Back in Panama

Nice to be back in familiar surroundings. Except nothing about this place is familiar... The amount of development that has gone on here is astounding. Pretty much all of it in just the last eight years. Panama took back control of the canal in 2000, and since then there has been plenty of money, stable government, foreign investment, and a mad scramble to build and build and build...








Panama City only has a population of about 1.4M, yet it seems to be ten times that. This development is really only in the city too. I've been told that David (the city I lived in near Costa Rica) won't look much different. Will find out in a few days.

Flying straight from Ushuaia, where it was snowing, to Panama at 37 degrees was a bit of a shock too! Had a seven hour wait back in buenos aires so didn't bother to head back into the city.

I had made contact with Margarita, who is my cousin from my first trip here, and she picked me up at the airport. So nice being met and picked up, rather than trying to find the right bus, not lose bags etc! Headed back into the city to a restaurant for some breakfast, and it was fantastic to have Panamanian food again! Such a more interesting cuisine here compared to Argentina!

Yesterday we headed into the country to visit a town that is famous for its ceramics, as Margarita has a commission to supply crockery here for the new Waldorf Astoria that is being built here (she's actually a PhD in Electrical Engineering, but designs components part time and runs a coffee plantation in Boquete and various apartments here in the city), and it does look like the interior has not changed much... There are some nice resorts being built though.








Also caught up with Bob McIntosh who was a great help to me when I was first here. We went with his son and a visiting business associate to the Balboa Yacht Club and out to some islands along the edge of the canal.

And I may have found a boat to do some Caribbean cruising too. Just spoke to the skipper and will meet him tomorrow. Sounds perfect, the only potential issue is timing. He is waiting to transit the canal so the boat can be taken to the US Virgin Islands where he has charter work. I hope he doesn't want to leave for a week or so so I have time in Chiriqui and David. Anyway, will find out more tomorrow. Very keen for this opportunity, as check out the boat at: talofacaribbeansailing.com

Fingers crossed!

It was a big call to (at lest temporarily) skip Peru, Chile, etc, but I'm very glad I did as it is great to be with friends and can't wait to revisit David and family!

Hasta!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Panama City