Bocas del Toro

DAY 6

After a slow, crowded bus ride over the mountains, we finally reached Almirante -- a little town where the ferry (really a panga boat with way too many people crammed in to be deemed safe by most people's standards) took off for Bocas del Toro, a tropical island off the Caribbean coast of Panama.

Once we hit the island, we noticed a number of hostels, restaurants and ads for boating and water sports tours. One thing we didn't see very much of, however, were taxis to get to our hostel, which was a 20 minute walk away -- a slow, sweaty endeavor with our packs. We did, eventually snag one, got to our hostel and enjoyed a nice Balboa beer before heading off to bed.

DAY 7

We had a great full day of fun in the sun with a boating tour through Dolphin Bay, where we saw a number of dolphins (some right next to our boat), went snorkeling in coral reefs by mangroves, and rode a "tabla" -- a simple water contraption similar to a boogie board that you tilt to dip deep into the water. The tabla was an easy way to snorkel and was a lot of fun to dip down right next to coral, kelp and sea creatures.

After boating, dolphin-watching, snorkeling and tabla-ing for a couple hours, we docked the boat on the uninhabited Isla Zapatilla for lunch. After lunch, dad and I explored the island for a couple of hours, walking through the tropical rainforest and kicking it on the white sandy beach for a bit.

After getting back to the mainland (which was technically still an island), we had Mexican (dad's choice, of course) in town and walked back with an older Dutch lady from our hostel.

Boquete

DAY 3

Today, we traveled.

A flight from Panama City at the smallest, dinkiest airport I've ever been in (and I've been to a lot of small dinky airports..), a car ride to the bus station in David from a nice French-Canadian fella who dad met on the plane, and a one hour $1.50 bus ride with locals on an old yellow school bus up the winding, bumpy road to Boquete -- a beautiful coffee-growing mountain town complete with a dormant volcano, great hikes, a river and, of course, great coffee.

DAY 4

Today, on New Year's Eve, we took a coffee tour in the rainy cloud forest about 5 miles up and away from town. The ride in the back of a truck on the steep road was part of the fun with views of lush green landscape, verdant hillsides, coffee plants, banana trees and a beautiful view from the peak of the mountain overlooking the small town of Boquete. Once we got to the coffee plantation, we toured and tasted the coffee bean plants in a heavy downpour, then stepped inside to stir, smell and taste eight of the region's award-winning coffees.

After getting back in town, we decided to take a hike uphill towards Volcan Baru. Along the riverside route, we saw incredible geometric rock structures and vegetation growing upon vegetation-- bananas, oranges, lemons, coffee beans, colorful flowers and even squash growing on a vine atop a palm tree. Life flourishes here in part due to the sunny, yet occasionally rainy climate and nutrious volcanic soil, which creates rich green hillsides in every direction.

At night, the entire town lit up with fireworks for New Year's Eve. They started around 7 p.m. and boomed and busted all night until around 1 p.m. For a town of 5,000 people, it seemed as if there were 20,000 out in town that night. Many of the indigenas trekked into town that night for the special occasion, getting drunk and fighting for women. No gringos were hurt -- they only fought each other -- but  between the fights and the fireworks, our New Year started off with quite a bang.

DAY 5

We took another truck ride up to the cloud forest today. This time for a 12-line zipline adventure through the forest and across the river. The guides said we reached speeds of 60 mph and a descent 1,000 feet during the thrilling ride -- quite an exhilirating experience for a Sunday afternoon. In our ziplining group we met a few good ole hardworking Southern boys who worked in nearby Chiriqui Grande and later a couple from Tennessee who were staying in our hostel -- what a nice taste of home when we were so far away!

Panama City

DAY 1

After leaving the wintry chill in Nashville, we arrived in Panama City, a swelteringly humid metropolis where we would start our trip. We checked into the hostel and took a smelly, crowded bus for 25 cents to Casco Viejo, a vintage town sprinkled with a chic, new touristy restaurants mixed with a smattering of old colonial-style buildings, churches and museums. The view of the skyline was incredible from where we stood, but there was not a whole lot to do in the area, so we started walking back to the city along the boardwalk.

We scoped out some of the town's Christmas decorations and stopped to watch some kids playing basketball. I suppose we got so distracted by activities around us, because before we knew it, we had walked about 1.5 miles, and we were already halfway to the city. So we kept walking... all the way back to the hostel to rest for the night.

DAY 2

Today, we went to Miraflores Locks, the first of three locks in the Panama Canal. The four-story museum and film were informative, but what was even more impressive was watching a huge ship pass through the locks. A few years ago on Semester at Sea, I passed through the canal, so it was neat to see it from the opposite vantage point.

After checking out the canal, we took a taxi to Amador -- a causeway that passes through a few islands with a spectacular vista of Panama City. We walked around a bit, grabbed a beer and a good view, and nearly blew away from all the wind. At the outdoor restaurant, we met Cynthia, an L.A. resident who was traveling alone and joined us for dinner. She had a car, so she took us back to our hostel for the night, saving us a would-be costly taxi ride since the buses stopped service at 5 p.m.

On the road again

After a good nine months of nice hot showers, my own comfortable bed, and easy English-speaking encounters, I am again set to embark on another silly adventure. This time, however, as a result of my father's midlife crisis.

He will be checking out all seven countries in Central America -- Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, and Belize. I, on the other hand, unfortunately will only be able to join him for 12 short days if I would like to keep my job, so I will only be traveling with him through Panama and Costa Rica.

In and out of QUITO

DAY 52

Today was our last official day to explore South America, so naturally, we started off with our favorite--another bus ride.  This time, the ride was short, sweet and somewhat uneventful (other than the girl in front of us throwing up--terrible smell for the rest of the ride). 

After reaching Quito's suprisingly large, modern, and clean bus terminal (the first of its kind that we've seen in South America), we checked into our hostel in Old Town, and explored the surrounding neighborhood. 

Like many other South American cities we've visited on our trip, Quito was complete with European-style architecture, numerous statues, grand Catholic churches, and museums of all sorts.  Unfortunately, as we were only in Quito for around 15 hours, we were unable to fit in everything that the city has to offer.  We were, however, able to walk through the park across the street, check out the Basilica, grub on more street food, and see an outdoor theatrical play in one of the city's main plazas.

Our final day was bittersweet.  We have been able to see and do some amazing things during the past two months and got a quick peek into the cities, landscapes, and people of South America.  We are both, however, ready to restart life in America where we have a safe, comfortable bed to sleep in (as opposed to, say, a bus or train station), our own means of transportation, and the resources to maintain our health, hygiene, and nutrition.  We feel very blessed for the opportunity that we were given to be able to experience such rich and diverse cultures, but we are ready to come home to our family and friends. 

See you back in the States!

Ciao Ciao!

Relaaxxing in BANOS

DAY 50

Go figure, our last long bus ride had to be the problematic one. We set off on time from Loja for our 10 hour bus trip to Ambato. Just as we had fallen into a shallow sleep, we awoke at 3 a.m. to a loud jolt that lifted us out of our seats. There were also several grown men screaming. The bus driver had hit a speed bump or curb at a high speed that woke everyone up (and apparently resulted in screaming men). The bus stopped to check out the damage, changed drivers, and continued on its way. About 30 minutes down the road, we heard a loud thumping sound coming from our side of the bus. We had blown a tire--likely a result of the large something that we hit half an hour before. For the next hour or so, we waited for the drivers to change the tire. Finally, we continued on our way without another hitch, but without any sleep.

Upon reaching Banos, we were tired, cranky and were severely lacking in caffeine. After a short nap and caffeine injection at a corner cafe, we decided to check out the town. It began to rain while we were checking out the town's food market, which was definitely the best place to get stuck. Until the rain lifted, we tried little bits of everything from the Naranjilla (a citrus fruit that you suck the gooey juice and seeds out from), a banana and cheese empanada, and a hot fried potato cake.

Afterwards, we went back to the hostel with loaded bellies and empty wallets. Still a bit tired from our lack of sleep, we rested up for our second rendezvous around town. This time, we checked out a taffy shop where we tried varieties hot off the wooden block they stretch it on, the base of a small waterfall that we can see from our hostel room, and the church. After a big dinner, we caught up on some well needed rest.

DAY 51

After breakfast, we took the 2 km. hike uphill to one of the town's many thermal springs.  As we neared the summit, we were rewarded with a bird's eye view of the town and a grand vista of the Tungurahua volcano, the largest in Ecuador and the source of heat for the thermal baths.  We spent all morning and afternoon relaxing our travel-weary bodies in the mineral rich pools surrounded by the lush scenery.

After hours of relaxation (for only $3!), we headed back into town to check out some more shops and street food. After a strawberry cake and grilled corn, I almost grabbed a plate of cow intestine for dinner before deciding against it.  Although it suprisingly smelled delicious on the grill (and didn't look so bad either), I figured I'd best not subject myself to stomach issues the day before a bus ride to Quito then a series of flights home.  We opted for a sit down dinner instead.

Losing time in VILCABAMBA

DAY 47

If a Fountain of Youth exists anywhere, it's in Vilcabamba, aptly deemed the "Valley of Longetivity". Vilcabamba is known for having inhabitants who exceed well beyond 100 years old, even up to 120-135 years. This phenomena is attributed to several things--the mineral-rich drinking water (which we are drinking buckets of, just in case), the slow pace of life, and antioxidant-rich foods that grow naturally throughout the landscape. With any luck, our short stint here will at least help us stay in good heath for the remainder of our journey.

Although we were quite burnt out from our travels, the small village nestled between two verdant valleys lifted our energy. After checking into our secluded hilltop hostel that overlooks the town, we took the 2 km. hike into town. Along the roadside were numerous plants, flowers, and fruits that grew wild in the lush region.

Upon reaching town, it began to rain. We checked out a few artisan shops and stopped under a canopy for some yogurt before making the trek back uphill.
For dinner, we ate at the hostel restaurant which overlooks the sweet little valley and had a long, well-needed rest.

DAY 48

"I've been through the desert on a horse with no name. It felt good to be out of the rain."
We awoke this morning to the prospect of a sunny day. After breakfast, we went on a 4 hour horseback ride through Vilcabamba's outskirts with three other girls from our hostel. We galloped up and down steep mountain slopes, traversed a river, and encountered several quaint villages along the way. Mom's horse (who didn't have a name) was by far the most mean-spirited one of the bunch. He bit my horse, Tequila, several times and tried to bite every horse that tried to pass it. By the time our bums had had quite enough abuse, we reached town and started our weary 2 km. hike back uphill to our hostel.

After a shower and a cold beverage at the restaurant, we relaxed in hammocks overlooking Vilcabamba for an hour or so (mostly for the fact that this was one of the few places where it didn't hurt to sit).

DAY 49

We rested our aching bodies before heading into town, where we sipped coffee in the main square while watching two people put on a show including string puppets and an accordian. Apparently, artisan hippie types come to Vilcabamba from all over South America to set up shop as a jewelry maker or play the accordian on the church steps in the main square.

In contrast to the slow, peaceful pace of Vilcabamba, we next had to contend with the hectic bus scheduling that I lay ahead of us to our next stop.