Panama

So hopefully my last blog in a series of quick-catchup blogs to get us up to speed. At last we are in the same country that I am writing about.

Panama...

We were pleasantly surprised at the ease of crossing from Costa Rica to Panama. It was mildly suggested to us that we should pay $30 for a shuttle to take us across the border, but some quick research told us that the crossing would only cost us a few dollars if we caught public transport. Again, the cheaper option prevailed, and we made a relatively quick and uneventful bus ride from Cahuita, Costa Rica to Bocas del Toro, Panama.

Archipelago Bocas del Toro is located on the most north-eastern part of Panama. It is a set of beautiful tropical islands, very lush, green and every bit as tropical as you would probably first imagine. We stayed on the main island, Isla Colón, for four nights, where we tackled the islands unpaved roads on a dilapidated scooter, explored a beach littered with starfish, snorkelled in remote waterways and trampled through the jungle looking for the elusive Red Poison Dart Frog. In the evenings we enjoyed some fine Caribbean food, tasted the most delicious chocolate brownie ever to pass our lips, and try to make best of our situation crammed into a very overcrowded hostel and nursing our mosquito bites. Bocas del Toro was a fun place to visit, although a little touristy, and a great place to soak up some of the sweet tropical sunshine.

With Nyall starting to have some adverse allergic reactions to weird tropical diseases (resulting in his skin starting to detach from his body!), we decided it was time to head towards Panama City. A 12 hour bus ride took us deeper into this beautiful country, and to it's heart, la ciudad de Panamá. Panama City has offered us a lot over the past week; great shopping, helpful doctors, cultured historic sites, and the ever-interesting Panama Canal. Being the daughter of an engineer I think I must have an inbuilt quality to appreciate engineering achievements, and the Canal was no exception. I think I could have stood on the platform over the Miraflores Locks for hours overlooking the rise and fall of water levels as each huge container ship came through the locks. And the attached museum was of equal interest. I think dad would have been proud of (if not jealous) of me!

Incase you are a little worried about Nyall's current condition (unlike me who just laughs at him), you will be pleased to know he is almost better. We have found a doctor that has been most helpful, and with a little air-conditioning and relief from the humid weather, he's just about right again.

We're due to stay in Panama City for another four days, after which we will commence the second half - the South American leg - of our round the world adventures.