Feb 8, 2012

Since leaving la Penita we have had a wonderful double decker bus tour in Mexico City which allows you to jump off and jump on all day long. We were amazed with similarities to other cities, Avienda Reforma much like Champs d'elysse in Paris, parks and green space like Boston, architecture like Chicago, a Rodeo Dr of LA, a New York SoHo district etc; very surprising, not sure what we expected but not this. We chose 5 or 6 things to do for the week when we return after Costa Rica, the pyramids and museum of anthropology being on top of the list.

Now in Panama city, another WOW!  I have posted photos on FB because it is so fast and I needed my SD card for tonight's big event and will try to catch up to ourselves with photos on the blog sometime but this Caravan Tour is jam packed. We set out early in the morning, break at 3 for a siesta and dinners are at 6 followed by evening performances; whew! not sure if I can keep the pace for three weeks but there are wonderful folks on this tour older and in various stages of ability so YES, we can do it!! After all, this is a once in a lifetime, nothing can be missed!

Pinch me moments happened at the Panama canal today as well  as at the ruins of Old Panama before they burned it. I had no idea that Captain Morgan was such a pirate, gonna stop drinking his rum!! The new city has a surprisingly large number of high rises and the architecture is interesting in some of them. Donald Trump has his own high rise condo development right at the ocean, that boy gets around.

Food and booze is a lot more expensive here than in Mexico but still cheaper than BC!

Kidnapped by the pirates for a two hour tour of Old Panama

The ruins

The new city

a lone flower on a leafless tree

Interesting architecture

The gold alter that Captain Morgan didn't get!!

Folks hid it at sea until it was safe to retrieve

altar is in this church

City of Knowledge, area of training centers.

Panama takes pride in its education.

at Miraflores Lock for the museum, lunch and a show

The word mola means clothing , with the panama embroidery

The infamous Panama hat

So where is your mola, Dave?

Our boat for the Panama canal trip in a few days

we will bewaiting so we get to the next level

and that big sucker shares the same lock!!

water is doing down gradually

lower

lower

water in next lock is rising

disappearing...

good, the lock is open

and on to the next lock

followed by a sailboat. How did he get in front of that big freighter?

out of order, it belongs with the fashion show photos. This is mole.

More ruins at Old Panama