South America / Letter 10

Dec 8, 1998 Panama Travels
Hello to everyone,

I have spent the last week in Panama. It has many similarities to Costa Rica in volcanoes, Pacific and Atlantic oceans and the Panama Canal. I traveled through the Ciudad Neily, Costa Rica into Panama. This was an easy border crossing and the roads are good. Panama is rich with banana and pineapple plantations. You can see palm trees everywhere and rainforests as you rise in elevation. I traveled from David, Panama into Panama City crossing the Panama Canal. Wow! What a spectacular site. The ships are so big and the locks seem so small, it is hard to believe that they will fit. This is definitely a highlight of Panama. On Saturday, I sailed on a small ship that traveled through the locks of the Panama Canal. I was able to see the Miraflores Locks and see the workings of the canal. Next year the canal will revert to Panama and is now mostly run by this country.

My travels of Panama have included visiting Panama Viejo. This is the 1600 ruins of the first Panama City. It was a major shipping port for the gold and silver that was mined in the Darian. And has a wild history of pirates and gun battles. The local market is full of panama hats, molas (embroidered shirts) and chacara (purses and bags) crafted by the Kuna Indians. The Kuna live on the Island of San Blas and have been able to keep their culture intact. The women wear a tattoo that runs between their eyes to the tip of their nose. They also wear beaded leggings that are very intricate and beautiful.

I have taken day trips out of Panama City to see national parks that are rain forests with monkeys, birds, and colorful butterflies. There is nothing like having 4 White-faced Capuchin monkeys drop seeds on your head. I also visited the summit gardens, which was filled with tropical plants and flowers.

Some of my time in Panama City has been the making of many calls about shipping information, air transport of the car, and safety issues. I have decided on air freighting our car to Bogota, Columbia. It is slightly more expensive, but the Toyota should stay intact. The stories of getting through Customs, theft, and hassles in port towns have given me a new appreciation for the efficiency of the United States. I fly out on Weds. And our car is shipped Thurs. morning at 2am where I will pick it up from the air freight office at 8am Thurs. morning. I am hoping for an easy safe transport. My plans are to head from Bogota, Columbia to Fusagasuga to Ibague and then down to Cali. I'm very excited to continue my travels. Panama has been beautiful, but has made me a little homesick. . .there are many reminders here of the United States. . .like McDonalds and Dairy Queen.

I will write more soon,
Feliz Navidad,
Ben