Connecting Continents and Oceans (Panama)

Panama is the connector country. It is the land bridge between the two continents of North America and South America, and the canal that was built through it a hundred years ago connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. And finally, after a month in Cuba, I was able to freely connect to the internet again.

Landing in Panama really put Cuba in perspective. Suddenly there were familiar brands, nice looking buildings and cars, and some efficiency. It was clear that Panama had some money.

While it remains a developing country, the fact that it is home to the Panama Canal means there is lots of money pouring in, mostly in Panama City, which is located at the start of the canal, and was our first stop. Here there are super modern skyscrapers on the water’s edge - even a Trump. These are for the expats and locals who have gotten rich from canal related business. But there are also poor areas, and ‘red zones,’ where you shouldn’t go even in the middle of the day. Tourist have been kidnapped off the street here.

 

The canal was built where it is because it is the narrowest point of land all the way from the top of North America to the tip of South America. The canal was built by the USA to open up trade and military links between the ocenas, save sailing down and around the South American continent. Its impressive to see the big tankers working their way up through the locks. We saw one pass that was maximum size and had 60cm of room on each side to squeeze up. To see the boats lift up as the water rises in the lock components to cross Panama above sea level was pretty cool. We also learned that for each ship that passed us there was likely a fairly hefty bribe paid for it to be allowed through, on top of the 200K+ toll. That money no doubt accounts for some of the nice cars and high rise apartments in Panama City.

The city itself had a pretty boring old town area but made up for it with a big hill in the middle that we climbed and saw some wild Sloths, a Guniea Pig like creature, and Toucans. So close to the city and yet all this life in a small area of rainforest. I couldn’t get a photo of any of it though.

Although the city itself was in no way extraordinary, it is interesting to see and understand why it is the way it is. Just another piece in the big world puzzle.

After stopping over in the town of David for a night, we went up into the mountains to stay at a small town called Boquete, which straddles a volcano. The temperature in Panama City and David was a real uncomfortable muggy hot, but way up here it was borderline chilli. The town was at the foot of the cloud forests. These are forests that, because of the location and altitude, and because of the enormous amount of transpiration they produce, are perpetually under cloud cover. It’s pretty amazing. The forests here are dense with old tree’s, which are themselves dense with moss, lichen, airplants, and tree ferns. It’s lush, and very moist. While here we did a couple of hard hikes through the forests and through some coffee plantations. The tracks got muddy and treacherous to the poiunt there were a few ropes that had been stapled into the steep ground to assist the hikers. We got some great views and had a swim in one of the waterfalls we passed.

From the cloud forests and the big volcano, we went to the carribean coast of Panama and caught a small boat out to the island of Bocas del Toro. Here we rented a room in a villa that we shared with a young couple from Canada, who we befriended and who I’ll catch up with when I go to Toronto in a few months (on my way to meeting other people I’ve met on the road).

We spent our days on the island riding around on bikes and swimming. One spot in particular was the postcard Caribbean beach, with lush forest and coconut tree’s right up to the water’s edge. It took an hour and a half to ride there is the muggy heat, but it was all worth it to lay in the water and the same time in the shade of the coconut trees. Other beaches were average, but the tourists loved it all which really cemented the fact that Australia’s beaches are world class as the norm.

Here we also go to see their ‘Carnival’ celebrations. We caught the last of the four day event in which people come out on the streets to drink and dance and get hosed with water. At night we saw performers dressed as devils roam the main street challenging anyone to a whip fight. Young men from the crowds would come forth and whip the legs of the devil, and be whipped, until one of them backed down. It was hilarious to watch, and would have been bloody painful. It’s a rites of passage thing for young men; if the challenger does well, proves he can take a good whipping, he will be invited to join the devils in the next Carnival celebrations.

 

As of writing, I am back in David. The canal, the carnival, the cloud forests and the coconut trees of Panama are behind me.  Tomorrow we cross into Costa Rica.