Panama City, Panama (Mar 26-31)
Edmund slept almost the whole flight! We were trying to decided whether or not to take a bus from the airport to our hostel ($0.35 – 1.5 hrs) or a cab ($25 – 20 mins). We were glad to take a cab because the hostel had moved and it would have been impossible to find at night because the only sign it had was its name scribbled next to a buzzar on an old ratty apartment building. Our dorm room had only one working fan and some guy had it pointed permanently at his bed. Spent the night spread-eagled on our beds, sweating like crazy.
Walked along the edge of the ocean to Casco Antiguo. An old but sometimes dangerous area. We found out that if you stay along the main streets and don´t go at night then its safe. Linda was a little sketched out at first but it was worth it. We saw beautiful views, markets, ruins, cathedrals, and the setup of an insanely expensive looking wedding. Met Federico, a really cool Argentinian guy from our hostel and walked back with him. We all went out for beers that night because he was going home the next day.
Changed to a way better hostel we found. Walked to the bus station and took the bus to the Miraflores locks on the Panama Canal. We got to see 2 boats go through the locks. They were lowered 28 feet right in front of us! One of the boats was a car carrier that paid $110,000 to pass through the canal!?!?! Did you know that the locks were put in place because the canal actually goes over the mountains? Another interesting fact is that Linda walks much slower than a regular human. We spent a substantial amount of time arguing about that and then returned to our hostel and then argued about how to best hang our laundry to dry… man, ha… we´re dumb.
Walked to the 5 de mayo park and took a bus to the Causeway with the help of some really nice local dudes. The Causeway is made up of 3 islands that are connected together and to the mainland by bidges. We took the bus to the last island and walked back. We saw great views of the city, the Bridge of the Americas, and the canal entrance. Put a deposit down on a sweet boat to Colombia on the 10th. Talked with Richard´s panamanian buddy, Nando, and setup a time to stay with him in his village!!!!! YES! Went and got the best pizza in Panama for supper! Muy rico!
We didn´t do much today, just updated our blog, phoned home and walked near the ocean. During our walk a younger dude harrassed us by following us around and staring at us menacingly. We made our escape by running in between traffic and crossing a busy street. Oh… and there are many random holes in the sidewalks, we met a Swedish guy today who had fallen in one and smashed his face. Ouch! Some of the locals call the holes Gringo Traps.
Tags: Travel
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