Abi's Deep Dive

A trip born from necessity, but a real adventure!

When you enter Mexico your passport is stamped with a date until which you can stay, this is your visa. My visa ran out in January, so I had to leave Mexico to get another stamp in my passport so that I can stay a bit longer. The process of choosing where to go was long……flight price, accommodation prices, dates, times, safety, food prices and political unrest….once I had narrowed down the options I looked at New Orleans, Belize, Costa Rica and Panama. Belize is beautiful and I would love to go and dive there, but Belize city isn’t great in terms of safety and going to the Cayes is expensive for just a short trip. New Orleans was the top contender in January when I started looking, but prices shoot up in February, which is when head office approved the budget, and so that was no longer an option.. Costa Rica and Panama looked similar in terms of cost in the country but all flights to Costa Rica changed in Panama and so I started looking there. I booked an Airbnb and the flights, and then did practically no research into what I could do when I got there!

I flew on Thursday. My taxi was booked for 5am so I woke up at 3am (my fathers daughter) and was waiting patiently when the taxi arrived. First stop was Immigration to pay a fine for over staying my visa. I was so nervous but it was a very bureaucratic process with a very bored looking lady who spoke no English. Fine paid, I booked into a lounge to wait for my flight.

The flight is short, so one film later and I could see Panama over the wing. There was so much jungle, the view was spectacular.

The journey from the airport to the apartment was a 20 minute drive. There were the high rises of the new part of the city, with a back drop of hills covered in lush greenery. I saw mountains and city and slums. Online “guides to Panama” list areas that are not considered safe for tourists, and it was clear from the journey that they butted up to areas that were recommended. The taxi driver Hector had been recommended by the Airbnb host and he was great answering questions that I had on the journey. We managed a good chat in “Spanglish”, and after queuing in a long line of cars driving around impossibly narrow one way streets, he got me to my destination and walked me to the front door of the apartment. Bags dropped off, me freshened up, I set off to explore. The apartment I was in was on a pedestrian street, and it was noisy! Shops with open fronts competed with street vendors, many of whom called out to people walking past. The Spanish is different here to the Mexican Spanish I have become used to, when I looked this up I found that it has a Caribbean influence from the people who were taken to Panama as slaves, and you can hear that in the rhythm of speech. I wandered not feeling 100 percent comfortable, aware of the rubbish that is everywhere and the people who were asleep on the pavement, glad to be wearing trainers as the whole street smelt of stale urine. Casco Viejo is a peninsula jutting into the Pacific Ocean which makes it easy to keep your bearings. I had no direction, other than to wander until I found somewhere that looked good for food and a drink, but I quickly found the bits you aren’t supposed to go into, with the fronts of buildings falling off and children sitting in doorways asking for money as I passed. It was hot, 34 degrees and so humid. I was mesmerized by the juxtaposition of streets that are falling down next to streets filled with expensive shops and the most beautiful balconied buildings.

That first day I walked haphazardly taking everything in and trying to remember where certain shops and restaurants were in relation to my apartment, I found a wine shop and learned about Panamanian rum, got some food in a bar that had been recommended by Hector, then went to a supermarket to get snacks and headed back to the apartment in the early evening exhausted.

Day 2 I was up bright and early as the voices from the shops below announced their opening. Eager to see more, now that I was not so tired, I headed to a road called Cinta Costera that forms a loop around Casco Viejo.

I had read that you get some great views so off I went like Dora the Explorer, rucksack and trainers on, water bottle filled, enthusiasm up!! From my apartment I could go the same way that I had explored the day before or in the opposite direction towards the highway (near the fish market) so I went that way. I was walking along, taking it all in, smell of urine still strong, stepping over rubbish, dodging people coming the other way when a man stumbled out in front of me from a side road. He was filthy. I looked at his feet first and they were black, no shoes or socks. He had shorts on, but before I had looked up any further he reached back to scratch his bum and I realised that his shorts were no longer sewn together, they were just hanging down and so I got the view of him actually scratching his bum. He was wearing no other clothes, and was covered in dirt in an ingrained way all over his body. He was the first of many people I saw over the next few days who appeared to be homeless. (One man was showering himself in the street, taking turns tipping containers containing soap and then water over his head and using his hands to lather up his body). I carried on towards my destination feeling sad that there was such a contrast here between people like me who fly in for a visit, the very rich who stay at the expensive hotels in the heart of the old town, and those who don’t even have underwear never mind running water.

I made it to Cinta Costa. I had smiled and said Buen Dia to people on my way as I would in Mexico but most people didn’t return the smile or the greeting, those who did mainly said Buena which is different to what I hear normally. I found that it was the older generation who would smile and return my greeting but I persisted with whoever crossed my path! Cinta Costa has the road as well as a wonderful footpath and cycle path that runs along side it. There are plants all the way along and viewing points to look back towards Casco Viejo, it is really lovely. When I got to the start of the path there was a group of men working on the flower beds. Because of the sun, people working outside here normally wear long trousers and long sleeves. Sometimes they also have face coverings, and when they are using machetes (standard tool for pruning here) it can be a little intimidating. I kept up with the smiling and greetings, pony tail shining behind me, and most of them replied if not on my way out then when I came back past them again. Perhaps the shock took a minute to wear off! All the way along the path the different flowers caught my eye. I took photos to send to my Dad, and really loved seeing the vibrant colours despite it being March. Seasons don’t correlate for me when its so hot and sunny, spring in England is often so cold and wet, dull light and wind can make everything feel so grey. Here the sun was out and the colours were bright!

The road ends in El Chorrillo which is an area that all the guides say to avoid, so I got to near the end of the road and then turned around and walked back. At one point a police motorbike with two police officers came tearing along the bike lane, so it was definitely monitored, but apart from that I just saw two men running. It was perfect for a run, lovely flat surfaces, no incline, distances marked out on the pavement and great views! I had now worked up a thirst so when I got back to town I headed for “snack shack” which had been recommended in a blog I had read the day before. Lots of the places had food and drinks on the menu that I see in Mexico, but honestly none of them were as good as the ones I have had there. I tried different tacos, and margaritas all just to compare, but soon decided to leave those for when I got back. they weren’t bad, they just weren’t Mexican good!

Ancon Hill

You can see Ancon Hill wherever you are in Casco Viejo, a fabulously jungly hill with a flag on top. It marks the edge of the rainforest and people have seen sloth, monkeys and toucan there. I messaged Hector and asked for advice on getting there, its not far on the map, but between my apartment and the bottom of the hill is El Chorillo and a big highway. He advised that I get a taxi there, it was $5 each way so I agreed that this was most sensible and arranged a 7am pick up so that I could see the sun rise as I walked up. Hector said it would probably take 30 minutes to get to the top, so i said I would message him when I got back to the drop off point for a lift back to the apartment. It was quiet at the starting point, and I enjoyed the sound of the birds rustling around and singing in the tree tops. I was surrounded by huge trees, vines and a thick canopy of leaves. The path goes around the hill broken up by a few flights of stairs at the bottom of the hill. A few runners were out, some with dogs, mainly chihuahuas, who were running rather than being carried in bags! The view was stunning, from one side I could see the route i had taken the day before, and from the other side the Panama Canal. the sun rose in the sky and it was hard to choose the most beautiful view point!

I was nearing the summit when I heard a bird cry I had not previously heard, no-one else around I waited quietly to try and work out where it was coming from, the sound came again, it was loud! I peered through the trees and there was the unmistakeable shape of a toucan!!!! That made my day! I didn’t see sloth or monkeys but a toucan, it was great! I smiled all the way to the summit and took a photo of the flag, took in the views then started to make my way back down. Somehow I missed my exit. I ended up on the opposite side of the hill, but made the most of exploring a different area and saw several little poisonous dart frogs, worth getting lost for.

I kept walking, convinced I knew where I had to end up, it was hot, I was attracting more attention than I would like in areas that a lone tourist probably shouldn’t be wandering around, I turned my data on to message Hector but couldn’t get any connection, so sweating (only a little from fear that I would have to walk all the way back to my apartment) I kept walking. I made it back to the starting point a while after I had anticipated, and Hector was there!! He had worried that he hadn’t heard from me so had come back. I showed him the map of the extra 6 kms I had walked and he said I needed to eat and drove me back to the apartment!! Map included for your entertainment (1-2 is the only bit I had intended to walk). After a shower I spent the afternoon eating and wandering the old town before tacos and a cocktail and bed.

Taboga Island

I had fancied a day at the beach to relax after all of the walking I had done, a lot of the beach places are the other side of Panama, so a couple of hours drive away and a bit more costly, so Hector took me to a ferry port that was a short ride from the apartment. I bought a ticket for the next ferry, bought a croissant and sat and watched the boats bobbing around while I waited. I love being on a boat so I sat on the top deck and took it all in. There were great big ships queuing but we skipped around them and headed for a green island. I was so excited to see somewhere new, mask and snorkel ready to explore the coast. The island looked great as we moored up, and all filed off. It looked busier to the right so I went left onto the beach. There were a few people in the water and families gathered around blankets and picnics. I walked along the edge of the water and saw rubbish. There was an almost continual line of it. Cans, bottles, plastic…. I kept going and the beach got quieter and rocky with houses right next to the sea. There were pipes coming out from the houses into the sea. I can only assume these were waste water pipes from the properties so that was it, I did not get into the water!

Plans of a swim scuppered I went back to explore the busier side to the right of the ferry pier. The beach was packed. Fat Americans in too small swim wear, jet skis, huge speakers blasting out rap and R&B competing with each other, and even more rubbish. My heart sank. There were some beautiful houses along a footpath leading away from the beach, but I don’t know why anyone would want to visit or live there. People had ruined it. I headed straight back to wait for the next ferry.

My time in Panama nearly over I had a few more places to visit for food or a drink, and a few more streets to wander. I had some good food, and there are some really lovely spots to eat and drink!

Apart from Taboga and Ancon Hill I stayed in Casco Viejo. Some of the architecture is beautiful, and one can spend hours taking photos of the crumbling beauty, poverty and beautifully renovated buildings. There is a rich history in Panama and it is easy to find information as there are plaques and signs around to explain the history and importance of certain areas and buildings. It was an experience I am glad I had, but I was relieved to get back to Mexico and the friendly strangers I have become used to. Here are a few more photos I took during my stay…..