2/14/2011: Transiting the Panama Canal

Transiting the Panama Canal was truly an amazing experience.  How appropriate, that the 2nd leg of our journey, we got to see Amazing follow us.

D and I through the Miraflores Locks

Damon and I really wanted to transit the Panama Canal.  And, there are several ways to do this involving lots of money.  We did not want to do it that way.  So, off we went to become line-handlers.  Line-handlers, as you might surmise, handle lines (aka ropes to you land-lubbers) that are attached to boats, which help a boat safely transit the Canal.    

Why is this needed and how does it work?  Well, you can imagine that transiting the Canal is kinda a big deal.  It is.  You want it to go right, ie, you want the boat to go through the Canal without hitting the sides or other boats that are in the locks with you.  Add 267 MILLION gallons of swishing, swirling water for EACH LOCK and you can see why you might want some safety measures in place.  Here come the lines.  

If you imagine a boat as a sheet that's blowing in the wind and you want it under control, you'd want a rope (line) on each corner, attached to something which keeps it taught.  That's basically the idea for getting ships through the Canal: the lines help guide the boats through the middle of the Canal.  Small boats like sail boats have people attached to each end of those lines.  Big boats like tankers have machines (lovingly called mules) attached to those lines.  

Mules

Mule

Well, through a series of posting signs at a couple of yacht clubs, pouring over internet postings and the good 'ole fashioned hanging at the local sailor bar, we found a boat and they invited us to crew with them.

Santorini is a '48 foot Ketch and a beautiful boat - in fact, it was a show model and even had a washing machine and china cupboard on board!  Captain Tom and First Mate/Galley Queen Dawn were wonderful hosts as well as their crew, Canaan - from Georgetown!

Capt. Tom and Dawn with the San Pedro locks in the back

Canaan at the bow at San Pedro Locks

The first night at anchor on the Pacific side, we got to know each other a bit and talked about what to expect.  We hoped to tie up to a tug boat which means you basically glide through with them in the locks so it's super-easy.  Then, the next morning, we set off to transit the Canal!

When you transit, you are boarded by an Advisor who works for the Panama Canal Transit Authority and they guide you through the process.  Pfew!  Our Advisor was really great: calm, nice and knowledgeable.

Here we are underway passing under the Bridge of the Americas!

The mast of the Santorini and the Bridge of the Americas

Approaching the Miraflores Locks, first set of locks on the Pacific side, I was once again blown away by the sheer magnitude of the Canal, the volume of traffic and containers that pass through daily and everything that is required to make THAT happen. 

Check out the size of these cranes, which move the containers of the tankers!  

 

The tugs, which push the tankers around!  And, the City in the background.

WOW!

Headed into the Miraflores Locks it's surreal to look up at the Visitor's Center and all the tourists watching you go through.  To think we were "them" just a few days earlier!

Miraflores Visitor's Center - we were one of those tine on-lookers just last week!

Passing through the locks is a cool experience with the water raising or lowering your boat along with the others.  Rising tides do life all boats!  

You do have to stay on your toes a bit, though when the locks open as there is likely to be a shift in the boat because of the shifting water - remember 237 MILLION gallons are at play!

Once through the first set of locks, we entered Gatun Lake and passed under the Culebra Cut - a 7 mile cut through the mountains - impressive!

The Culebra Cut

Because sailboats generally are much slower than tankers or cruise ships, it usually takes 2 days to transit the Canal.  This means a night on the Lake moored on the biggest mooring ball any of us have ever seen.  Look at the size of that sucker!

A mooring ball so big you can dance on it!

In the morning, it was time again to pass through the Locks and this time we'd finally be in the Caribbean.  We lucked out being in front of a HUGE tanker named "Amazing" - quite appropriate, don'tcha think?

Notice the mules pulling Amazing and notice how little room she has between her and the locks.

All in all, it was a truly Amazing experience - yes, I did that on purpose.  Phrases like "the 8th wonder of the world", "they don't build things like the used to", etc do tend to fall out of your mouth during journeys like this and they did.

If you have further questions about this trip or the Canal, just ask!

The end

2/7/2011: Panama City, Panama

Downtown seen from Casco Viejo

Bridge of the Americas

Cerro Ancon (the big hill in the middle of town)

Revolution Tower - the floors spin!

Nickle Tour: Panama City is a bustling capital and a world city.  It’s a diverse city of contrasts complete with Chinese bankers, Afro-Antillean immigrants come Panamanians, sky-scapers, slums and of course, the Canal.  However, we found the City (and surrounding region) to have a relatively un-developed infrastructure for tourism, which can be both good and bad.

Travel Tip: If you’re on a long journey and need “it” or simply missing the States, visit any of the City’s malls and you’ll find anything from movie theaters (including an Alamo-esque dine-in cinema), Cartier, 4-star restaurants (and KFC-food courts), Payless shoes and outdoor stores.

See:  Below is a suggested itinerary for 24 hours in the City.  If you have more time and/or are interested in a couple of day-trips from Panama City, check out this post

At the Miraflores Visitor's Center overlooking the locks

Morning: The Miraflores Locks and Visitor’s Center is a must see.  *Hot tip* The best time to see ships pass through these locks is from 9-11am or 3-5pm.  The museum offers a great overview of the Canal: its history, the layout and construction.  The movie, however, views like propaganda  . . .  You can view ships, tour the museum and have lunch at the restaurant ($20 pp for a buffet that’s ample but not extraordinary – just do it anyway) in about 3 hours.  *Hot tip* While you can get a taxi to take you to the Locks and then another to take you back, often a taxi will wait for you to complete your visit.  This should cost you about $20 (from Amador). 

Panal Canal Administration Building

 In regard to the Panal Canal Administration Building, unless you’re an art/history freak or have the time, you might want to skip it.  The murals and the view is cool, yes, but I wouldn’t consider it a “must-see” on your bucket list.  More interesting to me is the fact that they paid the artist $30K in commission – not bad for the early 20^th – or the architecture of the surrounding gov buildings which look exactly the same as all of the Texa A&I buildings my Dad taught at in Kingsville, TX, because they were built by the same military funds.


Afternoon: You can easily wander around Casco Viejo in a couple of hours.  Stay towards the southeast portion of the peninsula as the area is surrounded by slums.  Highlights include meandering around neighborhood to view the restored, semi-restored and crumbling buildings, the beautiful little square of Plaza de la Independencia, which houses the Panama Canal Museum,  and Parque Bolivar which houses the President’s Palace, and the Embajada de Francia Park at the tip of the Peninsula with views of downtown and the Causeway.  Hungry?  Drop by the Fish Market for cheap seafood that you pick out downstairs and they prepare upstairs.   Need a drink?  Try out the classy Havana Bar.

Typical Casco Viejo building

Other things to do include getting a panoramic view of the City by hiking to the top of Cerro Ancon, the big hill in the Canal Zone, and biking along the man-made, 3-mile long Amador Causeway. 

Gehry Museum, at left; Cerro Ancon, at right

Along the Causeway, you’ll pass the Frank Gehry-designed museum (under construction) and a branch of The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (pet starfish anyone?).  At the end of the Causeway there are a couple of restaurants.  I’d recommend stopping at Barko for their name-sake ceviche (ceviche made with coconut milk and jalapenos, yum).

Sleep:

While we stayed the first night in a hotel reminiscent of the Shining (Hotel Casco Antigua), we promptly moved out of the noisy and dangerous section of Casco Viejo to the Balboa district and into the Hostal Amador.  We were very pleased with The Hostal Amador which is more like a hotel than a typical hostal.  It’s $35 per night, has AC, is safe, is in a quiet neighborhood, includes breakfast, is  close to the Albrook Airport, the causeway, a $15 cab ride to Miraflores Locks, a $3-5 cab ride to Casco Viejo and $5 cab ride downtown – what more could you ask for?

Eats:

• Downtown:  Eurasia is a quaint, up-scale place that serves up delicious fusion meals. 10 Bistro is another up-scale eatery with two locations downtown (1 in the Multiplaza mall, where we ate before a movie.
• As previously mentioned, the ceviche at Barko at the end of the Causeway is worth the bike ride
• If you want to rub elbows with “the locals” try the Fish Market and Café Coca-Cola in Casco Viejo.  They both serve up good dishes in an authentic atmosphere.

More: 

Thoughts on the Canal: I’m completely blown away by the Canal.  It’s clearly an engineering marvel – sure, let’s survey an impassable jungle, invent new equipment for the project and dig the equivalent of through the Earth and then some.  But, from my public-policy-perspective, it’s a whole ‘nother miracle.  Consider that in order to build the Canal, the Americans had to build an ENTIRE CITY to support it – complete with a new-fangled socialized public health and roadway system (Don’t want malaria?  Pave ALL the streets and give everyone window screens!).  And, don’t forget the comforts American workers want at home: Rotary Clubs, the Boy Scouts, etc. Import, import, import, funds, funds, funds.  Again, as a public policy sucker who has witnessed tons of (awesome) government-funded projects go by the wayside (or not), it’s absolutely A-M-A-Z-I-N-G to me to think of the grant requests to fund a bowling alley for officers, approved (or maybe not).

1/14/2011: All about Bocas del Toro, Panama

Ferry Port, Bocas del Toro

Nickle Tour:  We love Bocas.  Because it’s a series of islands, we found life on the water to be just what we have been looking for so while we came for just a week, we stayed for three and we'll back for two months in March.  Bocas has so much to offer:  “city” life in Town complete with great food and nightlife, secluded beaches, diving, snorkeling, caves, hiking, jungle, surfing, sailing, wildlife (monkeys, red frogs, starfish, etc) and months and months of places to explore on land and by water.  There’s also a great mix of cultures in Bocas anchored by a diverse group of native Panamanians (indigenous tribes, Latinos of Spanish descent and Afro-Antillians) and supplemented by expats and cruisers from all over the world – including a lot of Texans!

Travel Tip:  You may notice Isla Caranero is barely mentioned in this post.  That’s because the threat of the bugs has kept us away.   You can definitely feel them on the other islands, so I’m not eager for an increase in irritation.

See:

Spending time in Bocas town:

Starfish Beach:  Take the bus to the northern tip of the island and get off at Drago Beach($5 RT), walk around the point to view hundreds of starfish laying in crystal clear water.   

Rent a bike and explore the town.  For a nice ride, continue out of town and take the right towards Paunch and Bluff beach.  (An easy ride that’s about 2 hours round trip.

• 
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  

      Learn Spanish.  If you’re staying for a while, take a refresher class at Spanish by the Sea.  I did and it was great.  

·         

      Take a tour.  Many outfitters can arrange experiences ranging from day-sails to diving and the ever popular Dolphin Bay-Red Frog Beach-Zapatillas day tour.  The Bocas Sustainable Tourism Alliance is a good place to look for reputable tours.

A day on Bastimentos:

·         Pack a cooler of drinks and snacks and take a water taxi to the Red Frog Marina, take a short walk to the sea-side to bodysurf on Red Frog Beach and check out the Beach’s namesake. 

·         After enjoying a few hours on Red Frog beach, hike south along the beach towards Wizzard Beach, which is great for surfing and Up the Hill (an almost-always hot, muddy hike) for a taste of refreshing  lemongrass tea or other locally-made organic products (many made from coconuts from their property).

·         Just past Up the Hill is The Thai Place which overlooks the bay and will satisfy your hunger with a spicy plate of yum after a day of fun in the sun.

Sleep:

Even though are house-sitting on Dolphin Bay, we spent some time in the area before and after our gig and can make the following recommendations:

Bocas Town:  Staying in Bocas town is very convenient but while you’ll definitely find the parties, you’ll have a hard time finding that deserted island feel unless you go further out towards Paunch Beach.

·         Las Olas ($40) is on the water, offers nice rooms with AC, TV, wi-fi, is safe and pleasant and has an on-site restaurant and bar which closes down early so it’s not noisy.

·         Spanish by the Sea ($20) is located on the school grounds but accepts non-students.   They have dorms and a few private rooms (as well as home-stays for students).  Internet and a kitchen is included.

·        Azucar Surf Retreat is on the other side of town (5 minutes by bike) and has 3 or 4 super-cute little cabinas, a private dock, kitchen/hang-out room overlooking the water. Plus, they have an on-site "spa" which is a lofted studio run by the wonderful Donna who does waxing, massage, etc at very reasonable prices. You can even get a massage on the dock, at sunset!

Bastimentos:  It’s just a $3 water taxi ride away (during the day and $5 at night) but is world’s away from the “hustle and bustle” (yeah, right) of Bocas town. 

D at the Point on our balcony

      

The Point ($30) maintained by the friendly Canadian John, is, you guessed it, at  the point of the island.  If you’re looking for high ceilings of a wood framed cabina overlooking the sea with breezes and waves crashing below, this is the place for you.  Free kayaks and surfboards.  One drawback: no internet or kitchen.  But, a fridge is included for your cold drinks and food.

Eat:

Good Eats in Bocas Town (in order of my faves):

·         The Ultimate Refugio is fantastic!  Weekly specials of seafood fusion keep me coming back to see what’s on the menu – and soon to be in my belly!  As for the pitcher of Jungle Joice, it’s a good thing you won’t be driving home!

·         The Casbah serves up Mediterranean dishes that are faboush!  We had an excellent starter of shrimp and then fig and goat cheese stuffed chicken breast, yum.

·         Bocas Marina on Friday nights serves up ribs and fire-dancing – fun!

·         John’s Bakery is the place to get your choripan (chorizo “pigs” in a blanket) and enchiladas (flaky pastries stuffed with chicken and spices).

·         Starfish Café has great breakfasts.

·         Lemongrass has good thai-fusion apps.

·         Toro Loco is the local bar which serves up typical bar food and cold beer.

·         Late-night food carts serve up grilled meats for cheap prices.

·         Super Gourmet is a good place to satisfy your need for sushi, an Italian sub or whatever else you’ve been craving from “home” (sweet pickels, Tofutti, etc).

Good Eats elsewhere:

·         The Thai Place on Bastimentos is worth the hike “up the hill”

·         Rana Azul is south of Isla Cristobal, about 10 miles south of Bocas Town by boat. They serve up brick-oven pizzas and a weekly specials on Friday nights and Sundays at noon.  Get there early (by boat only) to get a parking spot!

Rush hour at Rana Azul

More:  Bocas del Toro is an archipelago of over 9 islands, 52 keys and 200 islets just south of Costa Rica on the Carribbean coast.  There are several large islands, including Isla Colon, where the main town “Bocas” is located.  Directly across from Bocas is Isla Caranero – notorious for sand flies (chitras) – and a 10 minute boat ride away is Isla Bastimentos.  Click here for a map of Bocas and other sites of interest in Panama.

1/14/2011: Bocas del Toro, Panama

Dolphin Bay at dusk

             As you may know, Damon and I, have been invited to house-sit in Bocas del Toro from March 15^th-May 15^th.  We arrived early in January to pinch-hit for a week awaiting the January-March crew.  The house is about 8 miles south of Bocas del Toro on Dolphin Bay and is only accessible via boat, which the owners have included in the deal. 

Add caption

Just before dusk

      

      The house backs up to the rainforest, is flanked by howler monkeys and a chocolate farm and overlooks a beautiful bay.  We have the pleasure of watching over two dogs, Indie and Gellie, as well as a parrot, Jasmine, who has really taken a shine to Damon.

Damon and Jazzie

Laurie and Gellie

     

      

We're enjoying being off the grid and living on solar, rainwater catchment and boating to town on a weekly basis to provision.  We look forward to our two months back in Cerro Valero come March.  Until then, it’s time to do more exploring!

Ships in a bottle (kinda) from our deck

1/13/2011: Border Crossing #2

Crossing the border

Crossing into Panama was fairly easy except you should know that you have to have proof of departure from Panama in order to enter.  We first encountered this in Costa Rica but instead of requiring proof, we simply got a lecture.  No such luck in Panama.  But, the good news is you can (conveniently) buy a bus ticket scheduled to leave Panama back to Costa Rica 1 block from the border crossing.  Consider it your departure tax . . .

1/9/2011: Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

Sunset at the beach 

Nickle Tour:  Manuel Antonio is an a-mazing national park in Costa Rica and you should go.  Albeit, "when I was there 10 years ago things were different!" you should still go.  You'll see a wide array of wildlife, gorgeous beach and won't be disappointed.  However, if you're looking for solitude, go elsewhere.  The secret is out and the area is crowded.

Travel Tip:  While you can stay in Quepos and take a $.50 bus to and from the beach or through the main (only) road, I'd recommend staying along the main road.  If you do, you can walk to restuarants, bars, the beach, etc.  You'll feel kind of isolated in Quepos, even though it's only 7km to the beach.  But, you came to see Manuel Antonio, not Quepos so stay close to the park.

Also, hire a guide to tour Manuel Antonio - it's well worth your money to have a trained eye pointing out camouflaged wildlife, and isn't that why you came?

See: In addition to the Park (more later), we took a sunset cruise which shoved off at 3pm, included drinks, snacks and snorkeling before settling in to dinner and the beautiful sunset.  At $70 pp, it's a splurge (for backpackers) but otherwise a great deal.

The Park, of course, is a must-see

That dark spot is an agouti

No joke!

Capuchins rule the beach

Alligators on the drive to Manuel Antonio

Mapaches (racoons) checking out tourist loot

An Ibis in the park and Pelicans on the beach

A three-toed sloth hangs out

Eat:

Across from the Avion bar (the giant plane sticking out of the mountain), there is an Italian place we stopped in because it had half-priced food on Sundays.  Check out this bacon-wrapped shrimp!

El Avion Restaurant & Bar

Sleep: There are an overwhelming number of hotels along the main stretch ranging from hostels to 4-star resorts.  So, look around and you're sure to find something that suits your tastes. But, once again, I'd recommend staying closer to the beach than in Quepos.