Trip Dates: 2008-03-12 – 2008-03-18
Hi everyone. I’ve spent the past week in Panama. I crossed the border via Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast and first traveled out to the Bocas del Toro archipelago in northern Panama. It’s an incredibly idyllic place, with a handful of different islands featuring palm trees, Caribbean beaches, jungle, and rich wildlife. To get around between the islands, you travel by water taxi.
I’ve been completely relaxing and enjoying a few days on the beach before flying to Panama City on Sunday in a small propeller plane. Panama City is a modern metropolis with a large number of wealthy people thanks to income from the Panama Canal (about 40 ships pass through the canal each day, with an average toll of around USD 80,000 per ship). The city is full of skyscrapers, modern hotels, and casinos.
On my first day in Panama City, I explored Casco Antiguo, the city’s old town with Spanish colonial architecture. The next day, we visited the Miraflores Locks, one of three sets of locks where ships are lifted or lowered 16 meters as they pass through the Panama Canal. By going through the canal, a ship saves about two weeks of travel time compared to sailing around Cape Horn.
As a result of a 25-year-old agreement, Panama took over control and revenue from the canal from the United States in 1999. I’ve now arrived in Chile after a 6.5-hour flight yesterday afternoon. This is the second-to-last country on my trip. I’ll be back with a new update in a few days.
