Our first stop in Central America was Panama City. After our plane from Medellin touched down we had to wait half an hour to collect our bags while two different breeds of sniffer dogs were guided through them a few times (the whole time we were wondering whether bags from any other destination would get as thorough an inspection).
We spent our first afternoon and evening in Casco Viejo, the fortress city the Spaniards built in the late 17th century after the first city was burnt and looted by pirates. Built on a peninsula and surrounded by walls, the city has been nicely preserved and since earning World Heritage recognition in 1997 has become an increasingly popular tourist destination. After touring around the various churches, government buildings and museums, we had dinner and cocktails at a rooftop bar, enjoying watching the sunset over the old town as the skyscrapers in the distance gradually lit up.
We spent our first afternoon and evening in Casco Viejo, the fortress city the Spaniards built in the late 17th century after the first city was burnt and looted by pirates. Built on a peninsula and surrounded by walls, the city has been nicely preserved and since earning World Heritage recognition in 1997 has become an increasingly popular tourist destination. After touring around the various churches, government buildings and museums, we had dinner and cocktails at a rooftop bar, enjoying watching the sunset over the old town as the skyscrapers in the distance gradually lit up.
We woke up early on our second day to check out the attraction that drives not only the tourism sector but the entire economy in Panama; the canal. After negotiating our way through the crowds we were able to see the engineering masterpiece in action as a couple of ships were guided through the locks at the Pacific side of the canal. The price of admission was bundled with a 3D movie and entrance to a museum, which dealt with the history of the canal and offered some subtle patriotic comments on the complex US-Panama relationship.
We had heard great things about the Panama causeway, a modern, palm-tree lined strip of land connecting four islands near the entrance to the canal. We wandered along much of the causeway, enjoying views back to the sky scrapers of Panama along the way, but after about an hour the heat got the better of us and we decided we’d had enough.
With the exception of a visit to a local Crossfit gym, we spent the rest of our time in Panama City in its two biggest malls, enjoying the best shopping we’d had for months, eating at some American chain restaurants and watching a movie, all in air conditioned comfort. We admit that this wasn’t the most culturally adventurous experience we’d had in the last few months, but we found that Panama generally, and in particular Panama city, is so americanized that it can sometimes be hard to find anything other than American food to eat.
Our next stop, the San Blas islands, promised to be more culturally interesting. We’d arranged to stay on a tiny island as guests of the local Kuna indian owners. To get there we woke up at 5am to catch a windy 4x4 ride to a tiny town on the Caribbean coast, where the owner of our island met us in a small motor boat. After a one hour ride out to sea, we arrived at the island and were shown to our spacious beachside hut, complete with thatched roofing and a sand floor.
With the exception of a visit to a local Crossfit gym, we spent the rest of our time in Panama City in its two biggest malls, enjoying the best shopping we’d had for months, eating at some American chain restaurants and watching a movie, all in air conditioned comfort. We admit that this wasn’t the most culturally adventurous experience we’d had in the last few months, but we found that Panama generally, and in particular Panama city, is so americanized that it can sometimes be hard to find anything other than American food to eat.
Our next stop, the San Blas islands, promised to be more culturally interesting. We’d arranged to stay on a tiny island as guests of the local Kuna indian owners. To get there we woke up at 5am to catch a windy 4x4 ride to a tiny town on the Caribbean coast, where the owner of our island met us in a small motor boat. After a one hour ride out to sea, we arrived at the island and were shown to our spacious beachside hut, complete with thatched roofing and a sand floor.
The view and proximity to amazingly still turquoise water were five star, but the amenities were certainly not. Fresh water was available but was only really useful for manually flushing the toilet (the smell turned us off the idea of using it to shower). Electricity was limited to just a couple of lights, and in truth we probably preferred the combination of darkness and silence that came when the generator was turned off at 10pm each night.
The standard cuisine was also pretty basic, consisting of chicken or white fish with rice and salad, but by paying a small amount extra we were able to source incredibly fresh lobster and crab. Meals were prepared by the Kuna women on the island, who only spoke their native language and were incredibly shy, so much so that they’d wait for us to leave the table before clearing our plates. The men on the island were more outgoing and spoke Spanish, so we enjoyed playing football, beach volleyball and even working out with them.
The standard cuisine was also pretty basic, consisting of chicken or white fish with rice and salad, but by paying a small amount extra we were able to source incredibly fresh lobster and crab. Meals were prepared by the Kuna women on the island, who only spoke their native language and were incredibly shy, so much so that they’d wait for us to leave the table before clearing our plates. The men on the island were more outgoing and spoke Spanish, so we enjoyed playing football, beach volleyball and even working out with them.
For our first night on the island there were only two other tourists with us, although on the second night the island was at full capacity with eight tourists in total. After each lunch, as we were starting to get bored of swimming and laying in hammocks, we went for short trips to other islands.
On our first day, we went to a nearby island not much bigger than ours, the main difference being that thousands, not a handful, of Kuna Indians lived there. On the way there, our host explained that the locals had successfully brewed a big batch of a traditional alcoholic drink and were having a party to celebrate. The ‘party’ was in full swing when we arrived, but it looked pretty tame to us, with women and men separately following a similar ritual where they’d form a line, do a small dance, receive a cup, making a high pitched noise then skull the drink before pouring one for a friend. We were told that this ritual would be repeated until the home brew was finished. While on the island, we took a tour, including visiting a local school. Conditions on the island were very basic, with up to 13 people living in a tiny shack, but we noticed a surprising number of satellite TV dishes; we’re told they were a gift from the government.
For our second excursion we went snorkeling around a ship that had run aground next to a nearby island. Coral had covered the ship and plenty of tropical fish had moved in, making for a memorable experience. On the way to the shipwreck, we stopped at a shallow pool in the middle of the ocean, which gave us an idea of what might happen to many of the hundreds of San Blas islands if sea levels continue to rise.
After a couple of days on the one island we opted for a change of scenery and moved to another island for our last night. This island, although no bigger, had many more huts and as a result many more tourists. Although the food was worse and showers were still not possible, we enjoyed being able to talk to some more people and seeing something different.
After a couple of days on the one island we opted for a change of scenery and moved to another island for our last night. This island, although no bigger, had many more huts and as a result many more tourists. Although the food was worse and showers were still not possible, we enjoyed being able to talk to some more people and seeing something different.
When the time came to leave San Blas and head back to Panama City, we were ready to go. Having anticipated that island conditions would be basic, we had splurged on a five star hotel our return, and having that to look forward to helped us make the best of our time in the islands. As soon as we checked into the hotel we blasted the air conditioner and had a long hot shower (probably not helping the rising sea level problem, we know), before retreating to the most comfortable king size bed we’ve ever encountered and switching on the TV. After spending almost every hour from check in to check out in the room, we headed to the bus station to catch a bus west to our next destination, Boquete.