We climbed some pretty big mountains before we got to our first driver meal stop that was at altitude. The tops of the mountains looming in and out of cloud.
Neither of us were expecting this...I don't know what we really were expecting though?
Several hours later and the driver got out and disappeared off up the road in a car leaving us for some 15 mins in the bus wondering what was going on? Only to watch him return...what was he doing? Later he stopped the bus to buy some rice in bulk and then some plantains. Don't worry, we really have got ALL day for this journey! We made some random stops along the way, at one we had a really good meal, school canteen style with boiled potatoes in butter, unexpected but nice!
Finally it seemed like we were getting close. Frantically waking Wiji so that he didn't miss it we crossed the much anticipated Panama Canal.
We didn't quite realise what a total nightmare America had been in meddling in Panama's affairs, taking control of land and bombing the hell out of Panama City.
A bit grumpy after being woken! Not really, Lol.
We had planned to stay at the Jamacia Residence Hotel, well hoped to, but after reaching the two storey giant Panama city bus station and phoning around several hotels including this one with no joy, we had to nip back to the hotel desk in the bus terminal and reluctantly say yes to the lady 'we will take your free transport to your non-descript hotel'. Boo.
What a godawful hotel it was too! Totally impersonal and hideous! A bit of a Goldilocks scenario, the first room we had the toilet didn't flush and there was no cold water. The second room we were shown the previous occupant had been chain smoking in it and it stank! The third room was more expensive and plane ridiculous. Sadly we had to take it. We have largely managed to avoid bad accommodation , so we had to take it on the chin and just laugh about it.
A king size bed?
What you can't see here is the mini fridge balanced on a swaying cabinet carcas. Quality. Or the bare light bulb illuminating the shoddy paintwork. But hay, stuff worked and it didn't stink. The air-con operated at the volume of a small jet. Oh good, that's a bonus then.
After the kind of night sleep that you resent trying to get through we took the lift to get some 'breakfast included'. The service was so rude it was comedy, as was the breakfast. We left pretty quickly and hoped in a cab to get us to Casco Viejo, the beautiful old part of Panama City with colonial buildings.
We decided to do a walk through of this area, starting at a small park dedicated to the French who died building the first attempt at a canal.
The old and the new.
A colony of pelicans on a rock off shore.
Vast ships and cargo queueing in the distance for the canal.
In the distance, the bridge over the Panama canal that we crossed on our arrival.
Casco Viejo, colonial chic. Continuing our love/hate relationship with the spanish. We continued to love the colonial architecture.
On the facade of the cathedral were wooden figures in the alcoves, that had weathered beautifully and looked so perfect next to the stone.
Lots of balconies with people hanging out of them.
This really captures the atmosphere of the area. We loved it, but had to be a bit careful. So sadly not a lot of photo's.
Wow! There were vultures perching in the upstairs windows. Sadly no photo, we were too conspicuous. Lots of buildings were being renovated. Some just had the facade standing and major RSJ work was going on behind. Others had been restored and were business premises. I wonder how long the locals really have left to live here before this area is revamped completely...
The 'coca cola cafe'. A local institution in Casco Viejo, so we gave it a visit. At 11am apparently it was time for steak and a tortilla. Oh really? It was full of locals and had a very genuine atmosphere.
Some chronically run down 'modern' housing.
Worse than our hotel, from the outside. What great 70's style signage though!
After taking this photo I realised we were being followed. So we popped into a white goods store, where I gave our stalker the eye goodbye! In the doorway we were spotted by a couple who introduced themselves thinking we might be a bit lost on the street and need some help. He was an evangelical pastor, and she was his wife, ha ha. They were genuinely lovely. We nipped into a cab and off back to the hotel.
The cab being a great place to get some shots of the slum areas, in contrast to the vast American style malls, casino's and giant city streets. This was what was behind all the trashy flashness.
Great name. This sits alongside the 'Shagin' shop spotted in Alejuela, Costa Rica.
On our first night we found this ray of joy in the smoggy, sweaty city. Courtesy of the Lonely Planet (thanks) a vegetarian restaurant. It was sooo cute! Buffet style with super family run service and warmth. A great choice of dishes and fruit drinks. We loved it. We came back a couple of times! Check out the decor...'our Nan garden party circa 1950'.
'Oh...was I supposed to chew my food?? Mmmm.
Banco National de Panama. Not the BNP as we know it thankfully.
Some shopping was done here, Wiji got a new pair of shorts! Then we headed off to do a massive blog sesh to make up for all that enjoying ourselves in Tortugero, and not getting our homework done! It was all good though, but our lungs did feel the pollution burn by the end of it.
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