Peter and I took a tour for half a day of Panama with some other WARC people. The guide was very interesting on all the ancient history re the Conquistadors etc but got a bit anti America on the more recent events. Probably understandably given Trump’s posturing at the moment. It was a huge deal with the Americans here when the canal was being built. When they handed back, all sorts of infrastructure was left to the Panamanians – hospitals, a causeway, schools, administration, accommodation not to mention the Canal etc etc. It reminded us of the Monty Python line “what did the Romans ever do for us?”. Peter wore himself out walking up a hill towards the end so didn’t go on the village trip the next day. I had a bruised toe from bashing it on a stanchion so had waited with the bus.
Pretty little cathedral in the old town
A fairly modern saint in jeans
Part of the old road that the Conquistadors and pirates used to get from the Atlantic to the Pacific pre canal.
The old town was attractive and would have been quite gracious in it’s day. Quite a bit of renovating going on.
Low tide
A little scavenging racoon at the Pizza place
Shaunagh saw this sloth hanging from the power lines in the marina.
The Embera Indian tribe live in a traditional way up the Chagres River where we went in a 45 minute trip in a dugout canoe. Thank goodness it had an out board – we all had numb bottoms by the end of it. it was really quite interesting and the people struck us as being very kind and peaceful. The village and people were clean and organised and there was a little school for the younger children. About 120 live in this particular village. They have no real power but a generator for the satellite for the school. All the cooking and ingredients are local and fresh. They made us a fish and plantain chips lunch with tropical fruits.
The cooking hut
Dancing with the locals
Los Ninos
Dugout canoe
A residential hut
Lunch - no dishes!
The medicine man
The big meeting hut
We were glad to leave the marina after four days. There was a huge tide combined with an unseasonal swell that came around the breakwater and we burst one inflatable fender and holed 3 others and frayed 2 new mooring lines!! Not to mention that it was uncomfortable to live and we were up during the night checking lines and fenders.