We arrived in Melbourne, Australia one week ago and have been busy looking for work and a place to rent. As the subtitle suggest this is the end of the travelling. Thanks to all that followed the story I hope you enjoyed it. We certainly has a fab time doing it.
I'm still waaaaay behind with the photo uploads. Managed to do a few while back in the UK and will definitely finish uploading the travel photo highlights. Keep checking out the Flickr page.
Louise and Stuart
Friday, 12 June 2009
Thursday, 4 June 2009
Saturday, 16 May 2009
In Transit
On the first live blog post in ages I can tell you we are sitting in Miami airport waiting for a flight connection back to the UK. We spent last night in Belize City before catching a flight to Miami this morning.
As you will see there are a bunch of posts that takes the blog right up to date, finally! The first of the new ones is Inca Country. Hopefully they came through in the correct order.
As you will see there are a bunch of posts that takes the blog right up to date, finally! The first of the new ones is Inca Country. Hopefully they came through in the correct order.
Friday, 15 May 2009
You Betta Belize It
Placencia, although connected to the mainland, has the look and feel of a tropical island paradise - white sandy beaches, blue sea and palm trees. Does anything say paradise like a palm tree? The town has two streets, well one road and a footpath, lined by colourfully characterful wooden houses. It's hot and humid, but things are kept relaxed by a welcome sea breeze, and this place is relaxed to the max. This place is sooo laid back opening times are merely a suggestion.
There are dive operators here running trips out to the reef and other activities like manatee and whale shark dives. The whale shark dive is very tempting, but don't start for two days. It's coming up for a full moon which is a good time to see them here this time of year, but the best chance is in five days, two days after the full moon. We think about staying, but want to head north to spend a week on Caye Caulker. In the end we are happy to stay for two nights not doing very much and stick to the plan vowing that one day we'll see them possibly even from up north.
Early starts are a feature of travelling in Central America and leaving Placencia is no exception. We are taking the 5:50am bus north to Belize City. It's good to get on the road early when there is a travel day ahead. You never know what may happen and if that is nothing then there is more time to relax once there. The bus travels up the spit towards Dangriga where we must change. Except we meet the B.C. bus leaving town and switch on the road side. Remember what I said about connections happening. The new bus driver is a nutter! He drives the fastest yet, which is fine until it starts to pound with rain and he doesn't ease up. There is a near miss while attempting to overtake and we know it's crazy when even the locals look nervous. One woman shouts "Mr bus driver man, please slow down. You ain't in no hurry". The driver is heedless. We do make it to Belize City without further incident where we walk to the water taxi terminal catching the noon ride to Caye Caulker.
A member of a chain of islands running parallel to the mainland coast inside the barrier reef, small Caye Caulker is a much anticipated tropical island destination. Sadly we are disappointed! We get a nice condo with kitchen, but the supermarkets are badly stocked, especially for the price. Our first dives, to the Turneffe Atol, are unimpressive, as is the dive operation - Frenchies. Their attitude appears disinterested and the divemasters obviously think they are far cooler than we do. We begin to wish we had stayed in Placencia.
Thankfully, after a bumpy start, Caye Caulker grows on us and we fall for it's charms. The palm trees, blue seas, sandy lanes, golf carts and bicycles. The local dialect sings caribbean, it's english but not as we know it. We sus the food shopping. We do more diving with a different outfit to the famous Blue Hole. The dive is deep and pretty dark, but the limestone stalectites are awesome. The Caribbean and grey reef sharks top it off! The other two dives at lighthouse reef are good too, we see dolphins above us. A first for us. We do a great trip snorkelling the local barrier reef seeing plenty of life including Nurse Sharks and stingrays. We wanted to see Manatees, but no sign. There wasn't enough people to run a trip to the reserve at Swallow Caye as things are a bit slow on the Caye right now. Well things are always slow here, in fact a plaque on arrival instructs you to 'Go Slow', but with the season ending and the world economic situation things are slooow. Nevermind, another time.
By the end of our week here we don't want to leave, but this is the end of the travelling. The finale. It's a strange feeling. Like the end of the summer holidays, seemingly endless and suddenly it's school tomorrow. Ok, so our adventure isn't really over as a new life in Australia awaits, but the month of travelling in Central America has been amazing and leaves us wanting more. We would come back and there are still new countries to visit. Until next time...
There are dive operators here running trips out to the reef and other activities like manatee and whale shark dives. The whale shark dive is very tempting, but don't start for two days. It's coming up for a full moon which is a good time to see them here this time of year, but the best chance is in five days, two days after the full moon. We think about staying, but want to head north to spend a week on Caye Caulker. In the end we are happy to stay for two nights not doing very much and stick to the plan vowing that one day we'll see them possibly even from up north.
Early starts are a feature of travelling in Central America and leaving Placencia is no exception. We are taking the 5:50am bus north to Belize City. It's good to get on the road early when there is a travel day ahead. You never know what may happen and if that is nothing then there is more time to relax once there. The bus travels up the spit towards Dangriga where we must change. Except we meet the B.C. bus leaving town and switch on the road side. Remember what I said about connections happening. The new bus driver is a nutter! He drives the fastest yet, which is fine until it starts to pound with rain and he doesn't ease up. There is a near miss while attempting to overtake and we know it's crazy when even the locals look nervous. One woman shouts "Mr bus driver man, please slow down. You ain't in no hurry". The driver is heedless. We do make it to Belize City without further incident where we walk to the water taxi terminal catching the noon ride to Caye Caulker.
A member of a chain of islands running parallel to the mainland coast inside the barrier reef, small Caye Caulker is a much anticipated tropical island destination. Sadly we are disappointed! We get a nice condo with kitchen, but the supermarkets are badly stocked, especially for the price. Our first dives, to the Turneffe Atol, are unimpressive, as is the dive operation - Frenchies. Their attitude appears disinterested and the divemasters obviously think they are far cooler than we do. We begin to wish we had stayed in Placencia.
Thankfully, after a bumpy start, Caye Caulker grows on us and we fall for it's charms. The palm trees, blue seas, sandy lanes, golf carts and bicycles. The local dialect sings caribbean, it's english but not as we know it. We sus the food shopping. We do more diving with a different outfit to the famous Blue Hole. The dive is deep and pretty dark, but the limestone stalectites are awesome. The Caribbean and grey reef sharks top it off! The other two dives at lighthouse reef are good too, we see dolphins above us. A first for us. We do a great trip snorkelling the local barrier reef seeing plenty of life including Nurse Sharks and stingrays. We wanted to see Manatees, but no sign. There wasn't enough people to run a trip to the reserve at Swallow Caye as things are a bit slow on the Caye right now. Well things are always slow here, in fact a plaque on arrival instructs you to 'Go Slow', but with the season ending and the world economic situation things are slooow. Nevermind, another time.
By the end of our week here we don't want to leave, but this is the end of the travelling. The finale. It's a strange feeling. Like the end of the summer holidays, seemingly endless and suddenly it's school tomorrow. Ok, so our adventure isn't really over as a new life in Australia awaits, but the month of travelling in Central America has been amazing and leaves us wanting more. We would come back and there are still new countries to visit. Until next time...
Three Country Hop
We leave Roatan on the early ferry to La Ceiba and get a taxi to the bus station. We arrive at the bus station just after our bus has left. The taxi driver speaks to a bus employee who calls the bus. The taxi driver then drives us to the bus just on the edge of town. That's the thing about Central America, connections happen. The bus is going to San Pedro, one of Honduras's biggest cities. From there we get a micro bus to the port town of Puerto Cortes. It's a packed bus and just outside the town at a police checkpoint the guys on the bus are scanned for firearms. Apparently women don't carry guns!!
We find a basic, but fine, hotel and take the air con this time. It's acceptabley only a few bucks more. We are here to catch the tuesday ferry to Belize early the next day. Thing is there doesn't appear to be a ferry on a tuesday anymore, as the guidebook suggests. There is however a bloke with a pick-up. He offers, for a fee, to take us to Puerto Barrio in Guatemala to catch the ferry there. The crossing there is shorter and cheaper, and we could get there by bus for cheaper than the bloke, just not in time for the crossing today. He does say it's free if we don't make it. Thus we take the offer beginning our most epic journey.
Speeding towards the Guatemala border in the back of a pick-up we can't help wonder if we've been had. The guy said some things that we didn't completely belive, but if the truth is he's just a bloke with a truck who has seen an opportunity to make some dollars then you have to appreciate that. Anyway the journey is pretty cool experience. Just outside Puerto Cortes we pick up another person.
We clear border control easily, this guy appears to do this run alot as he seems to know the people here, and carry on to Puerto Barrio in plenty of time for the ferry. We are stamped out of the country after all of an hour in it and wait for the 10am crossing. The extra person turns out to be Tim from Germany who is on a short break from volunteering in Honduras. We are travelling to the same place.
When we say ferry we really mean water taxi. It's not a big boat. It is fast though and blasts across the calm waters of the caribbean sea to Punta Gorda in southern Belize. Whether lucky with the weather or what we are glad of the fine short crossing. The longer trip in a similar sized boat had the potential to be much lumpier.
The late morning day is a beautiful one, if a tad humid, when we clear the none to busy Belize border. It's a short sweaty walk to James bus station where we catch the noon bus north to Mango Creek. Again it's old American school buses. Our final destination for today is Placencia which occupies a position on the southern tip of a sand spit running down from the north. Mango Creek is a stop where we catch the Hokey Pokey Water Taxi to Placencia. About the same size as the international boat this morning, this time it's a short zip through mangroves to the west edge of town. We walk to a hotel and take a room. Our travelling for today is done.
We find a basic, but fine, hotel and take the air con this time. It's acceptabley only a few bucks more. We are here to catch the tuesday ferry to Belize early the next day. Thing is there doesn't appear to be a ferry on a tuesday anymore, as the guidebook suggests. There is however a bloke with a pick-up. He offers, for a fee, to take us to Puerto Barrio in Guatemala to catch the ferry there. The crossing there is shorter and cheaper, and we could get there by bus for cheaper than the bloke, just not in time for the crossing today. He does say it's free if we don't make it. Thus we take the offer beginning our most epic journey.
Speeding towards the Guatemala border in the back of a pick-up we can't help wonder if we've been had. The guy said some things that we didn't completely belive, but if the truth is he's just a bloke with a truck who has seen an opportunity to make some dollars then you have to appreciate that. Anyway the journey is pretty cool experience. Just outside Puerto Cortes we pick up another person.
We clear border control easily, this guy appears to do this run alot as he seems to know the people here, and carry on to Puerto Barrio in plenty of time for the ferry. We are stamped out of the country after all of an hour in it and wait for the 10am crossing. The extra person turns out to be Tim from Germany who is on a short break from volunteering in Honduras. We are travelling to the same place.
When we say ferry we really mean water taxi. It's not a big boat. It is fast though and blasts across the calm waters of the caribbean sea to Punta Gorda in southern Belize. Whether lucky with the weather or what we are glad of the fine short crossing. The longer trip in a similar sized boat had the potential to be much lumpier.
The late morning day is a beautiful one, if a tad humid, when we clear the none to busy Belize border. It's a short sweaty walk to James bus station where we catch the noon bus north to Mango Creek. Again it's old American school buses. Our final destination for today is Placencia which occupies a position on the southern tip of a sand spit running down from the north. Mango Creek is a stop where we catch the Hokey Pokey Water Taxi to Placencia. About the same size as the international boat this morning, this time it's a short zip through mangroves to the west edge of town. We walk to a hotel and take a room. Our travelling for today is done.
Honduran Bay Island
Our first mission in West End is to get sorted with some diving. We choose Reef Gliders, a pleasant little operator with a couple of small boats which zip out to the reef just off the coast. Journey times are no longer than 15 minutes. The reef is part of the world's second largest barrier reef that stretches all the way from Mexico and here is a protected marine park The diving is nice and easy, but not fantastic. There is not much life or colour compared to the Red Sea for example. There is consistently good condition coral including fans and tube sponges.
We still do ten dives each over five days out of our seven on the island. West end is a great place to be with it's single sandy street lined with restaurants, dive shops and palm trees. The mini supermarkets have enough stuff to get by with fruit and veg sold from the back of pick-up trucks. The self catering probably does cost less, but it's actually just nice to make our own food without having to go out and find places everyday. Our studio is also a very pleasant place to hang out.
We take a walk down the picturesque coast to West Beach. It has a beautiful beach good for swimming, but is more resorty. We prefer the easy going, relaxed caribbean vibe of West End. It's character and charm simply draws people in. The kind of place where three days turns to ten months! It happens to many who stay and do their divemaster course. Reef Gliders had a bunch of trainees. The instructors are happy because they don't have to lug gear anymore.
We drag ourselves away after a week, a long time in one place for us. Could we have stayed longer. Without plans and a booked ticket home I think we would have.
We still do ten dives each over five days out of our seven on the island. West end is a great place to be with it's single sandy street lined with restaurants, dive shops and palm trees. The mini supermarkets have enough stuff to get by with fruit and veg sold from the back of pick-up trucks. The self catering probably does cost less, but it's actually just nice to make our own food without having to go out and find places everyday. Our studio is also a very pleasant place to hang out.
We take a walk down the picturesque coast to West Beach. It has a beautiful beach good for swimming, but is more resorty. We prefer the easy going, relaxed caribbean vibe of West End. It's character and charm simply draws people in. The kind of place where three days turns to ten months! It happens to many who stay and do their divemaster course. Reef Gliders had a bunch of trainees. The instructors are happy because they don't have to lug gear anymore.
We drag ourselves away after a week, a long time in one place for us. Could we have stayed longer. Without plans and a booked ticket home I think we would have.
To the Islands
Five in the morning and it's quickly getting light on Ometepe. We are already standing at the bus stop. The taxi here was too expensive and there is a direct cheap bus to the ferry port at Moyogalpa. Twenty minutes later the bus arrives and we are on our way for the first leg of a two (and a bit) day journey north to the Bay Islands of Honduras. The bus takes two hours and we get the 7:30 ferry with a few minutes to spare. It's a passenger ferry and the crossing is lumpy. At the San Jorge terminal a direct bus to Managua is waiting. It's an express bus and the journey is pretty smooth. Luckily a woman selling Pan de Queso gets on and we have a cheap breakfast. These well worked connections mean we arrive in Managua by eleven. Taxis wait at the bus station, it's funny how a simple "No" halves the opening price. Once a price is agreed we go to the Tica bus station and walk round the corner to a hotel and get a room. Our bus from here leaves in the morning, so we have an afternoon to kill. The area is called Barrio Martha Quezada and has no street names. Instead addresses are given relative to the Tica bus station! Near the hotel is Loma de Tiscapa, a hill topped by a black iron silhouette of Sandino (a liberal revolutionary) although it looks a bit like a giant wild west motel sign. There is a good view over the city to lake Managua. The hill is deserted apart from two snoging couples and a guy that blows a whistle at you if you stand on the concrete benches.
We kill some time in a nearby mall. It's a pretty basic, but at least it has food. And air con, unlike our hotel room. Well, it does, but it doubles the price to plug it in! It didn't seem worth it, until maybe in the hot night when the draft from the fan gave the impression the big ants (from the bathroom) were crawling on me! Not the best night sleep.
Five am on a sunday morning and the coach leaves the Tica bus station on it's way to Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. The journey takes about eight hours and is fine. The are announcements, but entirely in Spanish leaving us in the dark for the two stops we make. One at the boarder and one a police check. We just copy everyone else and nothing major happens. Arrival in Tegucigalpa begins the usual taxi negotiations. It's not too far too our hotel, but I was beginning to wonder if the taxi, or at least the exhaust, were going to make it!! They did. We are just killing time here. Our destination in Honduras is the island of Roatan, part of the bay Islands off the north coast. In the morning we take a small turbo prop aircraft, via a quick touch down in La Ceiba to Roatan airport. From there it is a taxi ride to the small town of West End where we find ourselves a nice self catering studio including a balcony with table, chairs and a bay view. We are here for a week. It's feels like the travelling has stopped and a holiday has begun.
We kill some time in a nearby mall. It's a pretty basic, but at least it has food. And air con, unlike our hotel room. Well, it does, but it doubles the price to plug it in! It didn't seem worth it, until maybe in the hot night when the draft from the fan gave the impression the big ants (from the bathroom) were crawling on me! Not the best night sleep.
Five am on a sunday morning and the coach leaves the Tica bus station on it's way to Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. The journey takes about eight hours and is fine. The are announcements, but entirely in Spanish leaving us in the dark for the two stops we make. One at the boarder and one a police check. We just copy everyone else and nothing major happens. Arrival in Tegucigalpa begins the usual taxi negotiations. It's not too far too our hotel, but I was beginning to wonder if the taxi, or at least the exhaust, were going to make it!! They did. We are just killing time here. Our destination in Honduras is the island of Roatan, part of the bay Islands off the north coast. In the morning we take a small turbo prop aircraft, via a quick touch down in La Ceiba to Roatan airport. From there it is a taxi ride to the small town of West End where we find ourselves a nice self catering studio including a balcony with table, chairs and a bay view. We are here for a week. It's feels like the travelling has stopped and a holiday has begun.
Nicaragua
The flight lands at the capital's, Managua, small but nice airport after a short flight. Formalities done we are greeted by the official taxi 'salesmen'. Knowing we can get a regular taxi across the highway the price is quickly reduced to an acceptable amount and we get in.
We are not staying in Managua, but heading straight to Granada so our destination is the microbus station. Only the cab driver takes us to a regular bus station. We are a bit out of practice on this and before we can explain the trunk is open and the touts (for want of a better word) have our rucsacks out and are moving towards the buses calling Granada. The rickety old yellow school buses do go to Granada is just that the microbuses would be faster and more comfortable, but we are here now. We get our bags back and agree the price in US and we are on. There is no malice here it's all just a bit fast and in your face, although the guy does try a fiddle with the exchange rate as we pay in Cordoba, but we are on to that. From this point on we are in control of our bags, although this turns out to be the most chaotic experience. It's an express bus which really means direct as it stops frequently leaving Managua, the conductor leaning out the door shouting the destination - "Granar, Granar, Granar".
Arrival in Granada after about an hour is a calm affair. This is fitting of the towns relaxed vibe. We sling on our packs and walk to our accomodation. We booked a private room with bathroom in a hostel, but when we arrive it's not available. The room that is, is grim. We hear a couple next door whacking a cockroach. I go across the road and check out another place, it's twice the price, but five times as nice. We move! Then it is time to relax.
Founded in 1524 on the banks of Lake Nicaragua Granada has a wonderfully restored colonial center with bags of charm. Rustic roof tiles on warmly painted building house stylishly characterful bars and eateries. Ironwork doors allow a view of elegant villas, the living rooms just on the other side, open to the refreshing breeze. The town is popular with north americans, more than expected, some or all ex-pats who have started businesses. It's sensitive though, we see no MacDonalds or Starbucks here. Just wandering the streets is pleasant. The leafy main plaza has a good craft market. The only disappointment is the lake side, a walk from the center it is lifeless, an area of restaurants and playgrounds is empty, possibly popular in season with families.
I don't think eating out is cheap by Nicaraguan standards, but at 5US$ for a good main there are no complaints. In one place we pick for a beer the chef gets chatting to us over the spelling of Mozzarella for the menu he is printing. Upon learning where we are from he quizzes us about what good whisky he should get for the bar. We give him our opinion and in return he gives us some tips on our next destination. His beer was more expensive so maybe the advice is included!!
Our next destination is the Isla de Ometepe, twin volcanoes rising from the waters of Lake Nicaragua a few miles apart and joining together. It's a chicken bus ride south to Rivas and a taxi to San Jorge to catch a ferry to the island. It's a car ferry over choppy water, the TV shows the worst Latino R&B I've heard along with cringe worthy videos. We suffer this for an hour, but the goal is worth it. We get a water side cabin in Playa Santo Domingo, a short row of building lining the dirt road between the volcanoes. It's so relaxed, waves constantly lap the black sand beach giving the feeling of being at the seaside. Food options are limited and more expensive than Granada, but we get by!! We do a couple of things in our two and a half days here other than relax on the veranda! We visit the Eye of the Water at the center of the island and a popular swimming spot with locals. It's a short walk away, but we get rained on along the way. We also take a trip to Finca Magdalena to see the petroglyphs - old indigenous rock carvings. We are underwhelmed, but the bus journey there over poor dirt roads is fun and the clouds lift over the volcano peaks revealing the highest near perfect cone.
We are not staying in Managua, but heading straight to Granada so our destination is the microbus station. Only the cab driver takes us to a regular bus station. We are a bit out of practice on this and before we can explain the trunk is open and the touts (for want of a better word) have our rucsacks out and are moving towards the buses calling Granada. The rickety old yellow school buses do go to Granada is just that the microbuses would be faster and more comfortable, but we are here now. We get our bags back and agree the price in US and we are on. There is no malice here it's all just a bit fast and in your face, although the guy does try a fiddle with the exchange rate as we pay in Cordoba, but we are on to that. From this point on we are in control of our bags, although this turns out to be the most chaotic experience. It's an express bus which really means direct as it stops frequently leaving Managua, the conductor leaning out the door shouting the destination - "Granar, Granar, Granar".
Arrival in Granada after about an hour is a calm affair. This is fitting of the towns relaxed vibe. We sling on our packs and walk to our accomodation. We booked a private room with bathroom in a hostel, but when we arrive it's not available. The room that is, is grim. We hear a couple next door whacking a cockroach. I go across the road and check out another place, it's twice the price, but five times as nice. We move! Then it is time to relax.
Founded in 1524 on the banks of Lake Nicaragua Granada has a wonderfully restored colonial center with bags of charm. Rustic roof tiles on warmly painted building house stylishly characterful bars and eateries. Ironwork doors allow a view of elegant villas, the living rooms just on the other side, open to the refreshing breeze. The town is popular with north americans, more than expected, some or all ex-pats who have started businesses. It's sensitive though, we see no MacDonalds or Starbucks here. Just wandering the streets is pleasant. The leafy main plaza has a good craft market. The only disappointment is the lake side, a walk from the center it is lifeless, an area of restaurants and playgrounds is empty, possibly popular in season with families.
I don't think eating out is cheap by Nicaraguan standards, but at 5US$ for a good main there are no complaints. In one place we pick for a beer the chef gets chatting to us over the spelling of Mozzarella for the menu he is printing. Upon learning where we are from he quizzes us about what good whisky he should get for the bar. We give him our opinion and in return he gives us some tips on our next destination. His beer was more expensive so maybe the advice is included!!
Our next destination is the Isla de Ometepe, twin volcanoes rising from the waters of Lake Nicaragua a few miles apart and joining together. It's a chicken bus ride south to Rivas and a taxi to San Jorge to catch a ferry to the island. It's a car ferry over choppy water, the TV shows the worst Latino R&B I've heard along with cringe worthy videos. We suffer this for an hour, but the goal is worth it. We get a water side cabin in Playa Santo Domingo, a short row of building lining the dirt road between the volcanoes. It's so relaxed, waves constantly lap the black sand beach giving the feeling of being at the seaside. Food options are limited and more expensive than Granada, but we get by!! We do a couple of things in our two and a half days here other than relax on the veranda! We visit the Eye of the Water at the center of the island and a popular swimming spot with locals. It's a short walk away, but we get rained on along the way. We also take a trip to Finca Magdalena to see the petroglyphs - old indigenous rock carvings. We are underwhelmed, but the bus journey there over poor dirt roads is fun and the clouds lift over the volcano peaks revealing the highest near perfect cone.
Panama City
It's about 9am on the 16th of April when we arrive at Panama airport. We have a hotel and transfer booked. Our original hotel was upgraded a while ago because of complaints, but the new one turns out to be a bit snooty and stiff. I get told I can't wear flip-flops to breakfast, although I see a guy the next day wearing Tevas! They do however let us check in early and we crash in our room believing we are just too old. The day is a write off basically, but it's ok as we have two more and only 'Thee' canal is on the list.
It's about half ten the following day when we arrive by taxi at the Canal, Miraflores Locks, visitor centre. Taxis in Panama City have no meters, so it's a case of asking the price and saying yay or nay. There are three sets of locks on the canal (two here in the south and one in the north) and the Miraflores lock visitor centre features a museum/exhibition, cinema showing a canal doco, a restaurant and a locks viewing platform. To small boats are traversing the locks when we arrive. There is live commentry as it happens! The announcer proudly stating the locks fill by gravity alone. There are two locks in parallel looking smaller than we expected. We take in the museum and then learn that a cruise ship will be traversing the locks an hour early at 2pm. It's a bit of a wait, but we do it to see something big go through. It's only 15mins early, but it is huge. A Panamax, we learn, squeezes through with only two feet a either side. Four 50 ton locomotives chained to the liner at each side keep it in straight. Passengers line the deck and cabin balconies, some with banners which the announcer excitedly reads out.
It's a slow process and we leave after a while. We walk to the highway to catch a bus. Eventually one actually stops and the waiting crowd gets on. We hope it's going to the center. The buses here are old american school buses, pimp'd with colourful paintjobs, bigger(well louder) engines and pumping a stereo blasting out latino grooves. We arrive somewhere we think is close to the old center, but somewhere we don't really want to be and everyone gets off. We do to and them jump in a taxi. We get the bus experience and save five bucks!!
We get the cab to a mall near our hotel. This and other elements of Panama are very american with all the usual trappings like big name food chains all over. Apparently there is a big US ex-pat community here. The currency here is the US dollar with the country making good amounts from the canal. The cruise ship we saw paid $230000. If I remember correctly the average is about $80000 and the record $32000. One guy swam the canal for $0.36 if you fancy that!
New Panama City is seriously highrise, but a small old centre still exists. Occupying a headland jutting into the Pacific, Casco Vieja has a mini Havana look about it with newly restored period building standing next to crumbling old ones. Views stretch down the coast to the contrasting skyline of modern Panama. It's quiet down here, we wander for a bit until I annoyingly get grit or something in my eye and we in back to the hotel. Later we make like the locals of the area and in to a well known american style restaurant. The menu is american, but the service needs a little work. Tomorrow we have an early(ish) flight to our next county, skipping over Costa Rica to Nicaragua.
We get a transfer to the airport from the hotel, probably a rip off but it's easy. The driver who is Panamanian talks, with an american accent, to us about whisky after asking where we are from! Tell me, does anyone in Scotland drink Johnny Walker??
It's about half ten the following day when we arrive by taxi at the Canal, Miraflores Locks, visitor centre. Taxis in Panama City have no meters, so it's a case of asking the price and saying yay or nay. There are three sets of locks on the canal (two here in the south and one in the north) and the Miraflores lock visitor centre features a museum/exhibition, cinema showing a canal doco, a restaurant and a locks viewing platform. To small boats are traversing the locks when we arrive. There is live commentry as it happens! The announcer proudly stating the locks fill by gravity alone. There are two locks in parallel looking smaller than we expected. We take in the museum and then learn that a cruise ship will be traversing the locks an hour early at 2pm. It's a bit of a wait, but we do it to see something big go through. It's only 15mins early, but it is huge. A Panamax, we learn, squeezes through with only two feet a either side. Four 50 ton locomotives chained to the liner at each side keep it in straight. Passengers line the deck and cabin balconies, some with banners which the announcer excitedly reads out.
It's a slow process and we leave after a while. We walk to the highway to catch a bus. Eventually one actually stops and the waiting crowd gets on. We hope it's going to the center. The buses here are old american school buses, pimp'd with colourful paintjobs, bigger(well louder) engines and pumping a stereo blasting out latino grooves. We arrive somewhere we think is close to the old center, but somewhere we don't really want to be and everyone gets off. We do to and them jump in a taxi. We get the bus experience and save five bucks!!
We get the cab to a mall near our hotel. This and other elements of Panama are very american with all the usual trappings like big name food chains all over. Apparently there is a big US ex-pat community here. The currency here is the US dollar with the country making good amounts from the canal. The cruise ship we saw paid $230000. If I remember correctly the average is about $80000 and the record $32000. One guy swam the canal for $0.36 if you fancy that!
New Panama City is seriously highrise, but a small old centre still exists. Occupying a headland jutting into the Pacific, Casco Vieja has a mini Havana look about it with newly restored period building standing next to crumbling old ones. Views stretch down the coast to the contrasting skyline of modern Panama. It's quiet down here, we wander for a bit until I annoyingly get grit or something in my eye and we in back to the hotel. Later we make like the locals of the area and in to a well known american style restaurant. The menu is american, but the service needs a little work. Tomorrow we have an early(ish) flight to our next county, skipping over Costa Rica to Nicaragua.
We get a transfer to the airport from the hotel, probably a rip off but it's easy. The driver who is Panamanian talks, with an american accent, to us about whisky after asking where we are from! Tell me, does anyone in Scotland drink Johnny Walker??
Quito
There are two main areas to Central Quito, the New Town and the Old Town. The New Town has most of the services and the Old Town is historic colonial. We are staying in the Old Town in a guest house we booked a long time ago when still working and it is NICE! A beautifully restored and converted colonial villa run by a mexican born, US citizen and his partner. The breakfast was superb and filling. The roof terrace complete with fantastic views over the old town and surrounding hills. Also the Cerro Panecillo with the Virgen de Quito statue atop. We visit this Mary statue during our time here. Apparently it's not safe to walk so grab a taxi, once we find one prepared to use the meter. The weather is threatening and the top all but deserted, so we ask the driver to wait while we have a quick view of the city
Quito isn't reportedly the safest city. Central areas during the day are fine. There is a massive armed police presence on the streets and security guards with pump action shotguns at banks and shops. At night however the old town virtually empties and taxis are essential, and don't they know it. Taxis are plentiful, but the meter is off and the price inflated. Negotiating with the drivers is a pain, but that's what we do for the three nights we go to the new town for food. The first time for one last meal with the overland gang.
The well preserved/restored Spanish colonial streets and plazas of the old town are a great place to wander and watch the world go by. Quito is a long thin city. Expansion in width prevented by mountains. A cable car leads up from the city for views of Quito and the nearby volcanoes, but the cloud hangs too low. We content ourselves to visit Parque Itchimbia, with it's elevated location and 19th century german glasshouse. Once a market now an exhibition space. A nearby cafe has an excellent view of the new and old towns and we sit and listen to the thunder and watch the rain roll in. Our room is a nice place to be so we head back to kick back before our last night in South America. We are meeting Riki and Renee, it's Riki's 30th birthday the following day. We have a fine meal and wine and then in to a bar. We have fun playing pool with the locals, but time evaporates. We have a 4am flight to Panama. We make it ok, but it's our first all-nighter of the trip.
Quito isn't reportedly the safest city. Central areas during the day are fine. There is a massive armed police presence on the streets and security guards with pump action shotguns at banks and shops. At night however the old town virtually empties and taxis are essential, and don't they know it. Taxis are plentiful, but the meter is off and the price inflated. Negotiating with the drivers is a pain, but that's what we do for the three nights we go to the new town for food. The first time for one last meal with the overland gang.
The well preserved/restored Spanish colonial streets and plazas of the old town are a great place to wander and watch the world go by. Quito is a long thin city. Expansion in width prevented by mountains. A cable car leads up from the city for views of Quito and the nearby volcanoes, but the cloud hangs too low. We content ourselves to visit Parque Itchimbia, with it's elevated location and 19th century german glasshouse. Once a market now an exhibition space. A nearby cafe has an excellent view of the new and old towns and we sit and listen to the thunder and watch the rain roll in. Our room is a nice place to be so we head back to kick back before our last night in South America. We are meeting Riki and Renee, it's Riki's 30th birthday the following day. We have a fine meal and wine and then in to a bar. We have fun playing pool with the locals, but time evaporates. We have a 4am flight to Panama. We make it ok, but it's our first all-nighter of the trip.
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