Panama

We arrived in Panama City on 22nd March and already had our goal, to reach Cancún in Mexico for our flight to New York in 40 days by May 1st. Now, we could have flown to a couple of places or even directly to well travelled Mexico but where's the fun in that we thought? By now we'd had a taste of overland travel. In our minds it seemed far easier to take a bus for hours and hours at a time than to fly. All that waiting around in airports, checking baggage and what not, nah. I'd got it into my head that we could visit every single Central American country in our short time, it's a cluster of relatively small countries, how hard could it be I thought. 

Panama City 

And so, our journey began in Panama City and as a treat for starting the 'second part' of our trip we gorged on avocado topped veggie burgers covered in every condiment imaginable and fries at an America style burger place. With an NBA game playing we felt like we were in New York already and enjoyed the fast food in comfortable air conditioning. The next day our first priority was getting a new camera to replace our beloved and much missed stolen Canon. Luckily we knew what we wanted, and just up the metropolitan streets of Panama City was a big technology store. We tested out the Nikon that we'd researched online, Craig managed to persuade me to at least consider something that wasn't a Canon. I found the idea hard at first, I've always been a Canon girl. My first SLR was a second hand 35mm Canon I bought at college, now splattered with purple paint thanks to some 'experimental painting' from my art foundation days. But a Canon was out of reach being much more expensive than any other camera brand. The Nikon looked great and I begrudgingly had to admit seemed to have better features than our Canon. So, with our new camera in hand we decided to take a trip to the Panama Canal which we did have some difficulty finding thanks to the huge bus station. We were pointed here, there and everywhere until we eventually found the correct bus and made our way to the Miraflores section of the canal which is on the Pacific side. We paid the $15 entrance fee and walked to the top viewing balcony where a catamaran was waiting to be let through. How the other half live I thought as I watched the yacht dwellers mill around on their multi-million dollar boat. The water levels drained and rose in perfect order until the gates opened and the catamaran sailed through with ease, up next was a huge cargo ship which looked like a giant in the canal. We wandered through the on-site museum though we couldn't stop for long as our time was running out. The short film about the history of the region and the building of the canal left me with a tear in my eye. When France started construction of the canal in 1881 thousands of workers died, many to yellow fever and malaria. Problems with engineering and the death of workers led to the project being abandoned until the United States took over in 1904 eventually opening the canal for business in 1914. Since then control has been handed over to the Panama government and work to enlarge and improve the canal has been ongoing. On our walk to the main road and bus stop we crossed a bridge and I noticed a sign with a symbol of a crocodile. I looked down at the muddy river bed and sure enough saw a huge wild crocodile snoozing on the riverbank, scaly skin shaded under the bushes. We returned to the bus station which is right next door to one of the biggest shopping centres I've ever seen. As we walked through it the shops seemed to go on infinitely. We found a food court full of American fast food chains and decided to have a baked potato from Wendy's. I miss jacket potatoes from home, with lots of butter, an unhealthy amount of cheddar and of course baked beans. I thought a nice potato from Wendy's would help quell my craving but unfortunately the bright orange goo on top of the tiny chewy potato did not satisfy. Surely American cheese has to be the worst in the world right? We filled up on Cinnabon for dessert which didn't disappoint and caught the metro back to our quiet hostel amongst the city's sky scrapers.

Imposing Cargo Ships Pass Through The Panama Canal

The Miraflores Locks of The Panama Canal

Boquete 

With little time to spare we left Panama City the next day and travelled for 10 hours by coach and chicken bus (no chickens present) to Boquete in the highlands. Arriving after 9pm it was dark in the little town and we found our hostel with ease. With luck we had a four bed dorm to ourselves which was lovely. What wasn't lovely was the huge cockroach running around on the floor. I moved to a top bunk and turned off the lights. I could feel my neck and shoulders itching and turned on the light, there right next to me on the wall was previously mentioned cockroach which scared the absolute life out of me. Alongside that the itching had been bed bugs, large enough to see crawling on the pillow. It was the stuff of nightmares. How am I the one who always encounters bed bugs? Do I just have the worst luck when it comes to biting insects? By this time the whole hostel was asleep and we had to wake up one of the owners, luckily she was very understanding and moved us to a dorm next door which was bug-free. By the next morning the whole room had been fumigated and sealed off, and our fee for the night had been waived. We made pancakes for breakfast with the hostel supplied mix and caught a colectivo to the start of the Pipeline Trail which is a couple of kilometres outside the town.

Attempting To Be A Birder in Wildlife Rich Boquete in Panama

We walked through the forest catching sight of pretty birds and admiring huge ancient trees. The walk was easy if a little sweaty thanks to the humidity and was made more fun by rickety wooden bridges over the river which shook as we crossed. At the end of the trail was a waterfall which we sat by, watching people come and go. The return walk was downhill slightly and so even easier than the way up, we squeezed (literally) into an overcrowded colectivo for the quick journey back to Boquete and then had veggie tacos for dinner.

Beautiful Nature in the Highland Region of Boquete in Panama

Crossing Bridges on The Pipeline Trail in Boquete, Panama

Bocas del Toro

Our last stop in Panama was at Bocas del Toro where we would hopefully experience some Panama beach culture. Before we could enjoy sandy beaches we'd have to get there first. As we left our hostel a bus was passing to the next big town of David so we jumped aboard, we then - after some confusion - found a chicken bus to Almirante where were dropped off on the side of a road, a taxi took us to the colourful docks where we boarded a speedboat to Bocas Town on the island of Bocas del Toro. Travel isn't always a picnic but with time and patience you always get to where you want to go, eventually.

The Laid Back Caribbean Vibes of Bocas del Toro in Panama

Colourful Boats Docked at Bocas Town in Panama

The calm waters were interrupted by our boat, creating spray and waves aplenty. We arrived on the island and walked to our homestay which was out the way of the busy tourist packed strip. The following day we were unsure what to do. Our plan had been to visit a local beach called Red Frog but while researching we learned that there had been several reports of muggings at gun point there and most frighteningly the mysterious death of a female tourist in February, just one month ago. We took a walk to the boat dock to see what other options were available and found a boat tour leaving in 10 minutes to a dolphin rich area and beach. We had to dash around to take cash out and retrieve our swimming things before the boat left but we managed it. We spotted dolphins out at sea and starfish right by mangroves before arriving on the island paradise of uninhabited Cayo Zapatilla. The sand was white and sugary with an island centre dense with palm trees. We wandered along the beach until the clear warm water became too irresistible and we dived in. Our afternoon breezed by in a mix of swimming, splashing, frisbee and sandy beach picnic and was sheer paradise. Reluctantly we jumped back on the boat and sped through the mangroves stopping to see wild sloths hanging from branches. Once back in Bocas Town we ate dinner at Om Café an Indian restaurant on the decks edge, our table looked over gently lapping water as the sun set. Our beautiful Indian meal topped off a fantastic time in Panama; a country that we didn't expect to love this much. The variety of cosmopolitan skyscraper strewn Panama City, quiet and nature filled Boquete and perfect sandy paradise of Zapatilla meant that Panama might just be one of our favourite countries.

The White Sandy Beach of Cayo Zapatilla in Panama

Jumping for Joy on Cayo Zapatilla in Panama

 🎥 Central America video:

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Cartagena and the Caribbean Coast, Colombia

I'd been looking forward to Cartagena. In all honesty mostly due to my love of the eighties film Romancing The Stone with Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas which is based in the colourful Colombian town but also because it marked an achievement, that we'd managed to travel South America, from Rio completely overland. We arrived on a hot and sunny morning after a sleepless overnight coach journey. Our public bus to the old town seemed to take a lifetime in the excessive heat but eventually we arrived at the town wall and jumped off to walk the ten minutes to our hostel. The streets of old town Cartagena were bursting with colour, bougainvillea in bright shades of pink and purple tumbled down walls of yellow and blue. Countless pots filled with every type of tropical plant were dotted along every street. Cute tables and chairs lined the sliver of shade outside cafés while tourists and locals alike chatted exuberantly. In fact the area we were staying in was an Instagrammers dream and I felt a pang of sadness that our camera was gone and all I had to record the colourful walls was an iPhone. After walking through a pretty park to the harbour, around the historic centre and along the city walls we found a shaded table in a square and enjoyed a refreshing drink, I was reminded of childhood holidays in the sun. 

All the Plants in Cartagena, Colombia

I Have This Thing With Pink, Cartagena in Colombia

The following day we decided to walk to the fort that we had passed on the bus. I had imagined that it would have been where they filmed some of Romancing the Stone as the end portion of the film takes place in a fort on the water. This fort wasn't on the water, you could see the sea but several roads and buildings were in the way so I was slightly confused. We paid the 25,000 peso entrance fee and climbed up the slope to the top of the fort where a welcome breeze provided respite from the intense heat. A huge Colombian flag flapped around and in the distance we could see the walled old town and high rises in the wealthy part of the city. Underneath the fort were torch-lit tunnels which were fun to explore, some led to areas we hadn't visited before and some were plain dead ends. After returning to the colourful old town we stopped for lunch outside, as people-watching is a favourite past time of mine I relished sitting at a table looking out as the world passed by. The table next door appeared to have some sort of problem as an argument with the waiters ensued leaving one of the party to dramatically storm off, in fairness the service at this particular café was terrible but we had all the time in the world. 

Bird on Yellow in Cartagena, Colombia

Street Art in Cartagena, Colombia

After a relaxing afternoon in the pretty hammock-filled foyer of our hostel we left for pizza. Fairy lights were strung around the garden that we sat in and the air was warm. Our pizzas were delicious and the piña coladas were an excellent price so I was able to enjoy a cocktail without being guilted by our modest budget. We watched Romancing the Stone in the evening and I couldn't recognise anything that we had seen, after a quick look on Google I found that the film although supposedly based in Cartagena was actually filmed in Mexico as Colombia in the 1980's was too dangerous a country. Mystery solved! 

Cartagena's Fort High on a Hill, Colombia

The Fort in Cartagena, Colombia

We organised a last minute minibus to take us to Palomino along the Caribbean coast, our first intention had been to travel to the bus station again and look for a local bus but the idea of being picked up from our hostel and immediately put into air conditioned transport was too appealing an option to pass up. After a six hour journey we arrived in dusty Palomino and walked to our characterful accommodation. Up some creaky old handmade stairs was a mezzanine with chairs and a hammock, off the mezzanine was a little room with two bunk beds and a door leading to our room. Inside was a four poster bed covered in a mosquito net, the roof was made from thatched palm and the walls didn't reach the ceiling so though it was a private room it wasn't completely sealed off from the next room or the dorm space. The nearest spot for food was a newly built shack selling 'pizza pies' an interesting take on the Italian favourite. With dough made up like an open calzone inside was a delicious mix of tomato sauce, creamy mozzarella and fresh basil which was oozing out onto the wooden platter it was served on. The quality of the ingredients was second to none and it felt really authentic, I remember thinking that the dish was like something that would be served in a fashionable eatery in Shoreditch except there it would cost £10 a portion and here on this street lamp lit dusty track surrounded by friendly stray dogs it cost next to nothing. 

In the morning we took a wander down to the beach which was further away than we first thought. Across the main road and down a sandy track we arrived at the sea and walked along the golden sand. We found a couple of chairs underneath an umbrella made from bamboo opposite the sea and took a seat. We asked the resort behind if it was ok and they replied yes for an hour or so but as no-one came to move us on we ended up sitting there all day. The waves crashed breaking up the silence and the sun made the sand glow gold. We didn't have to leave our seat for lunch as local vendors passed by with snacks and drinks, we were perfectly catered for. In the evening we couldn't resist another taste of mozzarella and so headed back to the pizza shack.

Beach at Palomino in Colombia

A Day At The Beach in Palomino, Colombia

We'd only booked two nights in our accommodation and there was no further availability so we walked on to the main strip towards the beach in search of new accommodation which we found in a clean but characterless property. With no ATM's in Palomino we were slightly worried about money as we were getting a bit low, after a bit of research we found that the next town along had an ATM so we jumped in a taxi and did a cash run. 

The next day we took a bus to Tayrona National Park. I'd wanted to visit the park but wasn't sure how to go about it as everything that I had read mentioned camping overnight and we knew that we didn't have time. After a chat with the guy at our hostel we learned that it can easily be visited on a day trip and so that's what we did. We arrived, bought our tickets and took a minibus from the entrance on the main road to the trail. The path was easy to follow and not too strenuous despite the humidity. Up and down wooden stairs and along boardwalks we went until we reached the white sandy beaches that I'd hoped to see. We found a tiny little cave right by the water and sheltered from the sun while we watched the waves splash over the boulders in front of us. Craig rolled his shorts up and edged closer to the water and got splashed big time which made me chuckle. We walked further along the coast, through a field of palm trees to another beach perhaps even nicer than the one before. Time was running out so we walked back via the wide trail that horses are taken down which was a slight shortcut to the coastal path that we had taken in the morning. 

Walking Through Palms in Colombia

One of Many Beaches at Tayrona National Park in Colombia

An infuriatingly long travel day back to Cartagena followed our lovely coastal adventures and the day after that was our last full day not just in Colombia but in South America too. Our flight to Panama had been booked a while back and marked an exciting new chapter in our travels, a forty day adventure through Central America to Cancun in Mexico where our flight to New York awaited. 

We spent our last day organising our rucksacks, I had decided to leave a few things behind to lighten my pack including my alpaca jumper from Argentina which turned out not to be alpaca wool at all.  We enjoyed a delicious lunch in a café in Cartagena and then met our buddy Carl for one last time. As fate would have it he was leaving the same day as us but his journey was to be many days on board a cargo ship destined for New Zealand. As we sat on the sidewalk on a warm evening we joked that we'd wave at him as he passed through the Panama Canal, the next morning after a restless night we left Colombia. The end of an era and the beginning of a new one. 

🎥 Colombia video:

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Mancora, Peru

Palms at Dusk in Mancora, Peru

After a thrilling month in Peru our time was coming to an end. We decided to go to Mancora; a beach town in the north of Peru to relax for a couple of days after our demanding trek in the Andes. Unfortunately we weren't able to travel directly by coach, we had to break up the journey with a stop in Trujillo. We arrived in Trujillo in the morning after an overnight bus journey from Huaraz. We had to wait in the station for the ticket office to open, once it did we snagged the last two seats on a bus leaving in the evening for Mancora. We had a day to kill in a random town with our bags in tow. It was hot, as we were at low altitude again the heat was intense and it was a bright sunny day. We made our way to another station where our night bus would be leaving from and we were able to leave our bags there. We strolled into the town past a huge mosaic mural along a university wall snacking on some cinnamon buns that we had picked up along the way. The town was experiencing a power cut and so many of the shops and restaurants were either shut or relying on noisy generators for power. We got some breakfast in a nice looking cafe but without air conditioning and only a few futile fans we were boiling. The town was fairly quiet and we whiled away the hours by sitting in cafes and on the square's green reading and watching the world go by. When it was time we walked back to the bus station and boarded.

The coach arrived in Mancora in the early morning, it was still dark. We stopped in the sweaty and fly-ridden coach office for a while before deciding to take a tuk tuk to our accommodation. The drive was short and despite agreeing firmly on a price beforehand the driver still tried to overcharge us. We remained firm and simply walked away until he eventually drove off. Our room looked on to a central garden area with colourful hammocks swaying slightly in the breeze. We made use of the hammocks and only went into town for food, once for a vegan seitan sandwich and again for a very sloppy but delicious vegetarian burger at a place owned by an American. 

The next day I woke up to hundreds of insect bites all over my left side. Despite using my own personal mosquito net something had got to me and I'd had a reaction too so the bites were huge and very angry. Undeterred we wandered into town and to the fruit and vegetable market where we bought lots of salad vegetables to make our own fresh lunch and dinner. We strolled along the pretty beach and treated ourselves to a delicious milkshake at a milk bar overlooking the sand. 

Our last day was again pretty uneventful, our coach would be leaving in the late evening so we checked out and left our bags in storage while we relaxed at the hostel. The highlight of the day and probably our entire time in Mancora was dinner. We stopped at Green Eggs and Ham a restaurant right next to the milk bar that we went to the day before. We shared a Mexican omelette with beer battered fries and a Mexican salad topped off with a chocolate brownie and vanilla ice cream for dessert. The food was divine and we had the whole terrace overlooking palm trees and the beach to ourselves. We watched the sky turn blush pink at dusk and talked about our time in Peru and how fantastic it had been; from peaceful convents and epic canyons in Arequipa to the majestic Sacred Valley and Cusco. From awe inspiring Machu Picchu to the mysterious Nazca lines and relaxed oasis of Huacachina. Even the bustling capital of Lima was a joy thanks to our wonderful homestay hosts. It truly has been a fantastic place to travel and has reignited our love for South America after a difficult time in Bolivia. 

You may have noticed the lack of photographs in this post and apologies for that. I will go into detail in the next post but in summary our camera was stolen just after our time in Mancora and the photographs that we had taken were not yet backed up, therefore I only have a handful of  iPhone photographs of our time there.

🎥 Peru video:

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