A mid-day flight brought us to Panama and the end of the journey.  For those of you that may never have visited Panama City, I want to say that it is one of truly great places in the world.  My reasoning follows that the basic “wants” in any destination are all to be had in this modern, yet, historical and vital city.  In Panama City, you have an ocean and sea; mountains and beaches; engineering feats; modern skyscrapers; nearly 500-year old buildings; rainforests; great restaurants; and countless other things compacted within a small accessible area.  It is relatively cheap and easy to get around.  Sure, it is gritty and rundown in parts, but this is improving daily, as the infrastructure is improving with the influx capital.  There is very little to not like about the Panama City area and it is only going to get better with the new locks opening up more international attention and trade.  In that regard, upon arrival, we headed straight to the Miraflores locks for the “show”.  I have been to the Canal before and find it to be one of the greatest sites in the world.  It is over one hundred years old and has raised and lowered of 1-million vessels in its rich history.  Watching a large cruise ship or cargo ship being raised and lower is a marvel.  It is all done with gravity and simple engineering on a grand scale.  It is so simple, yet, complex.  I think more broadly about this canal and consider how it has shaped the world we live in today.  The canal has redistributed wealth around the world which has allowed a higher quality of life for billions of people.  It has impacted on societies, cultures, and values in every corner of the world.  It is more than a mere passageway, but rather a bridge across the world.  Anyhow, to watch the ships going through the canal is a slow process and spectacle because the they only have a few feet of clearance on either side.  It is thought provoking looking at these giants slowly going down or up before you eyes. I just love the experience and, so did/does, the hundreds of people who pour in each day.  I took a series of photos of the ship being lowered.  I hope that a quick scroll will help to get the idea.

Got up this morning and started out early for San Jose. We wanted to get there early to see the Duke/Kansas game in afternoon. All was going according to plan for about 30-minutes until we hit another dusty, pitted, and rock filled road. Unfettered by the road, we pushed forward until all traffic stopped and we found ourselves sitting on the side of a mountain for an hour while a rock slide was being removed. It was best to let them finish! Upon arriving in San Jose, we found the first sports bar. San Jose is a bit rough around the edges to put it nicely. I can see where improvements are being made and where they need to work harder. In the end, we found ourselves in a bit of a dive bar, where a “hooker” was promptly getting drunk on a Sunday afternoon and trying to get our attention. Not the best scene but no one else was watching the game; so, we had the TV to ourselves. Rick took the Kansas victory rather well, as it was a good game. Our AirBNB bagged on us and we just stayed downtown, which turned out to be for the better. The next morning we were picked up at 5:45 am for our overnight whitewater trip. Those that know me well, know that I am not a water person per say. However, I will say that I had a blast for my first time. We started with a short 2-hour trip to the eco-lodge over fairly easy rapids. It was a great way to learn and develop the skills needed for the next day and to take in the scenery. The river and shores were spotless and I saw zero garbage. I was impressed at how well the people take care of the gift that they have. The river was on the eastern half of the country and emptied into the Caribbean. The mountains were several thousand feet and covered with lush forest and almost no bugs. It was perfect in every way, as we arrived at the lodge. At the lodge, I did nothing, I mean nothing, but lay around and relax when we arrived. We were the only guests, other than a wedding party. They mainly got drunk and slept late the next day; so, we had the place to ourselves. This allowed us to spend a lot of time talking politics and life with the staff. It was laid back and I was energized. A short hike halfway up a mountain the next day allowed us to get underneath the canopy and experience the beauty of the forest. The later whitewater trip was about 5-6 hours with all the classes of rapids. The water level was low with many boulders in the river. Rick and I were assigned as captions and rode upfront. Near as I could tell, this meant we paddled more and fell out more often. Rick bit it first but managed to not get hurt. I was supremely confident and cocky before I took a plunge and had to be rescued. We went through a few canyons and countless rapids before it became apparent that I was going to feel the hard work the next day. We travelled with about 8-10 other rafts and had a lot of fun mocking and splashing each other. All and all, I loved it more than I thought I would and would highly recommend it. The next day was bitter-sweet, in that, we were headed to Jaco Beach to see my old college roommate and leave the beast with him. We had come 4,300 miles together and seen so many sights. I was a bit sad to say goodbye. I was going to drive all the way to Canal and then back to Costa Rica to give him the car. However, to save time and allow another unplanned adventure (see next post and Darien gap), We flew to panama. I met Eric and his wonderful girlfriend, Keri, at his place in Jaco Beach. It is always nice to see Eric and catch up. Somehow, we have managed to stay in touch for over 30-years. His condo was in a nice gated community with a marina and beach club. I saw his last place on another trip to Costa Rica and this was an upgrade with so many more options. I think the beast will like his new home. A few photos later and we parted for the last time. Be safe, my friend, and I just hope Eric treats you well. Probably not, he is a bit crazier than me! Off to Panama tomorrow to see the Canal, City, mountains, and jungle.

We rolled into Costa Rica after, yet another, long and painful border crossing of running back and fourth getting papers copied and “finding” the right person to help. Not sure how anything makes it across these inefficient borders. Anyhow, after a long day of driving, we closed in on Monteverde and the famed clouded forest. A spur of the moment decision, by me, to take a “shorter” route and ignore google maps preferred route, lead to one of the bumpiest drives of my life as we drove a narrow dirt road through the stunning mountains. The road was like driving over an old washboard for 20- miles while dodging baseball sized rocks and kitchen sink sized holes. It was an adventure that was rewarded with some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. Rick and I spent the first day ziplining through the rainforest on lines up-to 1,000 feet long. It was breath taking and adrenaline filled. I chickened out on the Tarzan swing that was optional while Rick hit it with full force. I watched in amazement as my senior travel buddy put me to shame. It was a great time and well worth the time. Later, we retreated to a car to watch the NCAA games, as we would do the next night also. One problem, the “sports bar” was more than met the eye. It also showed non-stop earth machine moving tapes on big screen; laser light shows; DJ on a stage; Latin dancing; and subtitled detective movies. It was a weird place, but we braved the loud blaring music with lasers shooting everywhere to see our teams play. The next day, we went on a long hike in a national park with swinging bridges and old growth forest. It was really great to be out in the clean air and we even saw a monkey or two. I really liked the vegetation and overlooks. Because it is always under the clouds, there is always a weird mist of tiny drops of water floating in the air. This leads to a comfortable temp for hiking and the ability to always spot a rainbow. The area is an adventure and nature lovers paradise with countless activities. Rick and I just took our time and hit a few activities per day. I am winding down my trip after nearly 5-weeks of constant travel. It was really nice to take three days to just enjoy the beauty of nature at a slower pace. Tomorrow, we are leaving for the big city of San Jose and our whitewater rafting trip. Each country in Central America has something different to offer. Costa Rica is all about nature and enjoying the great outdoors.

Panama
Our initial plan was to drive to Panama City from Costa Rica, but we decided to fly there and leave the Beast in Costa Rica with Nick’s college roommate, Eric Jackson. This meant that Nick did not have to retrace our steps and drive the car back by himself in order to give Eric the car. Consequently, we cut out a full day’s drive, but missed seeing the western  part of Panama. However, that did not mean that we cut out driving entirely. Instead we rented a car in the airport and on Friday, (our second to last day in Panama) we drove all the way south (actually mostly east to the Darian gap, the end of the Pan American Highway.
Major events and impressions on our stay: The Canal is very impressive. We watched two ships enter the locks coming from the Caribbean side and drop a total of 55 feet after going through two of the six locks and head for the Pacific Ocean. What is so impressive is that both ships had about two inches of clearance between the sides of the ship and the side of the lock. One of the ships was shaped like a V, so initially it had lots of clearance, but after it “sank” 27 feet, there was almost no clearance. (As an aside, the pricing of how much the Canal can charge would make an interesting marketing question, since a ship saves hundreds of thousands of dollars in terms of fuel, time, effort, etc. by going through the canal versus going around the tip of South America. Since there is really no competition, the logical answer would be that the Canal should charge close to the savings. In fact they do charge a lot, we heard that they charge about $250,000 or more per ship, but nowhere close the economic value to the ship owners.)
The second impression is the city itself. It is composed of two parts, the old town and the new section of high rise apartments and office buildings. This latter part is an architect’s delight. The structures are amazing. My favorable was a “green weeny” where it looked like rectangle boxes stacked on top of each other, each at a slightly different angle so that the building resembled a cork screw. We read that the city is about 1.5 million people, yet the traffic was light. Also when we drove in the city at night, many of the buildings had very few lights so perhaps many of the buildings are almost empty. (As an aside, one of the buildings is (was) called Trump Ocean Club. When we climbed a large hill just outside of town on our hike through the rain forest, there was a sign listing many of the buildings. Trump’s name was not only crossed off, it was punched out. This is the only graffiti we saw in the City.) The old town reminds me of New Orleans. The streets are narrow, with lots of church squares and eating places, About ¼ of the buildings are still just shells, but the rest have been renovated. Lots of overhanging balconies, wooden doors and flowers. Walking the streets was a real pleasure.
Our third major excursion was to the Darian Gap. The Pan American highway stops about 13 miles from the border of Columbia. It is not clear to us why it stops, since the terrain is not mountainous. Yes, there are some rivers, but nothing that cannot be crossed. Our theory is that Panama doesn’t want to have a border crossing. As possible evidence we were stopped at least five times going down to the last town on the road by police, who checked passports and driver’s licenses. This last town is really “rough”. We visited on Good Friday, and everyone was just lounging around. When we went into a grocery store to buy some food, the clerk, who was wearing a U of Toronto shirt told us in perfect English to be very careful. (She was of Chinese decent. We suspect her family owned the store. She told us she graduated from Toronto. We have no idea on why she decided to return, since she was right, the town was “rough”.
I have included photos of all three venues. I also included a few from our hike in the rain forest, which believe it or not is within the city limits of Panama City. All in all this is a country (and city) that people should visit.

After spending 4 hours of chaos at the border, we finally finished all the paperwork to enter the country. This border crossing was so inefficient and disjointed that I could have screamed. I was so stressed that Rick decided it was best that he drove the first leg to Leon. Within the first hour, he was pulled over twice and let go both times. I started laughing at his criminal behavior, as I took over the last leg. Well, within 15-minutes I has my chance over the barrel. I was pulled over by three policeman, who spoke no English. One handed me a laminated card and pointed to my offense. I quickly google translated the offense as he told us it was 1000 of their dollars or about $30US. I saw that I was being accused of zigzagging in the lane. This was not true and I began saying NO, as I took my paperwork back and he motioned to the other officer. This officer, with my original license on his clipboard, strolled up to say that it was true. I just looked at him and said, NO-NO!! He started to say something twice and I cut him off with a stare and NO-NO-NO!!! Rick was getting nervous and I reached and took back my license. Clearly, I was standing my ground on this BS. They walked back to a third officer and talked. After a few minutes, I got wave of their hand and saw the defeat in their eyes which meant I was free to go. I have been pulled over way too many times and know exactly when I am wrong and when I am being shaken down. Thus, this country was not impressing me quickly. We got in Leon, which is a dirty town and a bit rough around the edges. The AirBNB was a hotel run by an american and full of students from Scandinavia. We immediately hit it off with everyone and were back in the groove. The next day we walked all over the town and it really grew on us. Many little churches, courtyards, restaurants later, we declared it a nice place to visit. We booked our bucket listed volcano sliding trip for the next day and headed to a small beach town to smell the ocean and watch the sunset. It was so relaxing on the beach and miles away from every worry. The next morning, we joined 7 young “kids” whose combined ages was just a tick over ours. We held our own hiking up the volcano. By the time we got to the top, we were all best friends and we chatted with everyone. Sliding down the volcano was just better than awesome. You put on a suit, goggles, and gloves and sit on a sled for a quarter mile of pure fun. Rick went first and wiped out twice on the way down. I was last and made it down without any falls. Fear was my guiding force! It was such a blast that 3-minutes of excitement outweighed 2-hours of uphill hiking. We both declared it one of the best outing to date, as we headed for Granada for our next stay. The next morning we strolled the colonial city with expectations that we surpassed by this “hot” town. I was here a few years ago and was taken back by the progress and renovations. I hardly recognized the place as it was full of new stores, freshly painted buildings, and a new lakeside park. I was impressed by the charm and hoards of people enjoying the lively atmosphere. It is really a neat town and worth a visit. We could have stayed longer, but headed south to San Juan Del Sur for our indulgent stay at a beachside condo overlooking the bay. It was in the center of town but we just sat on the balcony and talked instead of going anywhere. The next morning we headed to Lago Cocibolca and a ferry ride to Volcan conception, which is a twin volcano in the center of the largest lake in Central America. We hired a guide, who took us on a nature hike where we saw a few monkeys, butterfly’s, and learned about the culture. All and all, Nicaragua was better than expected, as we explored volcanos, beaches, lakes, and historical cities. It has along way to go to meet western standards, but this is why it is so charming. The people were extremely nice and we had no negative encounters with anyone not wearing s police uniform. On to Costa Rica and many outdoor activities.

We crossed the Honduras border at noon and google maps indicated that we had about six hours more. The roads climbed up the mountains and the temperature dropped by at least 10 degrees. I was driving and it started to mist and fog up, but in general it was an easy drive. At five google maps indicated that we still had two hours of driving. She (we have personalize her since she controls our lives) told us to turn off the “highway” onto a dirt road. At first the road was two lanes and really wasn’t too bad. However, there were no trucks on the road, only local sporadic traffic. It started to rain again and the road continued to narrow. Ms. Google continued to give us directions asking us to turn here and then there. About ½ before dark we were heading down a steep hill that was really muddy. The road then turned to the left down another steep hill. Right there was a house with a family of about 10 people. We asked directions—I am not sure they really understood, since the state we were in is called Copan and the town were headed to was Copan. In and case we decided to turn around and go back to the highway. Ms. Google recomputed and sent us up and around instead of her shortcut. At first the roads were okay, but soon we hit construction and the roads were mostly dirt (mud). It took us three hours to cover about 60 km (that’s 40 miles). Nick did all the driving—bless his soul. I tried to keep up the chatter. We finally got into Copan and found a good restaurant—we both had steak and beer, total cost was about $25. We got to the Airbnb by 10 and fell asleep soon after—partly because the water stopped running and thus showers were not in the picture. (However the place is really nice and close to town and the ruins.)

The guide books say El Salvador is under rated and they are right. The people are friendly the scenery is new and interesting and the roads are great. Our first day was spent driving from the Guatemala airport to San Salvador. It was a long drive broken up only with a two or three hour stop in Sana Ana. The town has the typical square, the nice church and markets. I was taking a picture when a guy saw me and started giving me the peace sign. He came up to me and told me that he was from the area, but moved to LA 14 years ago. He was back to visit his family. He told us a lot about the local history and pointed us to a good restaurant. He also took us though the Church showing us some local treasures. We stayed there (too long) and so we had to drive in the dark to our place in San Salvador. Next day we got up early and drove west to the volcano area and a set of small towns with cobble stone streets, local markets, churches and squares. We did three different towns and then took a trek down to some waterfalls that were coming out of the side of the cliffs. We then turned our attention to heading south to the ocean to see the beach. Much to our surprise the area where we went is VERY undeveloped in terms of tourism. We were the only foreigners and there was no real beach. The town was a working fishing village with a few bars and a “hotel”. We each had a fish dinner with fries and a beer. The total bill was $14 including the standard10% service charge. (We gave them an additional big tip). All in all we were gone for 12 hours –from 7 to 7. We arrived back in San Salvador and ate a quick meal at Super 7—in the gas station. (We already had a fish meal at 3pm.)
On Thursday morning we left early for Honduras. The idea was that we would not backpedal to Guatemala and circle into Honduras to get to Copan, even though google maps indicated that was the fastest route by at least two hours. Our logic was that we would have to cross the border twice and each crossing would take at least two hours. Also, we wanted to stop in a small town called La Palma that had some nice wall painting. We got there about 10am and wandered around town, buying a few (inexpensive) paintings from the most famous local artist. We also talked to another El Salvadorian couple who were living in LA and Florida—they had been there for at least 10 years and they indicated they had papers so they were legal. (See the photos on La Palma below). It was then off to the border crossing and two hours of paperwork.

It has been awhile since my last post. One may be wondering whether I died or fell in a volcano? MFL could not be that lucky. The real reason is that I am feeling my age and this traveling is beginning to kick my butt. However, with Rick around, I need to push myself or get left behind. We are honestly having a great time and I enjoy Rick’s company on the remainder of the trip. In Copan, we spent most of the day exploring the vast ruins. I have been to ruins all over the world and can declare that these are more than worthy of the apparent transitional costs of actually getting here. We hired a private guide, which is recommended to learn and explore at ones own pace. The ruins are vast and bigger than Chichén Itzá and, just as, if not more impressive. The cravings, structures, and walled sections were in great shape because they were preserved under the forest for hundreds of years, prior to being discovered and preserved. In the end, you can really getting a good “feel” for the overall layout of the temple complex with recreational facilities and gathering spaces. Each king built a new structure over the previous royal structure; so, you have a time capsule of past temples like a nesting doll system of royal temples. Each trying to be grander that the last to display the progress being made. They had a few explored and we were able to go into the tunnels. Much work is left to be explored. It would be interesting to come back in 10-Years to see all of the new discoveries there.
After getting beaten up by the sun, we retreated the the apt to recover. Later in the afternoon, we visited a parrot farm to see all of the different indigenousness birds that were scared to the Mayan people. We had a great time walking around seeing caged birds that were trying to get out of there cages. Nothing like 10 beautiful Scarlett macaws testing each square inch of wire to find the way to freedom. All joking aside, this place actually nurses them to optimal health to release them into the valley, where they are protected. It was easier to digest knowing this. Some of the birds were tame enough to get up close, like the toucan. All and all, this was a good side trip. The rest of the evening was spend explore the downtown and listening to the local band on the town’s square. We joined in by eating street food under a tent and, I, even helped a women set up her tent. People are super nice here but English speakers are harder to find. The next one and a half days were set aside for driving to Nicaragua And we needed every minute for those roads, as the roads were rough and slow going. We stopped in the capital of Tegucigalpa for the night, but were to exhausted to even leave the hotel, not that the city had much to offer. We made to the bird about 11:00 and cleared custom and driving papers by 3:30 pm. Hence, four and a half hours to cross the border was painful to say the least. Rick and I are still having a great time with our eyes squarely on Nicaragua and what it has to offer.

I am now an non-solo traveler, as Richard Staelin joined me. Rick is a colleague of MFL’s and I have known him for close to 30-years. I have always gotten along

with him socially, but never traveled with him. It was a bit of a “feeling out period” for the both of us, which lasted about 20-minutes and then we realized that we were on same page. Rick arrived but his luggage was determined to see Miami first; so, we had to retrieve his luggage the next day. After securing the luggage, we started our trip to the El Salvador border with the intention of interacting with the fine people and sights of Central America. Upon crossing the El Salvador border, I was actually taken back and surprised by the people of El Salvador. They are, by far, the nicest group of individuals, top to bottom, that I have ever met in any country. The people smiled, waved, and were curious about these two long-haired gringo with the “classico” car. Everyone wanted to see the beast and that enabled us to interact with so many people. It started at the entry customs point and ended at the exit. In travel, sometimes expectations fall short and, occasionally, they exceed. This country exceeded in every way. I will not keep hammering this point but will talk about what we did. About an hour outside of San Salvador is a ring road that goes up into coffee country. There are a series of little towns with unique features. One with a quaint square; another with ornate church; and another with a lively outdoor market. It was great to stop at each and just walk around and see the sights. Afterwards, we went to a valley with a series of waterfalls. A guide seemed intent of walking with us; so, we did not get lost as we descended into the valley. Not going to lie, it was a hike and the trail was very suspect. The reward was obvious as we visited each of the falls. The walk back was strenuous, but we were able to make it. The iPhone app claimed 47-flights of steps, but it felt more like 147-flights. From there, we headed to the beach to see the Pacific. I was envisioning a nice sand beach with resorts. Instead, I got a local beach with small boats tied to trees and the whole community watching soccer. This was a local beach and, not sure, if they had ever seen a gringo before(?). I took it in stride and talked a little soccer with the guys. Afterwards, we headed to the only restaurant in “town”. Given that this was a fishing community, I knew exactly what to order…fish. The owner brought out two red snappers, caught the day before, and asked, sheepishly, if $12.00 for the two was alright. Needless to say, the fish was awesome. The next day, we headed out very early to Honduras. Along the way, we stopped at La Palma, which is an artist community near the border. The town was painted in the style the legion of local artist’s, who use bold colors and geometric shapes in very distinctive style. I bought a few canvas pieces and really hope that MFL likes them. The border crossing took a little more time than expected, as we spent time talking to people about the car and doing photo-opts. This is where the day got longer. After clearing customs and all of the endless paperwork, we started down markedly worse roads. Relying on google maps is a double edged sword. On one hand, she wants the fastest route for us, but on the other hand, because she is not driving, she will take risks. Let me explain, she sent us down a highway with craters, no shoulders, and endless road construction and then thought it was a good idea to make it even harder. So, she said turn left on a hard packed, dirt road in the mountains to save time. Well, I did and it was absolutely beautiful. No traffic and vistas to die for. All was good until the road got narrower and more bumpy. Not too bad at first, but after 10-miles, I was driving on a one lane road with 6-inches of mud. It just kept getting worse and time was ticking, as we did not want to be caught in the dark. We happened upon a small house halfway down a steep hill with a group of machetes wielding guys standing outside. We decided to reaffirm that we were on the right track. Well, they kept pointing the opposite direction and English was not going to work and cell service was gone. With time ticking, I decided to turn around and retrace my path to the main road. The map said we were 18KM away on the muddy road or 100KM on pitted road with a few patches of pavement. We took the more certain route and arrived hours later at the Copán Ruines. Longest day of the trip, but I was just happy to not be trapped on a muddy road or off the side of a cliff.