Mike Willi arrived last night and we ended up having perfect timing when I met him at Tocumen International. We relaxed at the hostel for a bit and then went out for drinks with some friends I had met on San Blas, Stefan, Biorn, Fleur, and Marcus. We had a fantastic time and it was a great celebration welcoming Willi to Panama.
Traveling so far has been truly incredible, especially build confidence traveling alone. To me traveling is so beautiful and is somewhat like a drug that changes the way your mind works. So many distinct feelings and emotions I seem to only feel when I am away. Meeting so many others traveling and reminiscing about trips past does nothing but add fuel to my wanderlust fire. Each time I find myself traveling in a foreign place I wonder where I will end up next trip.
Tonight we are taking an overnight bus to Bocas del Toro in Western Panama. Google it and you may find you would like to join!
¨It's a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no telling where you might be swept off to.¨-J.R.R. Tolkien
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
excellent first post!
So clearly I was in a bit of a crunch for time on my first post seeing as i mispelled Panama and wrote many incomplete sentences.
This keyboard is hell so this will be short also.
Panama city: Right now I can see over 17 high rises with cranes atop working day and night to build them. The city skyline is truly remarkable to witness, and the best news is my hostel has a great view out my window, which is actually two 20 feet high doors.
Kuna Yala: So I was in the Archipelago de San Blas while I was there to clarify. It consists of over 400 islands most of which are very small. The Kuna choose to inhabit just a small number of them, and many consist of one room of sand and 4-5 palm trees. The Kuna won "independence from Panama" in 1925 and are essentially governing themselves. They have their own judicial system, democracy, and way of life. They control their own infrastructure, or lack there-of, and maintain accurate border controls. However they are part of Panama would any major issue occur they are covered under Panamaian jurtisdiction. Pretty interesting deal if you ask me. When Panama gained indepence from the U.S., Colombians essentially supplied the Kuna with arms in order to gain protection for Cocaine shipments to Central America, but mainly the U.S.
Most of this I have read, or heard from a local source so read it with a grain of salt. Speaking of which I had my first shower of the trip today and it was immaculate!
This keyboard is hell so this will be short also.
Panama city: Right now I can see over 17 high rises with cranes atop working day and night to build them. The city skyline is truly remarkable to witness, and the best news is my hostel has a great view out my window, which is actually two 20 feet high doors.
Kuna Yala: So I was in the Archipelago de San Blas while I was there to clarify. It consists of over 400 islands most of which are very small. The Kuna choose to inhabit just a small number of them, and many consist of one room of sand and 4-5 palm trees. The Kuna won "independence from Panama" in 1925 and are essentially governing themselves. They have their own judicial system, democracy, and way of life. They control their own infrastructure, or lack there-of, and maintain accurate border controls. However they are part of Panama would any major issue occur they are covered under Panamaian jurtisdiction. Pretty interesting deal if you ask me. When Panama gained indepence from the U.S., Colombians essentially supplied the Kuna with arms in order to gain protection for Cocaine shipments to Central America, but mainly the U.S.
Most of this I have read, or heard from a local source so read it with a grain of salt. Speaking of which I had my first shower of the trip today and it was immaculate!
panama!
This blog will not have any pictures because i do not have a camera connaection device with me. Panama so far is incredible and I have very much enjoyed traveling alone, though it seemed daunting in the beginning.
Some things that have happened thus far:
Tuesday
Flew into Panama City with no plans and asked the taxi for a great hostel...ended up in a great hostel. $11 a night with free internet, plenty of hammocks, and nice people to meet from all over.
Wednesday:
Walked around Panama City for about 4 hours and got a good feel for how to get around. Then met from travelers from Yosemite, shared from beers, and went out to dinner at a place named Las Vegas, which if you have been to Banaue may seem strange. On a whim decide that tomorrow I am going to Kuna Yala.
Thursday:
Leave my hostel at 5a.m. and get in a 4x4 with two Germans, two Canadiens, and one Israeli. Drive out of the city, and an hour later turn onto this nearly impassable mountain road with multiple hills steeper than a 20percent gradient. (gross estimation deemed so by me grabbing on for life multiple times) After the border crossing into Kuna Yala, yes Kuna Yala is not Panama, hop on a boat with some Kuna, and a boat operator wearing a hat that says ¨fuck off.¨
about 2 miles later arrive at a makeshift docking area, board a different boat with two Swedes, and an American and pass through mangrove swamps and out to the open sea. Bear in mind my description of the boat would be, ¨marginal.¨Immediately the boat breaks, the operator tears the engine apart, and gets it working again. We then battle some rougher seas, while making two seemingly meaningless stops on opposite ends of a random Kuna island. 90 minutes later we arrive on Isla Robinson, and there I spent the next few days napping in hammocks, snorkeling, sleeping in a bamboo hut, playing cards, and drinking rum with friends that I had made along the way. Later that day a boat went down not far from out island, and all the members ended up on Isla Robinson after a good rescue effort by the locals. No one was harmed, just a lot of wet baggage.
Small world story: on the boat that sank was Kevin, the night manager of the Harrisonburg Wal`Mart!
The island has no electricity and is about 1 square mile large. This induced me feeling like a zombie around 10 every night and going to bed around 10:30 thinking it was about 4 am. The first two days we had perfect weather, but it rained almost all of Saturday. The stars were some of the best I have seen since leaving the Philippines.
Sunday:
I departed after hearing accounts of sunken jeeps, and wrecked boats upon the path in which I entered Kuna Yala, and saw that the river was nearly destroyed the day before by an over abundance of rain. I am now back safe in Panama City, staying in Casco Viejo in a hostel overlooking the city skyline. Casco Viejo is the old town and has brick streets and narrow corridors.
I will write more later!
Some things that have happened thus far:
Tuesday
Flew into Panama City with no plans and asked the taxi for a great hostel...ended up in a great hostel. $11 a night with free internet, plenty of hammocks, and nice people to meet from all over.
Wednesday:
Walked around Panama City for about 4 hours and got a good feel for how to get around. Then met from travelers from Yosemite, shared from beers, and went out to dinner at a place named Las Vegas, which if you have been to Banaue may seem strange. On a whim decide that tomorrow I am going to Kuna Yala.
Thursday:
Leave my hostel at 5a.m. and get in a 4x4 with two Germans, two Canadiens, and one Israeli. Drive out of the city, and an hour later turn onto this nearly impassable mountain road with multiple hills steeper than a 20percent gradient. (gross estimation deemed so by me grabbing on for life multiple times) After the border crossing into Kuna Yala, yes Kuna Yala is not Panama, hop on a boat with some Kuna, and a boat operator wearing a hat that says ¨fuck off.¨
about 2 miles later arrive at a makeshift docking area, board a different boat with two Swedes, and an American and pass through mangrove swamps and out to the open sea. Bear in mind my description of the boat would be, ¨marginal.¨Immediately the boat breaks, the operator tears the engine apart, and gets it working again. We then battle some rougher seas, while making two seemingly meaningless stops on opposite ends of a random Kuna island. 90 minutes later we arrive on Isla Robinson, and there I spent the next few days napping in hammocks, snorkeling, sleeping in a bamboo hut, playing cards, and drinking rum with friends that I had made along the way. Later that day a boat went down not far from out island, and all the members ended up on Isla Robinson after a good rescue effort by the locals. No one was harmed, just a lot of wet baggage.
Small world story: on the boat that sank was Kevin, the night manager of the Harrisonburg Wal`Mart!
The island has no electricity and is about 1 square mile large. This induced me feeling like a zombie around 10 every night and going to bed around 10:30 thinking it was about 4 am. The first two days we had perfect weather, but it rained almost all of Saturday. The stars were some of the best I have seen since leaving the Philippines.
Sunday:
I departed after hearing accounts of sunken jeeps, and wrecked boats upon the path in which I entered Kuna Yala, and saw that the river was nearly destroyed the day before by an over abundance of rain. I am now back safe in Panama City, staying in Casco Viejo in a hostel overlooking the city skyline. Casco Viejo is the old town and has brick streets and narrow corridors.
I will write more later!
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