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It generally holds true that the cheapest hotels are always in the shittiest parts of town.  San Jose, Costa Rica (2/02).

Panama City is the most dangerous city I have ever visited. There are many "red" sections whereby an outsider would almost certainly be mugged. Hence, its not a good walking city. I took taxis to get around. Poster of the city map at the hostel. Panama City (3/02).

White sand beaches of the Carribean coast at Cahuita National Park, Costa Rica (3/02).

The Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean's are only 150km apart in Costa Rica.  Puerto Viejo (3/02).

Central America is football mad. There are pickup games everywhere and everyone is welcome.  Low tide at Playa Samara on Costa Rica's Pacific coast (2/02).

Sol y Mar (sun and the sea) pretty well describes my 3 weeks here. Costa Rica undeservingly gets more tourists than the rest of Central America put together due to its aggressive advertising, abundance of Western luxury hotels and eco-friendly image. You would like Costa Rica if it was the first tropical place you've ever visited but it pales in comparison to other similar destinations like the South Pacific, SE Asia or even nearby Panama and Guatemala.  Playa Samara, Costa Rica (2/02).

When people think of Panama, they think of the canal. It's an amazing engineering feat. When passing through the locks, the largest ships have only 22 inches of clearance on each side. Miraflores locks north of Panama City (3/02).

Ships pay between US$1,000 and $180,000 to use the canal, depending on their weight.  Canal revenue contributes about 9% of Panama's GNP.

Wandering about the cool mountain highlands of Western Panama (3/02).

You meet lots of people when traveling by yourself. These kids are supposed to be in school but instead were hauling wood from the forest to their village. A photo break with a foreigner gave them a smile for the day.  Guadalupe (3/02).

Of Panama's 3 million people, 5% are indigenous Indians. They live in the rural villages and only come to town for the weekend markets. 

Panama's cloud forests easily surpass those of neighbouring Costa Rica. It was in Panama that I sighted most of the famous wild animals and birds, a feat much harder to do in Costa Rica because its forest reserves were choked-full of tourists. Sendero Los Quetzales, said by many to be Central America's best trek, I fully agree.  Highlands of Western Panama (3/02). 

Faces of Panama. Chiriqui Province, Western Panama (3/02).

Coffee drinking is a huge fad lately in the Western world (especially my home-town of Vancouver). Luckily for coffee drinkers, the ideal climate for coffee growing is in countries like Panama whose work-force will grow and pick the beans for $5 per day. Wholesale price of coffee is $0.50 per pound yet a mocha latte is $2.50. You can make about 150 cups per pound. Starbucks is making an absolute killing.  Cafe Sitton's plantation in Boquete, Panama (3/02).

Transportation is never a problem in the countryside. Hitch-hiking in the back of a carrot-laden truck. Guadalupe, Panama (3/02). 

The rural mountains of Panama is still cowboy country. The traditional way of life is still the mainstream here.  Boquete, Panama (3/02). 

Panama only gets a fraction of the tourists that Costa Rica enjoys yet Panama was the true highlight of this trip. It just goes to show what marketing, advertising and perceptions can do. Panama has a checkered past (Noriega and the US invasion) and a drug problem (due to its proximity to Columbia) but its a wonderfully untouched country with beautiful natural sights and few tourists.  Bocas del Toro archipelago on the Carribean Coast, Panama (3/02).

Date: Mon, 4 Feb 2002

Air travel is an amazing thing, one minute its cold and snowy and the next minute (terrible 10 hr flight) its HOT HOT HOT. Costa Rica is quite a civilised place and more modern than any other Central American country I´ve seen. Tourism is down bigtime as a result of Sept 11. I am not enjoying the celebrity status and weird stares that I used to get when in remote parts of Asia but there is still hardly any foreigners about. 

Food situation so far is just OK, lots of fried chicken here for some reason. Tomorrow, off to a huge lake for some windsurfing then to the cloud forest to see monkeys, birds etc. 

Lee Chai

Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002

Flagged down the bus to Panama and the conductor pointed at a place on the floor for me to sit since the bus was already full. I gave him the bus fare and he put it straight into his pocket (literally too)....thats the 3rd world for you. Some poor old lady was standing the whole time too since she had a skirt and couldn't sit on the floor. Soon enough some guy took pity and gave up his seat... but nobody gave a shit for poor me so I was on the floor the whole way. 

The hostel has a map of Panama City on the wall with a markings of X for the dangerous zones...almost the whole freaking map has X's. Needless to say, there aren't many tourists in Panama especially now that a full blown war has erupted in nearby Colombia. 

Panama's currency is the US dollar. They don't even bother to peg their currency, instead they just use it 100 percent. Its as though they just said, "hey, lets save money by not even bothering to print anything of our own". 

2 things have surprised me in Panama so far. First, is the absolute lack of foreigners which is a mark contrast to Costa Rica, which was zoo of tourists. Secondly, is the honesty of the cab drivers who always tell you a fair cab price and are always pointing out neighbourhoods you'll get mugged in and to avoid. 

Saw the magnificent canal yesterday and soon I'm off to the mountain highlands since this heat and humidity is driving me insane. 

Lee Chai

Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2002

Hostel is $10 per day but its an "all you can smoke". Owner is an enthusiastic recreational pot-head and spends the whole evening rolling up joints for his guests. Everyone (not me since I am a clean living guy) is stoned everynight sitting around the backyard garden. I think its his ploy to keep guest staying longer since nobody can get up early enough to catch the bus out of town the next morning ! May, you would like this place. 

Coffee is big here in Panama Highlands. I hitch-hiked into the hills, walked into a large coffee factory, grinned and smiled and said, "soy tourista" ( I am a tourist ). The head guy waved at one of this staff and off I went on a personal one-on-one tour of the coffee making process. Then hitched a ride back to town. What a fun day. The big factory in town charges an outrageous US10 for a "proper" big group tour of their plant....no way man. 

I am getting quite picky with my hitch-hiking lately. When I'm in a scenic place I usually only flag down pickup trucks since sitting inside a car has lousy views. 

Tomorrow I will attempt 3450m Volcano Baru which is Panama's highest mountain. Will pack 4 burgers, I wonder if it'll be enough ? 

Lee Chai