Darn those pesky Panamanians.
They wait until you visit their country, then they let you get all settled in and happy so that when you leave just a few weeks later you get really sad and cry because they are so lovely. Darn 'em!
Tilcea and I were boo-hooing like a couple of kids yesterday morning and even machete wielding Humberto looked like he'd been peeling onions...
Went on a walk to a waterfall near Boquete after the big goodbye, had a very cold swim and spent time exploring a little cave. Have loads of photographs to share but am in Panama City and seemingly not many internet cafes have the ability to download photographs..ok, going to rephrase that...I can't find an internet cafe where I can download my photos.
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| This not the waterfall I visited, I took this picture off the internet... |
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After the waterfall I decided to head to a place called Anton because I had been told that the Valle de Anton was beautiful and worth a visit. When I got on the bus I asked the conductor to tell me when we got there but he forgot, I nodded off and I ended up in Panama City. So here I am.
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| En Valle De Anton which I did not visit. |
I am running out of dollars so thought I'd exchange some of the sterling I brought. I arrived with it clutched in my grubby mitt and went straight to a bank to get it changed. Bizarrely - I think - banks here don't change money !?$?! so I followed the directions I was given by the four people I asked until I found the (seemingly) one changing kiosk in Panama City. I have discovered that I am quite capable of asking for directions in Spanish but I should probably learn the words for
left, right, straight ahead and
near. Anyway I found it and changed my moolar.
Tomorrow I am going to a little island in the Caribbean in an area called San Blas or Guna Yala by the indigenous people who live there. I'm expecting something like this..
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| ..A Guna Yalaaaa... |
You get there by jeep, then dug out canoe - 'small suitcase only madam'. The island where I will be staying (well, the first one I may move to another) doesn't have electricity, or computers, or wifi or a phone line...so no posts for a week or so. Where I am going the snorkelling is supposed to be good so today I thought I would buy a snorkel and mask. Panama City is a really funny place. There is a whole street which is full of what seem to be upmarket pound stores and there are loads of shops selling beach stuff, clothes, brollies, phones, make up etc but I had to try six shops before I found a snorkel and two more before I got a mask. Strange, they're not so far from a beautiful snorkelling area but its really hard to the equipment. So, updated version of the Move to Panama Plan:
Am still going with the fried food bonanza (see 2 blogs back) but will add on a money changing section and a part which sells masks and snorkels - I may even branch out to flippers. Add to that Cocoball equipment, lighters, fire extinuishers, concussion and first aid kits and I'll be rolling in money in no time at all!
Once I found what I needed I had a pootle round the City. It's a murky day and rained heavily for about ten hours last night so my current impression is: grey. However, it is an imteresting city with an impressive skyline. The area I am staying - Casca Vieho (sp?) has a mixture of done up and run down beautiful old buildings. The hostel is a large creaky house with large rooms. The thing which has surprised me the most is a statue of Ghandi, erected by the Panamanian Hindustani Society - try saying that after a few drinks..well, not if you're a devout Hindu. Sorry.
Anyway, they stuck a statue up and I took a picture.
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| Mahatma. My picture is better, you can see his face. |
And here is a picture of the skyline...
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| ..on a pretty grey day... |
Will write up when I am back from Naidub, or Diablo Island as it was labelled by the Conquistadores (appropriate?).
