We drove from the mountain village of Boquete via Santa Catalina (Coiba) back to Panama City.

Boquete

Coiba National Park

The national park consists of 39 islands, is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and is one of the largest marine national parks in the world.

After about an hour flight from Panama City, we reached Isla Colón - the main island of the Bocas del Toro archipelago.

Isla Bastimentos

Polo Beach

Isla Zapatilla 2

Isla Carenero

A green oasis above the city is a great place to take a break from the hustle and bustle.

Casco Viejo

Old Town District

__________________________________

Twice a month, there is an opportunity to take a special train of the Panama Canal Railway along the beautiful route from Panama City on the Pacific to Colón on the Atlantic. The journey takes about 1.5 hours each way and travels along the Panama Canal through partly dense jungle. An absolute highlight.

Wednesday, 04.02. - Friday, 06.02.26:

Finding a last-minute alternative to the San Blas Islands turned out to be not so easy. During the high season, it is advisable to book beautiful destinations in advance. The only affordable and still available option was Isla Taboga. We had actually intentionally left the island out of our planning, as it is better known as a quick weekend destination for city dwellers than for its beauty. It presented itself to us this way, but it was very good for two relaxing days at the beach and a few Pina Coladas 😊

At 4 AM, the alarm rang because we were supposed to be picked up at 5 AM to go to the San Blas Islands.

By around 5:30, we were slowly getting anxious, and at 7 AM, the tour operator was finally reachable, and we learned that due to a storm, no boats had been going to the islands for two days. They simply forgot to inform us 🤪

The amazing thing about the 2 hours of waiting: How incredibly friendly the people here are. We are in a city with over 1 million inhabitants, and everyone passing by greets us with a friendly 'Buenos Dias'.

The first task of the day was to find a new hotel for the next night. After that, we explored the city and crafted an alternative plan for the next days by the hotel pool.

Great skyscrapers and much cleaner than I would have expected.

After about 26 hours of travel time, there was an surprisingly delicious Panama Lager 👌😊

TEXT FOLLOWS!

Transit through the Panama Canal with our ship, 294m long, 32.5m wide, and approximately 8.1m draft. Duration 8 - 10 hours.
Under the Atlantic Bridge, to the 3-fold Gatun Locks, Gatun Lake, Pedro Miguel Lock to Miraflores Lake, the 2-fold Miraflores Locks, finally to Panama City.

Colon on the Atlantic side and Panama City on the Pacific side of Panama. In between lies the 82 km long Panama Canal, considered a wonder of the modern world.
Coming from Colon, ships climb via the triple lock of Gatun, 26m up to the level of Gatun Lake, and eventually return 26m down to the level of the Pacific Ocean through the Pedro Miguel lock and the double lock of Miraflores. It is remarkable that there is only fresh water between the locks.

Panama Roadtrip (22.06-03.07) 🇵🇦

or maybe not! If you followed the news over the past few days, Panama suddenly made headlines - Panama declares emergency in western province after deadly pension protests 📰🪧

A new travel plan became necessary since the region around Bocas del Toro was in a state of emergency. Luckily, Panama City turned out to be a beautiful place, where we spent the first days:

• the Panama Canal (absolute highlight!) ⚓️🚢
• Bio Museum about the history of Panama 🗾🌋
• Coastway to Amador; one of the most beautiful roads that exist 🛣️🌴
• Casco Viejo - Old Town ⛪️
• and the good metro system :)

On recommendations, we then traveled to El Farallón del Chirú, where we had our accommodation in the local village with Lu all to ourselves thanks to the rainy season. The accommodation Acuarela was basically our homestay with shared meals, mango and passion fruit picking, visiting a giant tree, beach day, and terrace conversations. This made it hard to say goodbye...🥹❤️

Our next destination was El Valle de Anton in the mountains of Panama, where we spent a nice, slightly rainy time hiking, enjoying nature spas, visiting local markets, and the butterfly museum. ⛰️🦋

Continuing towards Costa Rica was not possible as roadblocks would significantly extend travel time. So it was back to Ciudad de Panama - once again with a wild bus ride. 😁 We were headed for Taboga Island, which was then fully booked... such bad luck at the moment... well, that didn’t stop us from enjoying a wonderful promenade walk and skyscraper sightseeing. 🌅🌴

The next morning, we took a wild bus ride via Colon to Portobelo, where we were greeted by the Caribbean Sea and sunshine. 🏝️ The small town, influenced by Kongo culture with an intense history (from Christopher Columbus, Spanish colonial times, slavery, piracy to today’s UNESCO World Heritage), fascinated us right away. 🏴‍☠️🛕 After some new delicious food - Fufu, we headed back to Panama City for one night because tomorrow we continue to - Colombia 🇨🇴!

We left Panama City behind, and boarded a rather empty bus heading west to David, from where we planned to travel around by rental car. The bus ride along the only major highway in the country was unremarkable and surprisingly light on traffic, the presumed reason for which we only understood later. Large checkpoints were noticeable when crossing from one province to another, and there was a thorough passenger check on our bus, likely aimed at preventing illegal migration (at least the obvious kind).

Our goal with the rental car was the province of Bocas del Toro in the northwest by the Caribbean Sea, where we intended to celebrate Freddy's birthday. However, that didn't happen. After some time navigating the winding jungle mountain roads, we hit a dead end: a supposedly fallen tree turned out to be a blockade set up by protesting banana plantation workers. Although we had noticed small marginal notes in the international press about ongoing protests related to perceived unjust pension reform laws, we did not expect to be affected by it in any way. In any case, there was no way to proceed and no clear information about when and if the blockades would be lifted. On the contrary - hardly anyone wanted to speak with us at all, and most avoided our questions silently and anxiously. This was surprising for us, as we had always encountered helpfulness on our travels so far (not always proactive, but never rejecting). Since we didn't want to risk not being able to leave the province on our way back (as there were no alternative routes), even if this current blockade would eventually be lifted, we turned back with heavy hearts. Then it started to rain very heavily, making driving very strenuous. Eventually, we exhaustedly reached the Pacific coast instead of the Atlantic and quickly had a birthday beer on the beach at sunset before the rain became so heavy that power (and internet anyway) went out in our accommodation. A situation we experienced quite a few times. But going to bed early does have its benefits.

Now, a new plan was necessary, and we decided to head back east to a small town called Santa Fé (on the way is San Francisco), where there were supposed to be some nice hiking routes. On the way, we were first stopped by a traffic cop on a motorcycle who claimed we were speeding (though we were very sure that was not true). From his long flowery monologue about laws, which we could somewhat follow, it became clear he wanted $50. But not with us! Ready to walk the distance with him to show us the alleged traffic sign, we protested vigorously, and surprisingly he quickly backed down, returned our previously confiscated driver's license, and let us go without any penalty, avoiding eye contact and visibly uncertain. In hindsight, we learned that Panamanians apparently are not big fans of direct conflicts, especially when initiated by women (though he had started it!). So, we were lucky again.

After an extremely exhausting drive (the road conditions beyond the mentioned highway were atrocious and even worse than what we had experienced in South America), we finally reached the sleepy Santa Fé, where there was a bit of basic tourist infrastructure but mainly locals could be found. Although we were now far from the 'disturbance province' of Bocas del Toro, some impacts were also felt here. For example, in restaurants, almost nothing corresponded to the menu. We were told it had to do with supply shortages. Furthermore, people feared that the protests would escalate nationwide, and that their goods might not be sold or arrive, which is why many wouldn't order anything at all. Consequently, there was also little traffic on the streets. Nevertheless, we enjoyed some pleasant days in the village.

In the village, Jesús Héctor Gallego Herrera is highly revered, a Colombian priest who tirelessly fought for land workers' rights and founded the organization into cooperatives against the military junta's resistance until he was ultimately kidnapped and murdered; a typical approach from the 70s concerning social resistance. Even today, he remains a pillar of identity and a role model for social progress, unusually coming from the Catholic Church. During our stay, the anniversary of his death was celebrated, and the village was adorned with garlands and his likeness. Through a tip from locals, we learned there is a fairly new road from Santa Fe to the Pacific, which, although already four years old, has not yet made it to Google Maps. It allowed access to villages that could previously only be reached by boat. A beautiful route winding through the jungle, passing small villages, or just individual settlements/houses, albeit largely without electricity. In Calovébora, we finally observed the lively activity at the beach, where goods were being loaded onto small boats to bring them to villages on islands/on the mainland without road access. These places may be remote, but beer supply remains stable!

Since our time in Panama was very limited in total, we then set out on the way back. We found that all slightly larger towns/cities like Santiago de Veraguas or David were absolutely unappealing and ugly, and apparently, most of the country's money flows only into the capital while the rest of the country is neglected. The landscape was very beautiful, and we spent a short time in Las Lajas on the Pacific coast, wonderfully calm and relaxing.

Then it was already time to return the car, also because we had to leave for Costa Rica a day earlier than planned (our bus had been cancelled, presumably also a result of a society that had partially come to a standstill).

Panama is a country that leaves us somewhat divided and bewildered. Of course, the timing was not favorable for traveling in the country, and the time was simply too short. Panamanians seem very reserved and not easy to approach, but that may also be due to the specific circumstances. But one could sense that this changes when they warm up a bit. The nature is beautiful, and there is much primal beauty to be found, but one needs time and a certain affinity for potholes. A country we might want to explore again someday when we have more time.

We checked into a pretty nice hotel in the old town, which turned out to have quite a bit to offer us in the following days: power outages, internet issues, an air conditioning unit that didn't work, and an alarm system that went off uncontrollably at night and was hard to manage. Not exactly restful.

Moreover, we got properly swindled for the first time on the trip (or maybe we just didn’t notice) in a supermarket around the corner, where we were charged two or three times the price for the beer. Annoying, but manageable.

The old town was very beautiful, although in some places it was pretty run down and probably beyond saving, which gave it a morbid charm that we had often experienced on our travels.

We visited the canal museum, which provided a good overview of the history of canal construction, racial segregation, and injustices among the workers (US Americans and Europeans were paid in dollars and benefited from social perks, while, for example, Indian and Latin American workers were paid in the local currency and much less). It also covered the process of handing over the canal from the US to Panama.

This was good, as at the Miraflores lock system, you could observe how ships (though not the very large ones, as there’s already a larger and more modern one, and an even larger one is under construction) were transported down towards the Pacific (the operation only goes in one direction through the canal and changes throughout the day). The lengthy process is quite nice to watch if you are patient and have enough time, and you were rewarded with friendly waving from the waiting sailors on the ships. However, the rest was a joke. The entrance fee included an Imax 3D film hosted by Morgan Freeman, which was just low-grade in both content and quality. Crackling speakers, scratched 3D glasses, poor effects, and politically diluted content. But that was probably just our perspective; the many US tourists around us unanimously found the film ]]>https://vakantio.de/en/blog/horsewithnoname/ciudad-de-panamahttps://vakantio.de/en/blog/horsewithnoname/ciudad-de-panamaMon, 15 Sep 2025 06:47:00 GMT8.9823792-79.51986959999999On Wednesday morning we were picked up at 5 AM 🛻 I unfortunately felt far from good because it seems I had upset my stomach the night before 😮‍💨 I was therefore more than happy when we arrived on the island after a 2.5-hour drive and a good half-hour boat ride 🚤

And what can I say: It was even more beautiful in person than in the photos we had seen before 😍

We had a small beach hut surrounded by palm trees and right by the sea with a view of the beautiful turquoise, clear water 🛖🩵 The Guna people (locals) on the island were also super nice & friendly, and we were about 50 people altogether 🤗 the food was included this time and, considering we were stranded on a small island, really delicious. 🤤

The next day, thank goodness I was feeling better, and we could enjoy it to the fullest and really unwind 🦦🔆🌴🥥🌊 🤿🐠🪸

Yesterday, we felt a bit nostalgic when we went back to the mainland. Because it was the most beautiful place we had been to so far ✨

So, anyone who wants to completely relax and enjoy the San Blas islands should stay at least one night and not consider just a day trip 🙏🏼 you definitely won't regret it!

Our wonderful accommodation, which we can recommend 100%:

https://www.airbnb.com/l/s6BHHTNI

Thank you Gio for the amazing stay 🤩 and the great organization!

K&M 🤍

We used the first day to explore Casco Viejo (the old town). We would say it is the heart of Panama City. This is where we also had our accommodation. 🤗 We strolled along the 3km long Cinta Costera waterfront promenade and in the afternoon headed to Amador, from where you could enjoy a beautiful view of the skyline 🤩 In the evening, we did our first laundry ourselves to avoid losing anything again 😄🙏🏼 and visited a rooftop bar for drinks 😍🌃

The next day, we started with a little workout along the waterfront promenade 🌊🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏼 and then made our way to Panamá Viejo, a city of ruins. 🏚️ Magge once again visited a barber 😄💈 and afterwards, we enjoyed some leisurely time with coffee in the old town ☕️

In our opinion, Panama City is definitely worth a stop 🤗 especially the old town is beautiful!

Next stop and certainly a highlight of our trip: San Blas Islands 🏝️

K&M 🤍

In our opinion, Bocas del Toro is a MUST when you vacation in Panama 🤩 we had our accommodation on Isla Bastimentos, right by the water with hammocks and a really chill vibe 🥰☺️ From there, we could easily explore the surrounding islands (you can only get from A to B with water taxis, which cost about $5 per person on average)

On the first day, we first made ourselves at home on our own island and went swimming at Wizard Beach 🏝️

The next day was very changeable 🌦️ but Magge wasn't feeling great anyway 🤕 so it was only half as bad that we spent the day at our accommodation.

The next day, we made our way to Isla Colón, the main island of Bocas. Once there, we first had a coffee ☕️ and then took the public bus to Starfish Beach, where we - as the name suggests - encountered numerous starfish 😍 it was really beautiful! Surrounded by turquoise waters and stunning starfish 🤗 In the evening, we had dinner on Isla Colón and managed to get back before complete darkness set in (a bit spooky on the water when it is pitch black 😄)

On the last day, we took the water taxi to Carenero Island, where we thoroughly enjoyed the day in the sun 🔆🌊👙🍹

On Sunday, we were picked up really early (5:30 AM 🥱) because we were going to continue with the shuttle from Almirante to Panama City 🚌 The actual 10-hour bus ride unfortunately turned into 13 hours because we were stuck in traffic 😮‍💨 so we arrived completely exhausted at our accommodation around 9:30 PM 😴 looking back, we should have just dug deeper into our pockets and taken a flight - but you never know that in advance 😄

K&M 🤍

Don't worry, there isn't a new pandemic in sight. Finale in Central America, but let's take it step by step.

Contrary to reports about the busiest border between Costa Rica and Panama, crossing the border was a breeze, no waiting, no long distances. While I didn't go all the way to Santa Catalina, I didn't have a hotel booked, so I could easily make a stop in Santiago.

Currencies can be somewhat confusing in Central America. Mexico - Peso; Guatemala - Guatemalan Quetzal; El Salvador - US Dollar; Nicaragua - Córdoba Oro; Costa Rica - Colón & US Dollar, and in Panama, US Dollar and Balboa, although here in Panama, the currency is essentially the same, meaning the Balboa has the exact same value as the US Dollar. However, the bills only come in US Dollars, while coins are available in both US Dollars and Balboa...

The $ - € exchange rate has actually dropped a bit in the last two months; in September, you could still get 1.12$ for one Euro, but now it's only 1.055$. While that may not sound like much, it makes a difference of over 1500€ on more than 20,000€ of expenses, and that solely due to stock prices!

Unfortunately, it rains for two days in Santa Catalina, and there's not much I can do. Well, that happens when you're on the road for so long.

What is much more dramatic is the food. I can no longer stand rice and beans, and chicken in any form is just unbearable. I can't even look at Platanos (fried plantains, which taste similar to fries...), beef or pork in sauce anymore. In Mexico, the food was still a bit more diverse, but with each country going south, that diversity has decreased; in Costa Rica, I thought I had hit rock bottom, but then came Panama.

I haven't had drier chicken or bland fries anywhere up to now. Well, let's see, I've only been here for 3 nights, and surely there'll be a good restaurant in Panama City.

Since it’s still pouring rain in the morning, I can only set off at about 8 o'clock, a 20-minute walk to the bus that is supposed to leave at 8. Upon arriving at the departure point, unfortunately, the bus is gone. Since it is a public holiday, the next bus leaves at 1 PM, which drastically reduces my chances of arriving in El Valle on the same day. Well, first a cappuccino (at least that's what the drink was called, but you really couldn't drink it), and assess the situation. I notice that some cars are leaving with luggage, and it looks like the passengers are stocking up for a long journey from the kiosk. I got the idea to hitchhike. It took a mere 5 minutes, and I was in the car of three French men who took me to the next town, so I was at the next town by 11 AM and at my destination by 4 PM. Maybe I'll try that more often.

Unfortunately, it also rained almost continuously in El Valle, except for a few short dry periods. The following day, I tried to go hiking anyway. So far, so good; the rain let up a bit, and I had a somewhat decent view of the sea and then into the valley on the other side. Then the path veered off, going through grass, underbrush, and over slippery stones. My pants and shoes got wet from the damp grass, but overall it was manageable. Unfortunately, the second viewpoint was overcast. Half an hour before my return, it started raining again, and in the end, I ended up completely soaked.

Let's see if I go out again tomorrow; if I do, it certainly won't be alone, as it surely wasn't entirely safe.

I found two hikers, but unfortunately, the weather got even worse and we didn't see anything on the second day, still getting completely soaked again.

Well, what can you do, maybe I will have to come back one day.

Next was Panama City; thankfully, the buses were running again, as several buses were suspended due to the heavy rain, with some roads flooded.

I arrived in Panama City just in time to wash my laundry, copy my passport for the crossing, and have my bag sewn before picking up Thomas from the airport.

The next two days, we explored Panama City with its charming little old town and skyline. The Panama Canal is an impressive structure and is rightly called one of the new wonders of the world; in the nearby city park, I finally got to see a sloth.

We also made a brief stop in Puerto Lindo before finally boarding the sailboat we had booked some time ago.

The captain asked for our names and finally greeted us with, 'I am your captain, not your friend.' He behaved this way for the next few days, oscillating between being super cheerful, dancing, being hectic, and making somewhat peculiar comments.

Information about the daily schedule or our engine problems was rather sparse, which annoyed some fellow travelers. Additionally, some people complained too much about why there was no lunch, why we were leaving so late, why no lights could be turned on, etc.

I personally care less; why should I be upset about something I can't change or influence? Moreover, nothing would change about the trip itself, as it is simply wonderful. I prefer to enjoy the time and the incredibly beautiful islands; my time and good mood are too precious for such matters :)

The anchor was lifted around noon, and after an initial 8-hour crossing, we reached the first islands in the dark; the rocking was absolutely manageable, although I had never had issues with bigger swells in the past. The next morning, I had the feeling of waking up in paradise as we arrived at the San Blas Islands, which are actually called Guna Yala Islands and are not named after their indigenous inhabitants.

Turquoise water and little palm islands all around, getting more beautiful every day. Accordingly, the next 3 days consisted of snorkeling, swimming, relaxing, jumping off the boat, snorkeling beside sharks, rays, crabs, barracudas, or just watching the incredibly beautiful islands and relaxing; it could be worse.

In the meantime, we also snorkeled with truly curious nurse sharks, but when German (a crew member) threw more meat into the water and the sharks became even more active, I managed to save myself onto our stand-up paddle.

German definitely had a great time :)

In the evenings, I watched the pelicans hunting, observed the bioluminescent plankton at night, and just enjoyed the absolute silence in between.

I read much less than I had expected, there always seemed to be something to do.

In the end, we crossed over 400 km across the Caribbean Sea towards Cartagena. The captain asked everyone to turn off the lights at 7 PM, so after about 6 hours of travel, we had a 360-degree view without a single man-made light around us; such moments are very rare in this world these days.

I sat on deck until around 9 PM, watched the glowing plankton, and enjoyed the absolute silence before heading to my cabin; despite significant swells on the 15m short ship, I could sleep surprisingly well. We spent the last night before Cartagena, as immigration opened at 6 AM. We briefly strolled through the old town before taking the bus directly to Necocli.

Necocli really surprised me; the streets leading to the sea were beautifully decorated, and there were numerous small restaurants, cafés, and shops, small brightly painted alleys, and a lively beach promenade, where every bar tried to drown the other out with even louder music. One shouldn't expect a white sandy beach here, and sunbathing is not really possible due to the local tourists who like it very loud.

After two nights, we continued towards Medellín.

I still had good memories of Medellín from last year.

The impressive location in the Aburrá Valley is what makes Medellín special; the city, with its 2.6 million inhabitants, stretches almost up to the surrounding peaks. These can best be explored using various cable cars.

However, since I stayed in the center this time, the poverty and drug use were hard to overlook. There were homeless people sleeping right in the pedestrian zone, and at times, you almost stepped on people. In every small green strip, you could see people sleeping, using drugs, or the smell of excrement lingered. We have all this too, but not with this intensity. People are confused, wandering around like zombies, almost getting hit by buses and cars because they don't realize they are walking in the street. The drivers seem used to it and simply drive or walk around them. Moreover, unlike us, it is not just a few streets where you can find this clientele; in Medellín, the problem is almost throughout the entire city center, barring a couple of entertainment districts.

Away from all this misery, we visited the neighborhoods of El Poblado, Laureles, Comuna 13, and Santo Domingo; first, I was with Thomas before he was then replaced by Fina :)

Two days are really enough in this city; the view is absolutely stunning, both during the day and at night, if one reaches the right viewpoint. In the evenings, one can enjoy the nightlife in the neighborhoods of El Poblado and Laureles or have a pleasant meal for a change.

Otherwise, it’s quite an unattractive city and not particularly worth seeing; the center can be skipped, and there’s no historical district to be found.

It was much quieter in Jardin; many of the 15,000 inhabitants gather in the evening around the market square with the attractive church, drinking coffee or beer, dancing to Colombian music or playing a board game.

Around Jardin, one can hike well; however, I had expected a bit more from the hiking trails, as 80% of the paths are just gravel roads. We didn’t try hiking to the 7 waterfalls, as I currently have no interest in jungle tours. Instead, I explored various viewpoints and passed several waterfalls.

My luck remains with me. We took a tuk-tuk to the starting point of the hike. Unbeknownst to me, on the bumpy road, my phone slipped out of my pocket; I only noticed it after we had already paid, and the driver was already on the way back. However, the driver stopped in sight a few hundred meters away for a bathroom break, so I quickly ran after him, whistling, and luckily got my phone back :)

Salento was our next stop; since I had also been here last year, I left the planning to Fina. The 3 to 5-day hike was a bit much for her, so I took another look at the Cocoa Valley and the town (Warning: Archive photos).

I still really like the town; if I come back a third time, I will definitely go to Los Nevados National Park.

We played Tejo, a game where you try to throw an iron disc, the 'Tejo,' onto the edge of an iron ring (called bocín) to hit and explode the triangular black powder bags, the Mechas (possibly I lost all the games…).

The Tatacoa Desert is somehow quite green for a desert, at least around our hut, which we reached in the dark around 8 PM.

Because first, we had to travel over 10 hours by bus. We were supposed to reach the town of Aipe by 4 PM at the latest, but then it got later again; the problem was that the ferry stopped operating at 6 PM. The next bridge would have meant an additional 2-hour detour.

I had already been in contact with our drivers from the bus station to the ferry and with our tuk-tuk driver, who was supposed to take us about an hour into the desert. Both just wrote, 'Tranquilo.'

So we were curious about what would happen, and it turned out to be quite interesting. First, we rode on motorcycles through the small town of Aipe, always heading toward signs that said 'ferry.' The road turned into a gravel path, then into a trail, and finally into grazing land. The two switched off the motorcycle lights unless cows were on our path, then they turned them on briefly. When they also told us to be quiet, I slowly realized that what we were doing wasn't exactly legal.

Like something out of a bad movie, there was a phone call, and I heard an engine noise in the distance. Then everything had to go quickly, off to the shore; at some point, we could see where the little wooden boat was, no idea how he managed to get across the wide and rather fast-flowing river without light. I thought they must know what they’re doing; on the other side of the river, several lights were visible, and the captain was a bit nervous; everyone was a bit excited like little boys who had done something wrong.

After a few minutes, we were across, more chaos, just don't turn on the light to count the money; we can do that later. Quickly off to the tuk-tuk and another 60 minutes over bumpy roads to our hut.

It was super beautiful sitting in the middle of nowhere, no internet, no electricity, and a compost toilet. That's all we needed for the next two days before heading further south.

More specifically, to Popayan, the journey there was really exhausting and ultimately took over 12 hours.

In the middle of the mountains, I spotted a lovely little town during the journey, which later turned out to have a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Too bad, because then the route would only have been half as long and half as painful; the bus, a sprinter, was equipped with a whopping 21 seats + driver's seat. Accordingly, my knees and bones ached.

We were lucky enough to be able to witness the Festival of Lights in Popayán. In most doorways, candles are placed, coloring the squares in bright light.

Otherwise, one day is enough in Popayán; the city is regularly painted entirely white, making it a welcome contrast to the otherwise very colorful small towns.

You can spend a day in Popayán, but not more; the city is regularly painted entirely white, making it a welcome contrast to the otherwise very colorful small towns.

The background is that many poor people used to be infested with mange, especially on the soles of their feet; to alleviate the itching, they would rub their feet against the walls of houses, leaving dirt and blood stains. The homeowners, more concerned with aesthetics than the health of the slaves, had the walls coated with a caustic (white) lime mixture that burned the wounds and drove the sick away. The white color remains the trademark of the old town, and all markings must still be painted over before Easter.

No, not with Deutsche Bahn but with COPA, the Panamanian airline that has been awarded the most punctual airline in Latin America – we will congratulate them later. Because the 'thank you' for COPA, like for DB, seems to refer to the fact that despite everything, you still travel with them.

You really couldn't accuse the airline, which proudly pointed out at every corner that it was a member of the Star Alliance (alongside, for example, Lufthansa and United Airlines), of being late – quite the opposite for many other things.

It started with the online check-in, which was almost impossible due to the almost never available website, making it take a long time until eventually at least one of us got the e-tickets into the wallet on their phone.

At the airport, as shown on the boarding pass, we found ourselves at Terminal 1 – where the display directed us to Terminal 2, which we then reached by shuttle bus. However, there was no way to check in our luggage here – or get help in any other way. Finally, we intercepted a flight attendant with another desperate couple, who kindly explained to us that COPA never got the terminal display right. One always had to go to Terminal 1 first, as luggage could only be checked in there. Then one had to go to Terminal 2 for security. (By the way, the gate was additionally displayed incorrectly on the monitors…) So back to the shuttle bus.

Checking in the bags turned out to be a bit more difficult than expected. The machine informed us that we should go to the counter. After a long wait, we finally got our turn after letting a desperate lady in front of us who would have missed her connecting flight otherwise.

The very friendly employee who then served us had his chair stolen by a colleague while he was processing us, without any comment. Tough luck – he was still young and could work standing up, as we suggested – which he had to do.

Then we wanted to go back to Terminal 2 – but the young standing man correctly informed us that COPA was mistaken again. Terminal 1 was indeed the right one.

Since we still had time to kill before boarding, we wanted to grab something to eat. We then tried three times to get a word from the menu explained. However, the waitress joined the strategy of other airport and COPA staff, repeating everything slowly in Spanish instead of responding in English at an international airport. Then Ms. Waas got the wrong food, then the right one, but three days past the expiration date and spoiled. She then received an alternative (a dry croissant for 6 dollars), but the price of the initially even more expensive order was still reflected on the bill that was brought to us while Ms. Waas had just started to eat something. The bill was corrected upon our protest. In the meantime, another waiter attempted to clear away/take the food that Ms. Waas had only eaten two-thirds of. She pulled her plate closer. This did not discourage him, and he made a brave second attempt before Mr. Ärmel half-shouted at him. In the end, one still saw the dirty fingers of the waitress who returned our change in Balboa instead of dollars, as those could be used so well outside of Panama.

At least there was one good thing about all this: Once you are on the plane, you feel happy, and flight anxiety is hardly an issue for anyone anymore.

So, which country were we asked about? Right, Panama...

Panama is where America is at its narrowest. But what else do you know about it? Perhaps that the USA operated the construction of the Panama Canal? That they supported the revolution after Colombia, whose protectorate Panama was, refused to cooperate in the construction? It's also related to the canal. Cheap ships under Panamanian flag? That's also related to the canal. They used to be part of a World Cup. Ah yes, so besides all the ships, there are also people living there. And what else?

Panama welcomed us with requests for tips and bribes to get across the border. Just to not rummage through the backpacks and confiscate pills? That'll be $10. Helping someone across the border? A few more dollars. A tip for the taxi driver? A few more dollars.

This first taxi ride in a pickup without seatbelts, with our backpacks in the truck bed, had a bit of an adventurous vacation vibe – especially when the driver read WhatsApp messages in the curves at what felt like 90 km/h (the speedometer was broken).

Looking out the window to avoid watching the driver, you often saw poorer houses than in Costa Rica, banana plantations, and a lot of unspoiled nature. The impoverished rural population stands in stark contrast to the wealth in a few neighborhoods and the steel and glass skyscrapers in Panama City’s financial district. Money is indeed present in Panama – but it's far from evenly distributed. The wealth disparities between the neighborhoods in Panama City appeared obscene to us. And we were strongly advised beforehand not to carry too many belongings with us and to only get into registered taxis.

Sounds like a nightmare? It wasn't. You can certainly tell that life has been harder for the people in Panama than for those in Costa Rica, whose in parts unbridled capitalism seemed almost like a communist utopia in comparison, but we also encountered kind, warm-hearted, and helpful people here. Joy of life could be found not just in the wealthy neighborhoods but also at the beach baseball tournament, where the outfielders often had to wade deep into the sea. Life also carried on in the poorer neighborhoods, where people played, debated, or got their hair done on the street.

The old town of Panama (Casco Viejo) is beautiful anyway and full of nice little discoveries around the next corner – if you can afford it and are not pushed away by the tourism police (there really is one!). While we weren't wearing haute couture, we were not chased out of the old town, and we were warmly welcomed in our hotel.

Of course, we also visited the canal and the Bridge of the Two Americas (technically, the old town of Panama is practically in South America), where we saw tons of containers but surprisingly few ships. However, we were extensively informed about the construction of the canal in 3D at the huge cinema with the voice of Morgan Freeman.

Moreover, Panama is decorated everywhere with the national flags – apparently, the stark economic differences are covered over by a nationalistic community feeling – something people know well.

Doesn't sound so great? Yes, it's true, Panama won't be our favorite country and had a hard time following our dream destination Puerto Viejo. But the country has a lot of beautiful nature to offer alongside the beautiful old town of the capital and many decent people. So it was very nice to travel by night bus to Panama City, virtually surrounded by young and nursing mothers on the bus, lovingly raising a new generation of Panamanians. And so we are happy to be able to mark this country on our world map in the blog and will keep nice memories of Panama.

This morning I boarded the plane at 11 AM after saying goodbye to my family and Philipp. First, I flew to Madrid for 2.5 hours, then I had to rush to my gate and after 10.5 hours landed in Panama. It was immediately humid and smelled of spicy food here :)

On the flight, I met very nice people every time, with whom I chatted a bit. I also ordered my drinks and food in Spanish for the first time, which was pretty cool.

Then I met a boy who is also volunteering in Costa Rica - what a coincidence!

Tomorrow the first exciting day begins, during which we will have our orientation and a city tour:)

Until then, I will sleep off a bit of my jet lag.

See you then, Paula 🙃

My last night in Central America is here, because tomorrow I'm flying to Colombia. To get from Panama to Colombia, there are only two ways: flying or taking a multi-day sailing tour over the San Blas islands to Colombia for 500+€. The latter sounds like a dream, but it didn't appeal to me and the price is steep, of course. Why can't you enter by land? Well, there's the Darien Gap, one of the most dangerous jungles in the world. It's teeming with poisonous animals and plants, but also with drug smugglers and illegal immigrants from South America who have big dreams of getting to the USA. I'll leave it up to you to decide which is the most dangerous. But I'm glad to be able to leave this already quite odd hostel here in Panama City. Either the people here live and work as street artists or in other questionable occupations, or they live here and somehow work in the hostel. In any case, they all know each other, chill here all day, but there are hardly any guests. I feel like they've allowed me to stay in their over-30s WG 😂 Plus, one of them was sick (and I seem to have caught it too...) and yesterday afternoon, everyone half-heartedly put on a mask under their noses (after all, we have over 30° and 99% humidity...).

But let's go back to the first day (12.05.24) in El Valle de Anton. I wanted to go on a short hike and then do a longer one the next day. But when I reached the viewpoint, I knew I had to keep going because it looked too beautiful to turn back. But what I underestimated was the heat and humidity. Honestly, I thought it would be similar to Boquete, but El Valle is only at 500m and it was just completely muggy and hot. Well, just before the first viewpoint, I was already completely drenched in sweat and the rain didn't make any difference anymore. So I sat up there, dripping, for a few minutes and planned the next part of the route. I wanted to continue along the mountain range and then come back into town from the back. A dog showed me the way and I followed him for a few kilometers. Sometimes he ran to a horse, took a different path, but always checked if I was still there. At some point, we crossed a road and suddenly it started pouring down, so we sought shelter in a bus stop. After the rain stopped, I continued alone, got a bit lost but found the right path again. By now, everything was already wet and I didn't care anymore as I had to walk through the damp undergrowth where the 'path' led. Then I visited a waterfall, as supposedly there was a path from there to the town. Nope, had to go back and walk along the road, but the waterfall was still cool. After a total of over 20km, I arrived at the hostel and did nothing else.

On 13.05.24, I wanted to go on a short round, but when I reached the mountain and climbed the first few meters in elevation, I turned back. It was too annoying for me, it was even hotter than the day before and the humidity was still like being in a steam sauna. So I went shopping for lunch and made myself some burgers. I played some pool and had a small workout in the afternoon.

The next day (14.05.24) I continued to Panama City, my last stop in Panama. But before I went to the hostel, I made a stop at Albrook Mall, which is right next to the central bus terminal. It's also in the top 20 largest malls in the world! It was nice to stroll along there and the pizza there wasn't bad either.

But then it was time to go to the subway station to get to the hostel. After a bit of confusion about how the system works, I figured it out, at least halfway. I missed the sign: 'The machine doesn't give change'. But the 5$ were already in there, one ride costs 0.35$... well, whatever. It was 1.4km from the station to the hostel. Should be an easy thing, right? Not during the rainy season in Panama🥲 For the first few minutes, it was only lightly raining and I could walk from awning to awning. And then it started pouring, boy oh boy. Luckily, I was standing in front of a hotel with open WiFi and had to seriously call an Uber for 600m...

Yesterday, I went to Casco Viejo, the old town of Panama. Since I had enough credit on my metro card, I used it. The old town is really beautiful and you have a great view of the skyline of Panama City. On the way back to the subway station, I got some rolls and ate them on a small green area surrounded by what felt like 10 streets. On the subway, out of boredom and because of the rain again outside, I rode to the end station and looked at the city from the subway (no, it didn't just run underground). Back at the hostel, it was dry again and I visited two parks nearby.

Today (16.05.24) I woke up with a cold and had planned to go to a nearby national park. But it had been raining all the time. Nevertheless, I went to the subway around 10:00 and went back to the Albrook Terminal and from there you can walk to the Metropolitan Park. But it was still raining and I decided to turn back again and wait in the mall. I walked around a bit, but my headache told me to relax today. So before going back, I treated myself to a Subway meal and 'rested' for the rest of the day. Resting as much as possible in this hostel... loud music is playing in the bar all the time, the TV is on all the time, people watch videos without headphones, and the noise from the street is always there. Plus, there's some damn plastic sheet under my bed sheet that creaks like crazy with every movement.

But tomorrow I'm leaving here🙃

On 06.05.24, I went to Panama, the second to last country. The border crossing was relatively quick, although I lost 15€ when exchanging money. But that's just how it is. Either you accept the exchange rate or you end up with currency that is useless to you...but soon I was on Isla Colon in Bocas del Toro. It was hot but quite nice there. I walked around the town and to the only accessible beach. Well, it wasn't the best but it was okay.

For the next day (07.05.24), I rented a bicycle and went to Playa Bluff. An absolute dream beach, quiet, palm trees, a lot of beach and clear water. I laid there for a while, watched the waves, and enjoyed the atmosphere. Then I continued cycling to the hidden 'rocky beach'. I was all alone and completely fascinated. The beach was not suitable for swimming as there were stones and corals everywhere, blocking access to the sea, but that was fine with me. I simply observed the creatures that had made the shallow waters their home. They lived among the rocks, protected from the waves, and seemed happy. I think I spent about 2 hours at that beach, observing all the creatures in the water. And most importantly, enjoying the peace and quiet, no roads, no people, no noise. Since I only rented the bike until 14:00, it was time to head back. I had lunch and then strolled through the city.

On 08.05.24, it was another travel day. I know, it was a very short stay on the island and there are still many amazing things to do there, but I wanted to move on. Somehow, I'm not so into the sea, sand, and the heat is enough at some point...So I went back to the harbor where I observed lots of fish again. The water is just so clear, you can see at least 2-3 meters deep and everything around the pillars of the dock is covered in coral, with all the fish swimming around. After the boat and two more buses, as well as a few kilometers of walking, I arrived at the hostel just before the rain started. Welcome rainy season! Here in Boquete, I can really feel the rainy season for the first time, so far I always had luck but here it rains daily. Boquete is a relatively small town in the mountains of Panama. It is a very popular place for expats, as the climate is simply great, the nature is beautiful, and there is still a lot of inexpensive land available.

2 years ago, Dan (an old classmate) emigrated to Panama with his family, I had that in mind and messaged him a few days before. He lives here in Boquete, so we arranged to meet at 10 o'clock to go on a small hike to the Three Waterfalls. It was really cool to meet him and chat, and the hike (5km...) was also amazing, although a bit pricey at 10$. Afterwards, we went to his 'transitional house' and had a coffee that was produced here in Boquete. The family decided to build their own house and they have been working on it full-time for 2 years now, so they needed a transitional house. After that, we drove to their house...a two-hectare property, huge, with a big house. Lots of plants, some fruit trees, but also a lot of shrubbery. A lot of work to keep everything tidy. They hope to move into the house in 3 months when it's ready. After Dan gave me a tour, he took me back to the hostel.

On 10.05.24, we met again and left at 07:00 for another hike, the El Pianista Trail. We wanted to leave early to have a good view, as the clouds usually hang in the mountains from late morning onwards. The hike was very diverse and went deep into the rainforest. When we reached the top, we were lucky that there were no clouds blocking the view. Dan had some jackfruit from his garden with him, and we enjoyed that. A very delicious fruit! After the hike, we had a coffee and went to a Fonda (~Comedor) to eat. Then Dan gave me a little tour of the city and we went to a beautiful park. We played a round of billiards after enjoying a scoop of Italian ice cream. It was a really exciting day. It was great to meet Dan and spend two days together.

Today (11.05.24), I moved on to El Valle de Antón. Another small town in the mountains where hiking is the main activity. The journey was quite long, but I was on the most modern bus I have ever seen. Double-decker bus, super comfortable seats, and everything was really nice. Well, there's not much else to tell. I left at around 08:00 and arrived here at around 17:00. I went shopping and now I'm lying in my bed for the next 3 nights. Oh, and I spent 20 minutes trying to open a can without a can opener...

Now it's time to say goodbye to Panama and take the flight back to Germany. A lovely 4 weeks in Central America.

The canal was developed in 1907 through several new inventions and very clever systems to balance a height difference of 26m between the two seas, i.e. there are 3 locks connecting the reservoir to the sea and it rushes 14,000 ships per year. You can catch the rest in a documentary.

In the evening, there was delicious fish, but no more delicious Margarita because the new president will be elected tomorrow.

The airport is small and everything is done manually. We also had to check in our bag, luckily for free. Yay, it would have costed us almost 100 bucks otherwise. The propeller plane was quite spacious, not bad.

Arriving in Panama City, we visited a huge shopping mall and bought some small items. After checking in at the hotel, we took a power nap. We strolled along the promenade at sunset and admired the skyline. At the fish market, we had really delicious food at a good price. Nice! We like that kind of thing.