Panama, our final country in Central America and I have to admit this has been is my favourite!

Starting with the border crossing from Costa Rica to Panama, it´s the most bizarre border crossing yet.

Having not been charged the $26 for leaving Costa Rica (we can eat more than Rice and Beans tonight) and collecting yet another stamp in the passport we were guided to the border crossing. In front of us was a metal framed structure, with wooden slats from one side to the other…………… a bridge I think the Officer called it! Hahahaha I couldn´t believe what I was seeing, I´m sure this bridge featured in ‘The Great Escape’ it looked over 100 years old. I needed to confirm that we did infact need to cross this bridge to get in to Panama and that the bridge wasn´t just some historic feature that the Officer wanted to show us before we left Costa Rica for good!!!!! Sure enough it was the official crossing, Bloody Hell! I wasn´t too sure whether to take the journey slow or just peg it across praying the whole time that it wasn´t today the bridge decided to give way. Fortunately we made it hahaha.

Our next journey was much more pleasant (and safer) a 45minute boat trip through the beautiful mangroves from Changuinola to Bocas del Torro, the scenery was amazing, lots of small uninhabited islands. We chose to stay on the most visited and developed of the Bocas del Torro islands, Isla Colon. The small town with it´s Caribbean feel and Indian Restaurant was part of the highlights. Ohhhhh yes we headed straight for the Indian and ordered KORMA immediately without seeing the rest of the menu, the Canadian/Indian owner laughed at us and told us that most of us English arrive and head straight for the restaurant and order KORMA hahaha! Are we that predictable?

Throughout Central America we have visited a fair amount of beaches, and with this level of knowledge I am confident in saying Panama has the best!

Finally……White Sand Beaches and Turquoise Waters, ohhhhh Dolly has found heaven!!!

We hopped on a water taxi and within 30 mins we´d stripped off, Bikini on and was soaking up the sunshine on Red Frog Beach, here you can rent a surf board or grab a cocktail at Flip Flop Cafe.

Oh it doesn´t stop there……………

Another day and another water taxi took us to Caye Zapatillas the snorkelling here was fantastic, we saw a bright yellow star fish and sooo many tropical fishes. The island is unihabited and no cafe insight, it was our own desert island, we walked around the whole island, I felt like Robinson Crusoe hahaha.

All good beaches come to an end and a few days later we left Bocas heading for Panama City, we took a slight detour to break up the 12 hour bus journey and spent 2 days up in the mountains, a small town called Boquete. The contrast in Boquete to several other towns in C.America was amazing, the locals had front lawns…… they were even mowing their front lawns!!! Crazy sight! I got very excited as we found the local ‘western Deli’ and they sold McVities Digestive Biscuit’s, wooohoooooo Dolly finds heaven again!!

Soooo after all that excitement we have finally arrived in Panama City……

City life here is madness, several countries in one! At one end of the city you have the ruins of Panama Viejo founded in 1519, colonial Casco Antiguo with it´s reminicent feel of Havana to the impressive skyline of the financial district, which could be mistaken for Lower Manhatten.

Taking care when walking around the city, the ´Red Devil´buses take no prisoners, the loud Punta Rock music pumps out on every route and the conductors hanging out shouting the different destinations.

For a more calming afternoon we took a stroll to Miraflores Lock on the famous Panama Canal, here you can view humongous cargo ships passing through the lock! Ships pay according to their weight, with the average fee around $30,000, the lowest amount was $0.36, paid in 1928 by some guy who swam through, random!

Here’s the video of pretty much everything from above and a few other bit’s thrown in for good measure!

Tomorrow we leave Panama City and Central America for good, we fly to our first country in South America, Ecuador!

A new journey begins.

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