Panama to Colombia

I must start firstly by wishing my readers a very Happy New Year. Secondly I'd like to apologise (again) for the lack of new blog posts. And thirdly when one does pop on t'internet, say sorry that its not been in any way coordinated with Viva Latin America. Clearly we are almost one in the same person these days and need to make an effort not to cover exactly the same ground! Nevertheless here's a slightly more condensed (and I reckon probably less entertaining) version of what happened from Panama to Colombia.

If, like us, your forward planning has been fairly minimal you'll soon find out that there is no cheap way of getting from Panama to Colombia - that is if you value your life! You could attempt to travel overland across the Darien Gap but that should either be classed as adventurous or suicide, depending on how you view these things. I didn't think my parents would appreciate a phone call from some guerrillas demanding money in exchange for my life. It just wouldn't be a particularly good Christmas present!

So, faced with flying or sailing, we chose flying. Sailing takes at least 5 days and although you get to see the San Blas islands, we just didn't have the time. But wait a minute, what's this? Trans Darien Monorail
Could my eyes be deceiving me? No. Its a joke website but it tickled me and almost raised my hopes during hours and hours of flight searching!

We found some fairly cheap flights in the end but a feature of the low cost was that to get to Bogota we had to change planes twice and sleep in Barranquilla airport in northern Colombia. Our main concern was that the airport would be shut overnight and we'd have to find somewhere to sleep at some ridiculous time at night. However, it actually worked surprisingly well. After a comedy 20 minute flight from Cartagena to Barranquilla in a 20 seater Dash 8, we found that the airport was open. We even got the approval from the security guard, although he seemed totally baffled as to why we weren't going to a hotel. All that was left for it was to find a row of seats and unroll the sleeping bags for a bit of shut eye.

I can't say I felt at my best the next day, but I did get some sleep so I was happy with that. Compared with some overland border crossings it was a walk in the park!

Panama City

With New Year fast approaching I've realised that its been almost 3 weeks since the last blog post. How very slack of me. But I blame my British friends and litre bottles of rum that cost only £2 - a lethal combination and one that seriously dents productivity!

Well, Happy Christmas everyone! As I sit here on Margarita island, just off the coast of Venezuela, our time in Panama seems an age ago. Still, its next on the list of blogs to catch up on so I'll do my best to remember what went down!

Arriving on a bus into Panama city late one evening we found ourselves in a huge shiny mall that would rival anything the US has to offer. It had every shop you could think of plus a huge food court full of all sorts of unhealthy dishes. Another out of place bubble, this surely wasn't representative of the 'real' Panama city. And we were right. Panama city is a real contrasting mix of wealth and poverty.

After leaving the mall we realised that we had properly caught up with the backpacker trail. The place to stay was in an area called Casco Viejo and more specifically, a hostel called Luna's Castle. Unfortunately the hostel was full and all they could offer was a place on the waiting list, forcing us to stay in a nearby hotel which was neither cheap or pleasant. In fact, it was pretty bleak (as you can see from the photo) but it had air conditioning which is a real plus in a very humid Panama city.

The next day we managed to check into Luna's so all's well that ends well. It had a great atmosphere and you couldn't help but talk to someone new every time you entered the kitchen. It was also the most trusting place I've ever stayed in. A notice on the front entrance told any late arrivers to come in and kip in the theatre downstairs - oh and to feel free to use the internet too, should they wish. The beer fridge was always open and you were trusted to pay reception whenever you took one.

Casco Viejo has so much potential, and by the number of renovation projects going on, they're on their way to fulfilling it. Almost every building in the area is beautiful, the only variation being whether it has been recently fixed up or is still a shell. Police patrol the area 24/7 and at night you feel very relieved that is the case -this wonderful area of colonial buildings shouldn't be a 'no-go' area after dark.

Panama city is felt like the biggest city we've been in since Mexico. It is a vast spread of markets, hotels, tall buildings and slums. The Manhattan-like skyline was as surprising as it was impressive. But the highlight of a trip to Panama city has to be the Panama Canal. Everything about it makes your jaw drop. Its a magnificent feat of engineering and the history of its creation is fascinating. Watching these huge container and cruise liner vessels being raised and lowered by a series of locks is impressive enough, but they've also a museum to learn about the history and remember how many people died to create it.

With some of the large vessels paying up to $250,000 to cross from one ocean to another, it is obvious how important the canal is to Panama - they're in the process of building new locks to increase capacity. If they put the money in the right places, Panama city could be great. It certainly has the potential.

Cahuita to Bocas del Toro

Suffering a little from the disrupted nights sleep in Cahuita, we headed for Panama and the Bocas del Toro islands. The distance between Cahuita and the border town Sixoala is pretty small. But when you're on a bus anything can happen. And by anything, I mean travelling so slowly it'd be almost quicker to walk! The bus stopped for at least twenty minutes seeming only to watch two guys having an argument over a minor collision. What it had to do with the bus I don't know. Perhaps the driver was so bored he wanted to wait and see if there was going to be a scuffle over it!

When I was younger, going to the airport was so exciting. A combination of growing up and the long queues and security checks, these days its not such a great experience. In short; travelling overland across borders has made me appreciate going to the airport again. At the airport the certainty that you'll get to the destination relies more on the safety of the aircraft than the particular mood of the immigration official. You may get asked a few questions (especially when entering the States) but unless you've a shady history you'll be fine.

We arrived at Sixoala, got our stamps out of Costa Rica and walked over the railway bridge into Panama. There was no security presence to speak of. I've come to find border crossings the most surreal experiences. You're crossing into a country and the only thing to make you stop and go through the official channels is fear of getting a fine somewhere else down the line. Not exactly a deterrent for hardened criminals!

This particular border had a list of criteria from being able to prove your economic credentials to having a plane ticket out of the country. We got through OK by showing our onward flight details - only trouble is they were on the laptop which I booted up and showed to the official through the window. Being a strange situation, even he found the funny side! We didn't have to pay any fees either which was  a nice surprise.

Onward we took a taxi (interrupted by a street protest of some kind) and then a boat 30 mins across to Isla Colon and the town of Bocas del Toro. We passed a huge vessel loading up bananas bound for Europe - bananas are a hardy fruit.

I'm never sure if I can divorce myself from feelings about a hotel or hostel from the actual town itself. On this occasion, the woman running the guesthouse was so strange I think it definitely had a negative impact on my view of the town. She talked and moved so slowly and kept telling me about people who try to murder her dogs - its not going to make you feel at home. OK this was a freebie, so I shouldn't complain, but she gave the whole place a very creepy feel. Add to that the safety paranoia I was suffering from Cahuita, I didn't exactly feel relaxed.

We had a nice time in Bocas though. The place has plenty of wildlife including cool coloured crabs, and although we were not there long enough to properly explore, we had a good time there. With our impending date with friends in Colombia looming, we had to make tracks!