|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
World Trip 2005 |
A man, a plan, a canal - Panama |
Grant Macandrew |
|
Panama is quite a small country - roughly the size of Otago plus Canterbury in New Zealand terms and with a population of three million. Part of the land bridge between South and North America, it is known for its canal which links the Pacific and the Caribbean. West of the canal, a break in the Pan-American Highway means you can drive from Alaska to Panama and from neighbouring Columbia to Chile but the roadless Darien gap isolates Panama from South America. I bought my "Panama Hat" in Panama as all men seem to wear a cap and I wanted to blend in. You may spot the wearing the flag of Panama in a few later pictures as I wore it until I lost it in Egypt. The real Panama hats are made in Ecuador, not Panama, and the name comes their association from the workers on the Panama Canal. Not enough time for this county for sure - this place has jungle, beaches, modern cities, and plenty of interesting buildings from its history of Spanish and US colonial rule. I met some great people as well, and quite a few Panamians are fluent English speakers. I would love to return to Central America. |
||
Panama, where I arrived on the 20th of June, was really the start of the trip and when I first realised I should have learnt some Spanish for visiting
Central and South America. With ten days in the country before heading to Lima, I spent a few days based in
Panama City with trips to the Amador Causeway, the Miraflores locks, and
the Casco Viejo. My first bus trip - an event which seemed nerve-wracking at the time - took me across to
David for an overnight stay, and the following morning, up to the mountain town of Boquette. From there, it
was across the mountain divide of the Cordillera de Talamanca to Bocas del Toro, an island on the Caribbean
coast before heading back to Ciudad de Panama (Panama City).