Panama City - Week 17 & 18

8th - 14th January

We arrived in Panama City a little shocked at its size after the cosiness of El Refugio and all the little villagey places we have been in the last few weeks. After crossing the Puente los Americas bridge into the city made our way to the crappiest hostel yet - Voyager International Hostel, a grand name for a dump!! We took a bed each in the dorm with the world's smelliest bloke. He was some sort of cyclist that refused to wash so the room stunk of his feet. In the three nights we stayed they we didn´t see him change his clothes once let along hit the shower - minger. The result was we spent minimum time in the hostel and explored the city. First up was Casco Viejo, the site of the second city built by the French during their falied attempt to build the canal in the 1880s. Lots of colonial buildings and streets to wander. We visited an emerald museam, the national theatre, monuments and the like.

Puente de las Americas

Katie & Ally with banking district in the background

The first night was the night James had been waiting for - Jimmy Bond, Casio Royale followed by Doner Kebabs in Niko's. Life doesn't get better.

On the second day we went out to the Metropolitan National Park for a walk round the forest. It was amazing being practically right in the city but seeming like a world away. Great views of the city from the top of the forest, too. After that bit of healthy walking we headed to our first shopping mall for some prelimary looks at the bargain buys...

The next day we tried to get to Isla Toboga but after a mix up with the boat times we headed off to have a look at the Panama Canal at Miraflores Lock, the Pacific Locks. So, the locks briefly: 1913, Americans (well mostly the carribean and african workers or slaves?!) dug a big ditch through the continental divide, killed loads of workers with malairia and yellow fever, dammed a couple of rivers to create a huge lake up in the hills to provide water to work the locks and built locks at either end. The ships are raised about 60ft up from the Pacific Ocean in Miraflores and San Miguel locks in three lifts. They then go into the cut through the mountains and then onto the lake, where they are then lowerd down 60ft in the Pacific/Carribean at Gatun Locks in Colon. The whole jorney including waiting time takes about 24 hours and costs each ship on average $60,000 in tolls.

Ships anchored up wating in the bay

That night we went for a curry with Caroline, a girl from our dorm, which was a welcome change from rice and beans. Afterwards we tried long and hard to find somewhere for a drink but it was too early, everything open about 10pm in Panama City, the only place left was Hooters!! After some convincing of the girls that Hooters was not a seedy strip joint but a place suitable for families too - even going as far as saying that there would be a family inside - we went in. When they saw the family eating inside they were okay. (So were the Hooters!! - James)

James, Katie, Ally and our lovely host Diana!!

The next day we were successful and got Isla Toboga, a small island off the coast, for a one alst day suntanning for Ally. After a very hot climb we reached the top of the island for a good view back to beaches.

A hermit crab bucking the trend for a shell and going for a modern plastic set up!!

Thursday night we went out on a big night in Panama city starting at midnight in a little pub with pool table where Ally and James thrashed a few people...

Ally with the guy who thought he could play pool...

...and his pool glove!!

Next stop was the casino where we met up with some locals who told us they knew a great place with cheap beers so we all piled in their Rover 414 with them (5 in the back) and got to the promised cheap beer - a pole dancing club!!!

After being threatened with being thrown out for 'pole dancing', we left at 6am for breakfast kebabs and a few hours sleep before a day of shopping started on Friday.

Shopping was not ideal with minimal sleep and maximum handover but we all managed to spend lots of money in the malls because everything was half the price of home. Ally left Panama city this morning for her flight home with an extra 12kg bag of assorted rubbish we have sent home! Thanks Al!

Books we read: The Devil Wears Prada, Lauren Weisberger