please send them through, I would be happy to talk with you able them.
Thanks for following
Bye for now
Mike
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Caribbean Vibes
After leaving La Fortuna and the central part of Costa Rica, Dan and I continue on our way over to the Caribbean coast through the large and expansive banana fields that cover this part of the country. It is obvious that this is a major part of Costa Ricas economic make up. Not all that sure what this new coast has to offer, we have been told that it is very different from the rest of the country and to some degree may be seen as its own Caribbean colony. We drive through the dingy port town of Limon, and decide to continue on through as not much good has been about it. It is quite strange to go from the relative prosperity of the Pacific and Central part of the country, to the slummy and under developed country that has not been experienced yet in Costa Rica.
Making our way along the coast under the cover of gray and depressed sky's, we make our way to the small and well talked about backpacker hot spot of Puerto Viejo. We make our way down to Rockin' J`s hostel, which really could be described as a backpackers resort, because all that you need is there and there is no real need to leave the compound. When you do there are warnings about the danger of the town, and the need to move in groups. This seemed slightly unwarranted. This hostel is a large place with an interesting vibe. Impressively decorated with tile mosaics covering everything around and marge camping areas and hammock area. Here rooms are somewhat of a novelty with most choosing to camp or use a hammock.
The town itself doesn't seem to be much to write home about and I fail to see why it comes so highly recommended. Though interesting and obviously of the Caribbean nature it doesn't particularly excite me. Though I will say that part of this feeling could have been because of the poor weather that we have been having, some sun could easily change the feeling of the place.
We stay for the night but decide to stay a bit longer when we find out about the Canadian Gold medal game for hockey. Dan, though an Auzzie is quite into the sport, which is rather nice to see and someone to cheer along with.
in our days in between we decide to go to a sloth sanctuary, cause Dan is quite fond of them. As we drive back through the banana fields we see a long line up of cars, and are unsure of what to think. We are waved down and told that the road is out because of the rain and that we cant get through to our sloth centre. Disappointed we turn around and return to the resort to read and laze around in the hammocks.
The next day was the big day. Canada Gold medal Hockey. It was nearly missed too because we thought that it was a late starting game but when Dan was talking to his parents they inform him that its on right now. So thankfully we get the game streaming on his computer so that we can follow along with the action. Quite a thrilling win I must say and it is really nice to be able to be a part of the action even when your hundreds of kilometers away from it all.
The next day we leave for Panama, which is the 4th country of the trip. It was again another easy boarder crossing for us, and the only real his was that the Immigration officer wanted me to prove that I was leaving with an onward ticket, and the only thing I have is my online booking confirmation for my flight from Guatemala. At first she denies it and tells me I need to buy a bus ticket. I'm not really wanted to do that so I push the ticket back through the window and try to convince her that its ok and that I'm not planning on staying in Panama for long. After a bit of an enthused look she gives me my stamp and lets me pass.
We make our way to Almirante where we ditch the Jeep in safe storage to continue on by means of the backpack again. Taking a ferry to Bocas del Toro, which is a small community of islands that has some world renowned diving and the Caribbean culture in full bloom.
So that is where I find myself at the moment, Bocas del Toro. This place has a neat feel with the housing remaining from the days of the United Fruit Company and their development in the area. A much more relaxed vibe and nicer feel even though the weather still fails to cooperate.
Lets make the best of it.
Bye for now
Mike
Making our way along the coast under the cover of gray and depressed sky's, we make our way to the small and well talked about backpacker hot spot of Puerto Viejo. We make our way down to Rockin' J`s hostel, which really could be described as a backpackers resort, because all that you need is there and there is no real need to leave the compound. When you do there are warnings about the danger of the town, and the need to move in groups. This seemed slightly unwarranted. This hostel is a large place with an interesting vibe. Impressively decorated with tile mosaics covering everything around and marge camping areas and hammock area. Here rooms are somewhat of a novelty with most choosing to camp or use a hammock.
The town itself doesn't seem to be much to write home about and I fail to see why it comes so highly recommended. Though interesting and obviously of the Caribbean nature it doesn't particularly excite me. Though I will say that part of this feeling could have been because of the poor weather that we have been having, some sun could easily change the feeling of the place.
We stay for the night but decide to stay a bit longer when we find out about the Canadian Gold medal game for hockey. Dan, though an Auzzie is quite into the sport, which is rather nice to see and someone to cheer along with.
in our days in between we decide to go to a sloth sanctuary, cause Dan is quite fond of them. As we drive back through the banana fields we see a long line up of cars, and are unsure of what to think. We are waved down and told that the road is out because of the rain and that we cant get through to our sloth centre. Disappointed we turn around and return to the resort to read and laze around in the hammocks.
The next day was the big day. Canada Gold medal Hockey. It was nearly missed too because we thought that it was a late starting game but when Dan was talking to his parents they inform him that its on right now. So thankfully we get the game streaming on his computer so that we can follow along with the action. Quite a thrilling win I must say and it is really nice to be able to be a part of the action even when your hundreds of kilometers away from it all.
The next day we leave for Panama, which is the 4th country of the trip. It was again another easy boarder crossing for us, and the only real his was that the Immigration officer wanted me to prove that I was leaving with an onward ticket, and the only thing I have is my online booking confirmation for my flight from Guatemala. At first she denies it and tells me I need to buy a bus ticket. I'm not really wanted to do that so I push the ticket back through the window and try to convince her that its ok and that I'm not planning on staying in Panama for long. After a bit of an enthused look she gives me my stamp and lets me pass.
We make our way to Almirante where we ditch the Jeep in safe storage to continue on by means of the backpack again. Taking a ferry to Bocas del Toro, which is a small community of islands that has some world renowned diving and the Caribbean culture in full bloom.
So that is where I find myself at the moment, Bocas del Toro. This place has a neat feel with the housing remaining from the days of the United Fruit Company and their development in the area. A much more relaxed vibe and nicer feel even though the weather still fails to cooperate.
Lets make the best of it.
Bye for now
Mike
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