Panama Cats

    There is so much to remember about driving to Panama.  When I did finally arrive I went straight to the Panama Canal Zone to have a look at those old locks before the new locks go in.  This is in conjunction with the widening and deepening of the existing channel.

        There are hundreds of ships at anchor waiting for their turn through the locks.  Some of these great vessels have been in this queue for sometime. There are only so many electric donkeys to pull ships through the locks.            

     Shore leave is granted to the crews most of the time during these pauses.  The ground tackle in this bay that had been lost must be extraordinary.  This is a salvagers dream.  Lost or entangled anchors and cables cost the company millions each year not to mention the extraordinary cargo that has been jettisoned by the crew. 

      I met a guy in Portabelo who specialized in this pirate trade of recovery of lost cargo.  By cruising the shoreline,  he found a huge stash of plastic pipe worth many thousands of dollars.  He slowly recovered each and every bundle at night.  

      He told me he once searched a Spanish fort in Panama City and actually found muskets still leaning in place abandoned by the soldiers at the sound of Captain Morgan's arrival to sack Panama.  Those muskets would be worth plenty.  More so, the history disturbed by this guy will leave you with troubled sleep. 

       The story goes that when the Catholic priest heard about Morgan's arrival,  they immediately painted the solid gold altar black.  This safely hid this relic from being pirated. You can see this altar in Valencia, Spain.  When Morgan questioned the priest he got little back except that we are a poor church.  They tell this story over and over to the tourists who come to Panama.
       The International Bridge every vessel must go under to transverse the locks is incredible to see.  The millions of cargo vessels, military ships and private sailboats, including aircraft carriers that have passed through these locks is truly astounding. There is a museum of the Canal.  The Canal itself is considered one of the seven wonders of the world.

       I was invited to lunch by sailor friends from Germany who were going through documentation process to transit the Canal.  I always try to lend a hand finding the right office because they really don't make it easy.   However, showing a big fat wallet helps in most circumstances. 

        We sat in a restaurant overlooking the channel.  The ships were passing very close.  The navigator's skills are extraordinary. Most of this transit is done by dead reckoning which is really having a canal pilot aboard who takes control of these mighty cargo ships.

    The city itself can be dangerous especially in the old quarters at night.  Do not go wandering without a guide is my advice.   I did that on my first day and the cops pulled up on me.  They said it was way too dangerous.  You will be assaulted, robbed or worse, even killed.   It is about an 80-20 proposition. 

       Get all your shopping done as early as possible. As the sun falls the people start the drinking and fighting in the overcrowded barrios of the City..

        When the US invaded Panama, it changed everything.  People still remember the night when the Americans took over.  They killed a bunch of soldiers, eventually capturing Noriega.  

      The new canal built by Teddy Roosevelt quickly became a drug smugglers route to North America over the many years prior to this.              George Bush senior made it possible for our soldiers to make the arrest.  Pineapple Face is languishing in federal prison somewhere along with Chapo.

      Carter signed over the Canal to the Panamanians. They were not ready to manage this American wonder.  This is how things go badly for American Society.  Everyone sees the USA as rich. The rest of the world is starved into submission. 

      Drugs are continually smuggled through the canal for the lucrative west coast markets of Vancouver, Seattle and Long Beach, California aboard container ships.  They can only xray so many containers and do so selectively.  This spills over into tourist resentment so prevalent in the Spanish speaking world.                    Much of Panama is very black. These are the true slave descendants from the Portuguese and Spanish slave trade that built much of South America.  Colon City is about the most dangerous place I have ever been with garbage piled high in the streets. Named appropriately, for it is truly the asshole of the Americas. 

        Drug abuse is very evident in these forgotten barrios.  Not a good place to show your white ass or black ass for that matter.  Take no prisoners is the street mantra.
       What I found the most impressive were the huge trees so well preserved in the parks of Panama City.   Bring your picnic basket and rest yourself in the marvelous shade of these giants.  You will certainly feel differently.                 There are sights to see such as the wonderful architecture, the huge fish market and the Aduana where the Customs House used to be overlooking the entrance to the canal.  It is always better to have a guide who can keep you safe for a few dollars.  Worth every penny.
     The Panamanians have rebuilt the urban core with some of the most astounding architecture one can imagine.   There is the corkscrew building that twists skyward which indicates how much alcohol is consumed on a daily basis.  

          The hostels are overcrowded and never pleasant being occupied by the youthful crowd interested in drinking and sex on the fly.  There is one hostel in the old city that does have the charm and ambience of a well controlled environment for youthful travelers.   It is large enough to contain a movie theatre and pool tables as well as a reading lounge with a balcony overlooking the streets of Panama City.  It has been operating for a very long time.

     Getting a rack there takes determination and make your reservations well in advance of your arrival.  Once there, take full advantage of the central location.  These hostel workers are filled with interesting information and will be a source for you to tap as your explorations of the Americas continue.

     Above all travel safely with no fear. You will be fine. Hot and bothered, but super content to make Panama your destination. Most speak English. 

   The jungles of Costa Rica are filled with critters of all sorts. I was hiking to Serena hostel along the beach. I came to a river that at high tide is swarming with sharks.  I had to get across. I divised a way. So at low tide, I punched holes in a can of tuna then threw it way upstream.  Sharks swarmed upstream leaving me a narrow window to wade across this very powerful stream. I quickly dumped my gear and clambered up  the other side.  

     It was getting late so I thought I'd explore a little before retiring.  I came across a family of Agoutis that were being stalked by a Jaguar.  Her prints were just beginning to fill with water so I knew she was close by watching me.  I was too big for her to tackle.  It certainly gave me the cold shivers.

    Serena Ranger Station was a few miles away. I kept pushing ahead until I saw the trail marker leading to the Station. It was dark when I arrived.

   At the interview the head Ranger checked the dates on my permit.  He immediately recognized that I had spent the night in Corcovado National Park.  He fined me 20 bucks for that little trespass.  However, he showed me where to sleep in the upper open air lift swarming with mosquitoes. Bring your own mosquitoes netting or you will suffer greatly. Those mosquitoes are huge about the size of hummingbirds.  You get breakfast and a cold shower before you are forced to leave for Gulfito on foot.

Sunburned and bitten, covered with welts blisters on your feet and ulcers in the most unlikely places. You are more than ready to get back to civilization.