Panama to Colombia: The Darien Gapster

It´s hard to put this trip in words. It was filled with excitement, fear, wonder, discomfort and amazement. We met some really great people who we have continued to travel with and collected a handful of memories we will never forget.

The Darien Gapster is a 4 day, 3 night adventure boat that gets you from Panama to Colombia. Many choose to take a sail boat which seems to be ¨more luxurious¨ yet doesn´t allow you to sleep on land and buy cold beer once yours inevitably runs out. We weren´t sure what to expect, yet neither did the other 15 people. We seemed to connect as a group very easily and really had to since you spent hours on the boat shoulder to shoulder, getting sick together, singing together, and riding the waves together.

Day 1- 5 am wake up. 5 others from our hostel were also headed on our same trip. We were supposed to have a jeep pick us up yet a colectivo showed up instead. Nice and packed, our first group bonding experience began right away when ¨John Denver¨as he became known needed to stop by the ATM (which we all knew should have been done the day before). We began an hour long goose chase for WIFI and the correct ATMs.

After about an hour, we were off. Our colectivo dropped us off a couple hours down the road to pick up our jeeps. Another example of how unorganized things seem to be in Panama, we were directed by 5 or 6 people who threw our bags on top of the jeeps and packed us inside. Another  hour up and down a very windy road we arrived at the Darien Gapster.

Our first journey was only a half hour to a small Island called Por Viner. Here we had lunch and many swam while I snoozed in a hammock to catch up on some sleep since I had celebrated Australian day the night before with a sausage sizzler and the top 100 music countdown of the year till the wee hours of the morning.  After lunch we headed to Nalungega which is an island inhabited by a small village which has sandy walkways as roads and side by side thatched huts. Our hostel had simple accommodations but was right on the ocean with a large porch and airy rooms. For  dinner we all went to a local's house and ate a healthy portion of curry, finishing off the night with songs from the Local girls and the Four Dutch guys who became the class clowns of the boat.

Day 2- We ate breakfast at the local restaurant , packed our bags and jumped in the boat for a 2 hour trip to the smallest island I´ve ever been on, Pelican Island. You could literally throw a rock from one side to the other. Surrounding the island was a giant coral reef where we spent the afternoon snorkeling among the fishes and the waves. A Kuna family brought our dinner on a kayak as well as a cooler of cold beer.

After lunch we traveled another two hours to Iguana Beach. The waves were 3 meters high and we had one seasick person. We rode the waves while singing songs by Johnny Cash and Queen led by our fearless Dutch friends until we reached the beach. Beautifully long and filled with coconut trees, we pitched tents and collected wood for the fire. We sat around the fire and introduced S'mores to the Europeans who had sadly never experienced them, drank wine and told jokes. As the night ended we went skinny dipping under the full moon.

bathroom

Day 3- Luckily the plan was to stay on this island until lunch time because half our group came down with something. The beach looked like a war zone. Everyone lay horizontal in hammocks on sleeping pads or just on the sand. I was lucky enough to escape the sickness and spent the day walking around the island and reading.  With half lively spirits our group struggled back onto the boat around 2 for our next island. We again only had one spew over the boat during our trip and landed safely and went on to our hostel that looked strangly like a concentration camp with simple wooden rooms strewn with hammocks. A new law had just been declared on the island not allowing anyone to jump from the dock into the water. At first we wondered why, declaring the rule ridiculous since the baby blue water looked so inviting. Yet once you had to take a poo you quickly learned the new law was very understandable. Surrounding the entire island little docks shot out into the ocean which were in fact each family’s bathroom.  You walk into the little shack and down the hole is that baby blue ocean we were coveting just moments before!

Day 4- Today was a short day on the boat with the highest waves. We caught some serious air! As we came up onto the swell we would look down and wonder if we were ever going to come down, then Bang back at the bottom we were. Luckily, again, we had only one seasick individual.  We were off to get our exit stamps from Panama. As we pulled up to the dock, a police boat was blocking the dock. We tried to squeeze behind him but failed, hitting the boat multiple times and becoming spectacles for army boys and Cubans dressed in full blue sweat suits (no joke). We were unable to dock so we anchored and then one by one jumped ship and swam to shore like a bunch of fugitives. And to add to the excitement our trusty container for our passports broke open leaving us all fanning out the pages in front of the immigration officer till they were dry enough to stamp.

We swam back to the boat, reasonably unscathed besides some small cuts and a sea urchin sting and got ready for our last boat trip to La Miel. Here Marco is starting a hostel  and allowed us to stay there for one night. It was a beautiful beach in a quaint town, yet the beach was incredibly littered with small bits of plastic washing up with the waves. It was sad to see such a small community affected so much by other people's waste.

All in all the trip was an amazing and unique experience with a genuine group of people who I will remember for years to come!

Panama: Panama City

From fellow travelers, Panama City has not been a favorite. Yet, I have had a different experience. Although the city is a bit rough around the edges (which city isn't), Panama City has abundant spaces that are unique and filled with people, activities, and food. From our hostel you can walk about 10 minutes and reach the bay. The coast is lined with large pathways for pedestrians and bicyclists. Looking at the water, the left peninsula houses downtown which is filled with large buildings, creating a modern and sleek cityscape. On the opposite peninsula is Casco Viejo which is lined with colonial houses painted with an assortment of colors.

Standing on the pathway looking both ways is a beautiful dichotomy of old and new, modern and antique, with a wonderful public space that connects them. The paths have fountains, jungle gyms, and street vendors offering something for everyone.  And it's used!! Especially in the evening, young and old couples hold hands and watch the sun set, kids rent bikes and roller skates, and tourists sit on the edges of the water taking photos. And it seems Panama City is working at making this space even better. Large billboards show a project in the works to create tennis courts, an amphitheater, more comfortable sitting space, and fountains. Now, unlike Vietnam, where the billboards showing development seem to be filled with broken promises and half completed buildings, this space is being worked on every day.

Hostel: Mamallena ($13) Very clean, filled with gorgeous art, unique colors, nice people, open space, and free pancakes and coffee all day. It's quiet at night and close to markets, parks, and Casco Viejo. They also work out transportation for a boat trip to Colombia. All in all, a very nice place.

Old next to new

Casco Viejo: Much like Panama City itself, Casco Viejo is half deteriorated and half rejuvenated, all with beautiful architecture. Casco Viejo was the original Panama City.

In the past couple years the city has decided to take Casco Viejo under its wing and make it the new destination for coffee houses, restaurants and nightlife. And again, the great thing is, it's actually happening. Walking around you are deterred by signs and people in hard hats which can be infuriating for some but I think watching the progress and restoration is a beautiful thing. I do wonder,  after the houses are rebuilt and property prices go up, where will the people living in the slums be displaced. Yet, from what I saw most buildings being remodeled seemed completely uninhabited. One must have a positive outlook.

Besides the old colonial houses, Casco Viejo has big beautiful churches every couple blocks, small stores selling Kuna and Panamanian goods, chic restaurants, and street art in the alleys. It's a lovely place to sit and read, people watch, or just get lost along the cobblestone sidewalks.

building being appropriated by nature

Almador Causeway: The next peninsula over from Casco Viejo is the Causeway. Made from the excavated land of the Panama Canal, the causeway connects three islands with a two lane road and a footpath. The restaurants are a bit pricey but it's still another beautiful public space where families and couples walk during sunset and go to be seen late at night.

While having pizza, we met two gentlemen who captain a boat for a well to do Puerto Rican builder. They invited us to dinner on the boat which was a lovely new way to see the causeway and take in the beauty of the city. It was also extremely interesting to hear stories of how the top .1% spends their millions through fishing trips, Porsche driving lessons in Georgia for their kids, more boats, and travel. Concepts I thought were jokes or only in movies. It was a very unique and enjoyable experience.

Panama: Playa Veneo

It's much drier here but still beautiful. Ecoveneo is situated on a hillside with covered cabanas strewn with hammocks over looking the ocean. There are tons of hiking trails, a river and a little waterfall. The campsites are situated on a vista overlooking the ocean. A stones throw away are the hammocks in which we have spent many hours writing, reading, and sleeping.

This place is a dry rainforest. The ground is scattered with leaves as big as your face and the leaves on the trees look dehydrated. The rolling hills of green now have a Nevadan undertone. Yet with dryness there is sun and accompanied with the sun is a slight breeze... so the weather is...well, perfect.


Yoga deck

I practiced yoga in their yoga hut on the beach and we played in the temperate water. One morning we took an adventure walk to the point on the beach. Each point seemed to lead to a further point which I, of course, had to explore. Low and behold, there was a secret beach seemingly a perfect size for us! Adjacent was a hole in the mountainside where you could swim through to the sea. There were tons of fishes and even a place to jump. We spent the afternoon skinny dipping (again) and exploring the unknown territory.
Additionally, this place seemed to have more wild life then Costa Rica!! Soooo many birds making so many noises day and night!

Panama: Peninsula de Azuero

Peninsula de Azuera is considered the artisian capital of Panama. They have small communities scattered over the peninsula which individualy specialize in pottery, hat making, dress making, and mask making! We spent 3 days exploring by bus the nooks and crannys of the area, using the not so delightful Chitre as our home base.

Transportation: We took a bus from David to Santiago (3 hrs, $9) and then a bus to Chitre (1 hr. $2). Trips from Chitre to the surrounding area cost anywhere from .30 to $1.50.
SIDE NOTE: I must say, I have got to give it to Panama for a simple, convenient transportation system THAT WORKS!! Sure the vans and buses are often packed. When the van should fit 15 in actually fits 25 but it never the lasts too long and these transportation vehicles triple as school buses and delivery services as well.
They pull over for no particular reason and all of a sudden a boy is haulin ass down the dirt road on his bike, hands a bag off to the driver, and is then dropped off kms later. These buses also go into rural areas carrying the elderly and all their groceries to their doorstep! It becomes a communal event. As someone steps on board he hollers "buenas" and immediately a response "buenas" fills the cab. It's truly amazing. These buses may be small but they run every 15 minutes to an hour. There is hardly a need for a car even if you live a half hour out of town. Seems to me the U.S. could learn a thing or two.

Food: We ate nothing particularly special besides one meal. We ventured out to this restaurant which was a 20 minute ride out of town but cooked all its food on a wood fire... I was especially eager to try the shrimp. We we got dropped off and... SURPRISE it was closed.  Their hours on the wall say open... but nope. So, back on the bus, and off the bus to what we thought was a food place. Nope just a fruit stand. So, we walked down the highway looking good as ever until AH HA! A small meal shack which only sold one thing... delicious, warm, chicken, rice, potato soup. So simple but so delectable and cheap... all in all a success.

Hostel: When we first got to Chitre we had reservations for Miami Mikes ($10). To put it nicely he seemed to take care of his hostel as well as he takes care of himself. Nice, nice, friendly man, but what a slob! The confederate flags in the closet set Molly over the edge so we quickly changed locations the next day....right across the street, with a balcony, looking straight at his...A bit awkward but a serious upgrade. Needless to say all hostels can't be awesome and sometimes you wing it just to find out.

Las Tablas: La Festival de Polleras is held once a year. The men and women dress up in their authentic Panamanian outfits. The men wear handmade sandals, white shirts, and hats that are weaved so tight you can hold water in them. The dresses are all hand made down to the embroidery. They pull their hair up with jeweled flowers and wear long gold necklaces.
Las Tablas blocked off the town square and had a parade. Now, Molly and I were talking about how disorganized parades usually are but this one takes the cake. It had to be 10 minutes between each float, people were walking in and out whenever they pleased to take pictures with friends and family in the parade, holding up the whole thing. But none the less it was a great experience and everyone really looked top notch!

La Arena and Parita: These two towns are about 10 km north of Chitre. La Arena is known to be pottery central. Families had small store fronts selling all their hand made goods. I think we would have stayed longer if it wasn't so darn hot.
Next we went to Parita. The buildings here were very old, from colonial times, and picturesque. The strange thing was...It was like a ghost town (the only happening place seemed to be the bar)....we were pretty sure we were going to see tumbleweeds. We weren't sure if this was always the case of if it was because it was Sunday ( Molly later found it is always like that.)
Besides a few people sitting on their stoops we seemed to be the only ones in the street (an odd sight for sure). Now the reason we came to Parita was to see a mask maker. His name is Mr. Lopez and he makes all the masks for Panama's Carnival by hand. Some only take a few days, others take weeks. He has been doing this since he can remember being handed down the family tradition by his father.


























 Ocu: An hour drive from Chitre, we went to Ocu in search of a "real Panamanian hat" for Molly. We pulled up and asked around. Two teenage girls took us under their wing to try to find the hat maker. We ultimately failed at our mission but got a lovely tour of the town and the town lake from the ladies.

Pedasi: As lovely as the last couple days sounded, it was in fact quite a task. It was incredibly hot and I had an ear ache that I was taking mystery medication for. So we changed our plans of heading to Panama city and aimed for the BEACH! In Pedasi we treated ourselves to a very lovely hotel run by a couple from Pennsylvania. In the morning we took yet another bus to the bottom of the peninsula to Playa Veneo.