I was recently looking back, and found that I started this blog 10 years ago, there was a lot of poetry around that time and I think I was still searching through my travelling country possible adventures. Things have changed a little bit due to the covid pandemic and my navigation towards travelling to 100 countries was stalled. That said, my desire to get to “100 countries before I die” remains as strong as ever. I should be further along with that journey, but I am where I’m up to, and I could not be more pleased to be heading for a flight.

Five years ago I went to Argentina, Peru and Uruguay on my first venture into South America. Following that, covid inspired, I began to learn Spanish, so I am excited to be headed back to South America a little more prepared. Though when I get to Brazil; Portuguese might be a challenge:)

On this trip out of Seattle I head first to Central America and Panama, via Miami. I go in October which means it is Thunderstorm season. Arriving early afternoon I was greeted by “La Lluvia” … the rain. The trip from the airport was long as traffic was loco and the journey, which should have been short, became very long. The car horns were loud, the taxi driver was crazy, and the passenger was left to remember that, this is travelling!

I’m finding Panama weather is predictably unpredictable, sunny mornings followed by rainy afternoons, and HOT and HUMID, but thunderstorms might just pop up sometime else! On my first half-day I only saw the rain as I arrived early afternoon, but my second day was greeted with lots of sunshine as I headed out early for a mammoth walking day covering 21 miles. Lots of sun before the early afternoon rain, which I missed, as I was back in the hotel “watching Burnley win v Norwich“, thanks to the reliable VPN. It’s pretty crazy what technology can do these days.

The Paseo del Mar and Cinta Costera run along the Panama bay and a great way to spend some time on a sunny morning. With the humidity, the stroll/walking pace that I was doing was more than enough for a quiet Tuesday morning. The stroll began to lead into a mammoth walking tour as I stepped into Casco Viejo. It’s the historic district of Panama

There’s lots to see in the charming spot for tourists, Churches, restaurants and narrow streets in an area of many restored buildings in this UNESCO world heritage site.

If you like to wander, like me, you might end up walking through El Chorillo which is a stones throw from Casco Viejo, and known as one of the poorest neighbourhoods within Panama. They say don’t walk back from the Amador Causeway as it will bring you into this neighbourhood. Hmm, so that is exactly what I did, more on that later.

Stretching 3.7 miles into the Pacific Ocean the Amador Causeway is a wonderful walk which starts at the BioMuseo and extends out like a broken golf club into the Pacific. The weather was great, the views were splendid and Panama was showing itself well, even though my feet had began to complain about the distance heading out, and knowing there was the same distance going back!

Finding my way back was fairly straightforward as you just follow the water, what I didn’t realise was that to get to Casco Viejo and beyond I had to wander through El Chorillo. I’m not exactly sure how safe or unsafe it is, but I know people get shot there, which I am guessing is not good! I survived, so all was fine.

Post the Burnley victory I headed out again to revisit Casco Viejo and go to a restaurant that was recommended to me at Tantolo. The views are excellent, the beer was great, but the food let it down for me. As I made three steps out of the restaurant the heavens opened once again. Cue scuttling for a taxi and head back to the sanctuary of my hotel.

On my final day I headed to the Panama Ship Canal ~ it connects the Atlantic ocean and the Pacific Ocean, and divides North and South America. It’s a great feat of engineering and you can learn about the history of how it is what it is now. I remember growing up always knowing about the Panama Canal, it was kind of surreal to see it in the flesh. An engineering wonder, but I have to say after the big build up, a little underwhelming due to the smell of paint and the hundreds of screaming school kids who all seemed to be on the education outing to see the Panama Ship Canal.

From there I caught a taxi to go to the Metropolitan Park, its no ordinary park. Despite being close to the city it is a 573 acre nature sanctuary. The only tropical forest to serve as a public recreational park for a metro area. You never just know who you might run into in this park?

The tranquil walk meanders up to Cerro Cedro where you get amazing views of the city that is just a hop, skip and a jump away. Well, just over three miles from Panama downtown to be precise.

What happened next, on the way back down took some believing. The heavens opened and I mean bombed, the paths I meandered with ease on the way up to the tup were metamorphosized into gushing lakes on the way down. I’d taken shelter for a while as the rain came down, but it turned into a full on thunder and lightning thunderstorm. The cracks of lightning were so loud I thought they were inside my head. Hanging around for shelter was futile, so I bit the bullet and coated up as best I could, and took off treching through the guzzling lakes on the way back down.

I made it back down to the visitor centre, I think I might have been drier if I had jumped in a lake. The official use of soaked to the skin was in full effect. I am not sure if this is normal in Panama, it might well be, but it was just plain crazy.

I’ve been trying to dry my clothes for two days now, my shoes could take a week to dry out. I won’t forget my trip to the Panama Metropolitan Park in a hurry.

Taxis were in short supply in the rain, and I am not even sure a taxi driver would have let me into his vehicle. Fortunately the Allbrook Mall Metro Station is not far away, so I carried on in the rain a couple more miles and found my way to the warm and dry of the metro. Overhead was dry, but my clothes remained very much drenched.

I squelched back to the hotel to dry off and get a change of clothes so I could venture out to go one more time and check out the F & F Building. Whenever I had watched video’s about Panama I kept seeing this weird shape building, anyway, I went to check it out and it is darn amazing. I have no idea how they built it, or how it is standing.

I’m headed our of Panama with Copa Airlines who will take me the short two hour flight to Quito in Ecuador for a few days. I’m looking forward to seeing more of South America.