Early Starts: Vilcabamba to Lima

Vilcabamba Friday 8^th April

Up at 5.15 and leave the room at 5.35 to find the gate guard already waiting to carry my bag to the taxi  and get my “breakfast-to-go” out of the fridge. Taxi is waiting and it’s a quick dawn journey to Loja which is much bigger than I expected. Drove through miles of new looking suburbs of modern detached houses before finally reaching the bus terminal, which is a bit less classy than the ones in Brazil Argentina and Chile. The bus left on time at 7.00. Sitting next to a young Canadian guy who has been trying to climb mountains in Equador but got beaten by bad weather. Two other tourists on the bus, a young couple from Ireland, at least the man is, who have been travelling in Australia and Columbia. All of them telling me how much they liked Columbia. The scenery is beautiful as we climb through verdant green mountains looking down at fluffy white clouds in the valleys. 

Clouds in the Valleys

Realise that this is "cloud forest" as depicted in the Singapore Gardens by the Bay but this is the real thing! In Vilcabamba and even more so along the roads here, power lines have clumps of what I thought originally was moss but which I later learnt was Tillandsia Recurvata, one of the bromeliad family, growing on them.

http://www.insituplants.com/blog/some-notes-on-the-natural-habitat-of-tillandsia-spp-and-inferences-therefrom-on-their-care-in-the-interior-environment

http://www.backyardnature.net/q/ballmoss.htm

In Vilcabamba the clumps look to be golf to tennis ball size but here great strands hang down a couple of feet and I can see other plants with broader green leaves have taken root. Even the highest, steepest hillsides show signs of agriculture with people planting crops on slopes steeper than 45 degrees. Most of the hillsides look grassy but I don't see many signs of gazing animals except a few cows along the road. Later we descend into a deep valley where there are deep green rice fields in shallow terraces along the valley floor. We stopped for 20 minutes in Macara and not long after leaving we were at the Ecuador Immigration Office where only the four of us tourists needed to get out of the bus to get our passports stamped. Then it was a short ride across the bridge over a small river where we got stamped into Peru. 

Welcome to Peru

There was some confusion among the other passengers who stayed on the bus but then the conductor told them they had to go to the immigration office too.  So we had a long wait and a chance for me to eat the muffin, hard boiled egg and banana in my “breakfast-to-go”.  Initially the landscape in Peru was identical to that in Ecuador but later we descended to a flat, featureless plain of grass and small bushes with yellow flowers. Only a few km after crossing  the border, the bus was stopped by the police,  one of whom came onto the bus to check all our passports and identity cards. Three of the local people had to get off for some extra questioning but returned ten minutes later. Much later we drove through the outskirts of, I think, Tambogrande, dry, dusty and litter strewn, miles of small, one storey dwellings with  corrugated iron roofs; it looks poor and miserable. Then we joined an expressway speeding across the plain until we hit the outskirts of Piura which look a bit more prosperous than those of Tambogrande, more two storey houses and some evidence of paint. Looks like elections are coming to Peru. The picture of one of the candidates for election reminds me of photos of American politicians and real estate agents -  well tanned, slightly overfed, perfect teeth  and a smile that oozes insincerity. Arrived at the terminal soon after four from where I had a short taxi ride to the Ixnuk hotel for ten Peruvian sols (3.3 sols =US$1). The room was spotlessly clean and comfortable, pity it doesn't have an outside  window but I'm  only here for one night. The manager offered to take me to the airport tomorrow at 7.30, which is a bit later than I would choose for a 9.15 flight but then I am always paranoid about being early. Went out about 6pm to explore the town and find dinner. Looked around the town’s two main squares, both of which were busy with people  relaxing or playing with their children. Changed $20 to sols but the man wouldn't accept my slightly torn US$20; wish I had used it at Madre Tierra where they didn't seem to be so picky.

I was hoping to find a cosy cafe or restaurant overlooking the river but the river bank is lined with concrete, mostly windowless, utilitarian buildings. Not much round either of the two main squares either where I can find only a few hole-in-the-wall places and a "Pollo Dorado" which looks like the local version of KFC. But then a little way from one of the squares is “Don Carlos”, a brightly lit “family” style restaurant which looks like part of a chain. Order a beef brochette, which  turns out to be surprisingly good and huge,   and a beer. Bill comes to 35 Sols, just over US$10.

Main Square in Piura

Feeling suitably replete head back to the hotel.

Piura Saturday 9th April.

Decided to forgo the free ride to the airport; noticed it had been scheduled for 0745, 15 minutes later than we had agreed. Taxi was only 5 soles and I arrived a few minutes before the check-in opened. Bit surprised the security guy wanted to hand search my luggage before check-in but otherwise all went quickly and smoothly. Pleasant cafe for a cookie and really good coffee but I am their only customer until a young couple of tourists come in.

The flight was delayed by about an hour but finally it started boarding and we could walk across the concrete to the aircraft steps, something I don’t often experience but which feels more “real” than walking through a jetway or boarding a bus. Once boarded, I got my window seat near the front with an empty middle seat next to me, so was feeling the benefit of checking in early, or so I thought. But then two very frail and tiny old ladies were carried up the steps in wheelchairs and there seemed to be some problem with where they were supposed to be sitting. So the woman next but one to me in the aisle seat was asked to move and they were put next to me. Nothing wrong with that except it meant I was the last passenger to get off the plane after they were assisted into wheelchairs after arriving at Lima. The flight itself was fine. Leaving Puria we flew over desert, just little bushes and lots of sand and the arid plain continued to Lima with only a few isolated areas of green agriculture. Far off to the left I could see green mountains and beyond them snow-capped peaks. When I did finally get off, my bag was already on the carousel and I got a taxi from the "official" taxi desk rather than risk one of the dozen or more taxi touts. When the woman at the desk told  me the price was 60 sols I did wonder whether the official taxi desk was just a licensed tout but it seemed the best option. The journey was quite long, nearly an hour through heavy traffic and involved several "rat runs" through residential areas and a drive along the coast beneath brown crumbling cliffs secured with heavy duty netting,  listening to Surfing USA while passing the surf school on the beach, not something I had expected to see in Lima, before getting to the Hotel San Antonio Abad. The hotel looks very elegant, although the room itself is nothing special. It does have a window but no fridge.

Vilcabamba: Paradise on Earth?

Tuesday 5^th April

It was a short one hour flight from Quito to Loja airport where I was met by the driver from Madre Tierra resort for the one hour plus drive along amazing mountainous roads first to the turning for Loja town, which is almost 30 minutes from the airport, and then to Vilcabamba where I was greeted enthusiastically by Gail, who sounds American. After settling in, had an excellent set dinner of soup, a big, tasty chicken burrito accompanied by delicious salad, including avocado and red cabbage, and flan for dessert, all for $8.50 plus $2.25 for a beer. Also at dinner were two American couples working through their lives to find geographical intersections as American always manage to do.

Wednesday 6th April

After a tasty breakfast of scrambled egg, fruit, toast and coffee I arranged with Gail to have a guided walk tomorrow morning. Had a look round Madre Tierra; the views over the mountains are magnificent. 

View from the Terrace

Walked into town where eventually I found the Movistar phone shop which sells bus tickets to Piura in Peru, just as Gail had described. According to the woman who sells the tickets, there is only one day time bus leaving at the ungodly hour of 7 am. Looks like I have no choice so I buy my ticket for $14. The town of Vilcabamba itself isn't very exciting but every street leads to an amazing mountain view. Stopped for a slice of passion fruit cheesecake and a coffee at a cafe on the main square which seems to be a hub for North American expats.   There was a guy from Vancouver with a big dog complaining that the Hong Kong Chinese have taken over, Vancouver not Vilcabamba. During the time I was in the cafe at least three of his acquaintances dropped by for a chat, one of them passing him a mosquito net that looked like a bride's wedding veil. Another couple were talking about going back to Canada before returning to Vilcabamba in November. 

Laid Back Vilcabamba

Surrounded by Mountains

Town Square

Thursday 7^th April

Just walking around before breakfast I am struck by the incredible views; definitely a piece of paradise. At 9.00 Ernesto arrived for our tour. He gave me the choice of climbing the mountain or heading for the waterfall. I could see the height of the mountain, so chose the waterfall. We took a taxi a short distance out of town and started walking. Ernesto is in his early 40's and incredibly knowledgeable about all the plants, telling me their names, which ones have medicinal properties, which are native and which are introduced.  He also tells me how destruction of the forest is a huge problem as farmers burn it to clear land for crops and grazing. His main job is farming, growing coffee, bananas, yucca and some others I forget. He is very environmentally aware and thinks the growth of tourism in the area and foreigners buying property will help prevent the destruction of the remaining forest, but the downside is that they push up property prices. Where have I heard that before? Most of the land is privately owned and essentially if you own the land you can do what you like on it. Ernesto was doing most of the talking; I was too busy breathing, trying to keep up with him on the steep path. Exploring the area on horseback is popular here but I decided to take a walking tour since I'm not particularly fond of horses and don't feel very comfortable on them. But seeing people riding up the path I could see the advantage of having a four legged friend doing the work. Horses are supposed to be one of the factors that enabled a few hundred Spanish conquistadores to conquer the mighty Inca Empire. Ernesto was patient as I stopped to admire the views and regain my breath but after about an hour or so, as the path continued onward and upward, walking punctuated by rest stops turned into resting punctuated by walks so we decided to stop at the next viewpoint. Many of the tracks are several feet below the surrounding hillside which surprised me since they seem to have been worn through layers of shale or slate. Ernesto tells me that they are worn by animals and during wet weather water rushing down plays its part.  The view from the ridge was fantastic and it was great to have a long two way conversation with Ernesto. We headed down a different, even narrower, track into the valley to a cool mountain stream where at Ernesto's suggestion I dipped my feet in the water. From there the track was wider and later turned into a dirt road from which Ernesto arranged for a taxi to take us back. Ernesto asked for only $20 but I felt it only fair to give him $40 for his effort. He tells me he would love to travel and see other countries so I hope one day he manages it. 

Vilcabamba down in the Valley

Ernesto Relaxing

Ernesto Leading the Way. Downhill is easier!

Cool Mountain Stream

Various Flowers along the Path

Susana de los ojos negros, an invasive species

Back at Madre Tierra I felt exhausted after our walk and was quite shocked to find it was only 8400 steps or 6.5 km according to my phone's pedometer. In the evening dinner was onion soup with chicken curry and flan. Settled my bill and arranged a taxi for tomorrow morning.

Quito: Coolest City on the Equator

Friday 1^st April

The flight from Panama to Quito was fine. Sitting in an exit row next to American couple who are in a large group of 47. First time I have been on a flight where the man next me brought on a pizza and proceeded to eat it before take-off. Should I be nervous flying on a non US airline with a large group of middle aged, mostly overweight, Americans. Have the flight crew got the correct figures for their take off weight? Since we were in the exit row we had a detailed explanation by one of the flight attendants telling us, in perfect English, what we should do in the event of the command "Todo eliminar su cinturón de seguridad y evacuar". Or something like that. "If there's an emergency, we'll all be screaming it. If we aren't screaming, you can sit back and relax."

Despite the fact it was only a two hour flight we got a hot burrito and a choice of drinks so I was quite impressed with Copa although I would have been even happier paying a budget price and foregoing the niceties.

Not so impressed with Ecuador immigration which has an immigration form requiring you to write your name four times and where we waited almost an hour in a slow moving queue followed by a rather faster queue for Customs.

The taxi was $25 fixed fare; like Panama, Ecuador uses the US dollar, and my first impressions of Ecuador and Quito very mixed. Thanks to the cool, overcast and misty weather the landscape near the airport looked quite English with rolling green hills partially shrouded by mist, isolated houses in the distance, lorry parks, an ultramodern airport hotel and distribution centres closer to the new looking six lane motorway we were driving along. Until I started thinking about coming here I don't think I would have been able to place Ecuador or Quito on a map and so I had expected somewhere looking more tropical and exotic. OK, the motorway had US style green signs and some sharper bends and steeper inclines than the M25 but nothing to give away that I was in a small South American country of which I knew little. We had been heading down hill on the motorway which made sense since Wikitravel had told me that that Quito was in a valley. But then we turned off the motorway and climbed up narrow, winding, steep, often cobbled, wet, streets zig zagging up hills between small, mainly whitewashed, stone buildings.  It was raining and quite dark by now and I was beginning to wonder if the taxi driver had understood the destination. He had seemed very confident when I gave it to him. But then, suddenly, after several miles we emerged in a city landscape of wide streets, car show rooms, fast food joints and finally Cuba Viejo Hotel. Feeling very relieved I was happy to give the driver an extra couple of dollars.

The hotel receptionist was very efficient and soon I was in my comfortable and cosy room. Since it was pouring with rain I had an onion soup with toast and cheese in the hotel, along with a local beer. The onion soup was a bit of a disappointment; I was hoping for it to be French style with caramelised onions but it was a bit pale and insipid. Took another beer up to the room and put my three days in the Amazon up.

Later I found out that rather than being in a valley Quito is on a shelf-like plateau on the side of a mountain.

Saturday 2 April

Think this was the first hotel breakfast in South America with no ham and cheese. Instead cereal, yogurt, fruit, scrambled egg, toast, juice and decent coffee. 

Walked down towards the historic centre of Quito stopping off first at what I later learnt was the “Basilica of the National Vow” a Gothic style cathedral in totally European style complete with gargoyles and stained glass windows. According to Wikipedia it is the largest neo-Gothic basilica in the Americas. Until the walk I had been wondering what all this fuss about high altitude was. But 4km later I decided there might be something in it.  Behind the main church was a richly decorated chapel bigger than most parish churches where a service was being conducted. Beneath the nave was a crypt with catacombs which appear to be still in use with empty niches and fairly recent post 2000 internments. Rather incongruously, at least in my eyes, on the outside of the catacombs are a series of kiosks hosting local businesses, mostly electrical stuff, plugs, sockets, soldering irons, multimeters etc. At least they weren't money changers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bas%C3%ADlica_del_Voto_Nacional

Basilica of the National Vow

Gargoyle on Basilica of the National Vow

European Style Rose Window in Basilica of the National Vow

Continued on into the square in the centre of the historic city, Plaza Grande, which would have been very picturesque except for the grey clouds and rain. Stopped off for a coffee in the former Archbishop’s Palace, on one side of the Plaza Grande, which now houses several restaurants and shops round a courtyard. The other three sides of the Plaza Grande are occupied by the Presidential Palace, guarded by the army, a modern block which is supposed to house a visitor centre but looks empty and the cathedral which costs $3 to visit but is magnificent inside, Baroque with a Moorish influence according to one description, and benefits from excellent lighting. It probably looks better now than it ever did. 

Plaza Grande

Courtyard: Ideal for a Cup of Coffee

Inside the Cathedral

Unfortunately churches in Ecuador seem not to like people taking photos, which I can understand during services, when tourists shouldn't be wandering around anyway, but annoys me when I have paid good money. Off to one side was an exhibition of clerical vestments.  Also went to visit the Metropolitan Culture Centre in a 20th century building that looks much older. The exhibitions were of modern art, not really my thing, but some of the works by Gonzales Gusman, to which over half the exhibition was devoted, were quite striking. In one series he seems quite obsessed by female buttocks. He's obviously very prolific so I was surprised not to find anything on him in Wikipedia.

Striking Painting by Gonzales Gusman

Continued on to La Compañía de Jesús, the Jesuit church but it was closed and after looking at some of the little streets in the rain returned to the shopping centre to buy some cards and have another cup of coffee and a corn flavoured sponge cake cooked in a pandan leaf. Got a taxi back to the hotel for just $3 and started looking at options for where, when, and how to go next.

It was pouring with rain by the time I wanted to go out for dinner and didn't fancy eating in the hotel again so went out to Rib & Co which is very close and gets good reviews in Trip Advisor. Maybe I should have stayed in the hotel. This was my review:

Steak was chewy and the roof leaked

It was raining heavily and this place was close. I was on my own; 1lb of ribs was too much, so I ordered the 1/2 lb New York strip steak. Surprisingly, I wasn't asked how I wanted it done or what I wanted with it. The steak, which turned out medium with French fries, was decidedly chewy. Such a disappointment after the fantastic steaks in Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. The restaurant is very minimalist, all grey and black, rather dark, and thanks to the rain seeping in, the floor was wet and slippery. On the plus side, the waitress was friendly, sure she was doing her best, and the beer was cold.

Sunday 3^rd April

Was planning on being lazy and getting a taxi into the main square but taxi driver said something about it not being accessible so had another walk, getting out if breath again. Headed straight for the Jesuit church and then realised that this was Sunday so if I wanted to see it I would have to go to mass. Found a space in a pew near the back of the almost full church and looked around in awe. It is supposed to be the best example of baroque in the Americas and I am not going to argue. As someone put on their TripAdvisor "All that glisters is gold" and almost every surface glisters. The mass itself was interesting. It's a long time since I went to a Sunday church service. First surprise was to hear a group singing a modern sounding song to guitar accompaniment. Then a young woman's voice doing a solo song that sounded nothing like traditional church music. For one song people joined in singing and clapping. One of the songs, in which the organ joined in with the guitar, sounded remarkably like Simon and Garfunkel's Sounds of Silence. It didn't seem to match the over-the-top baroque spectacle all around us. It is amazing how the Catholic church succeeded in imposing its beliefs and culture on a new continent for half a millennium.

La Compañía de Jesús

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compa%C3%B1%C3%ADa_de_Jes%C3%BAs,_Quito

http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2015/07/06/jesuit-church-iglesia-de-la-compania-where-pope-will-pray-in-ecuador-known-as-baroque-icon/

Nearby was the Fray  Pedro Gocial Franciscan museum in part of a Franciscan monastery. Much of it is devoted to a the Holy Week Procession in which massive religious statues are paraded through  the streets by people wearing purple robes and sinister looking Ku Klux Klan like masks and pointed hats. Pity I missed it.

www.peruforless.com/blog/top-destinations-for-semana-santa-travel-in-south-america/

http://www.uiomagazine.com/report-the-procession-of-jesus-del-gran-poder-01.html

There is a large collection of paintings which didn’t do much for me but in the centre of the monastery was a beautiful enclosed garden and for just a short while the sun shone. Upstairs was a fascinating organ "loft" with individual carved seats for the monks and an intricate carved wooden  ceiling. One side was open and looked over the richly decorated nave of the associated church, which I learnt was built between 1536 and 1580 and is the oldest in Quito, where a mass was being held. So felt I had to visit that and attend another mass. Yet more stunning Baroque ornamentation.

Just a Small Side Chapel

Sunshine in the Courtyard

More Baroque

Visited the Casa del Alabado museum of Precolumbian art. They had an unusual approach to presentation which was to group objects according to spiritual function, which could have worked well with suitable information. There was an audio guide in English but instead of telling me anything useful it provided what I considered mumbo jumbo about communicating with supernatural worlds and harnessing vital forces. I appreciate that the objects did have spiritual purposes but can't believe that all the different cultures represented had the same world view. I also get annoyed when commentaries suggest that the Pre-columbian world, or any other time in history, was governed by different laws of nature than our own. To add insult to injury the numbers indicating the reference in the audio guide were printed in small type that I couldn't read in the subdued lighting. I thought it was my old age until I saw a young woman trying to read the numbers using her smart phone camera. I tried the same but the contrast was too low for the camera to focus. It's a shame the museum was let down by these annoyances since the exhibits themselves were fascinating and displayed beautifully.

Laughing Out Loud in the  Casa del Alabado museum

Time for a cup of coffee. Saw a restaurant with tables in a small courtyard on one side of the San Francisco Plaza  next to the Monastery and church, sat down and  ordered a “Cafe con Leche” and an empanada. I was a bit surprised when a mug of milk arrived but then I spotted the jar of instant coffee on the table; thought I'd said goodbye to that in Chile. But the instant coffee was in granules so maybe not so bad. Stirred a spoonful of the granules into the milk and tasted it. Ugh! The milk was luke-warm and definitely "off". First time I have walked out of a restaurant in disgust  and was able to use my little bit of Spanish to say "No me gusta". Went back to the café in the Archbishop's Palace where I got a decent cup of coffee and a couple of “morochos”, corn based empanadas.

Found a modern broad avenue with great views of the surrounding hills and from there found my way to the Museo Ciudad. Was hoping to have a better experience than at the last museum. The Museo Ciudad had a couple of free galleries focusing on the building’s previous function  as a religious hospital, and the role of music in various religions but I didn't feel like paying $8 to visit the main part of the museum which had no information in English.

Broad Avenue

Hillside overlooking the City Centre

Narrow Street

My last stop was at La Merced church, where they were having a mass, but looked in and found yet another amazing Baroque interior.

La Merced

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bas%C3%ADlica_de_Nuestra_Se%C3%B1ora_de_la_Merced_(Quito)

  

In the evening, walked down Reina Victoria, near the hotel, looking for somewhere to eat and found Achiote, opposite Fogens, which got good write ups in Trip Advisor, but was closed. At Achiote I had an excellent meal of "Frittada", pork pieces served with tomato and onion salad, plantain, potato cakes, nuts. Looking at Trip Advisor later I saw that its reviews were mediocre so added my own more positive one. 

Monday 4^th April

Went to a Post Office in Reina Victoria intending to buy some stamps for postcards. Couldn’t believe it when the man behind the counter told me they would cost $8 each! No postcards from Ecuador. Took a taxi to the Capilla_Del_Hombre which got good reviews in TripAdvisor. I had never heard of Guayasamin before but I found out that he was a prolific, talented and popular artist from Quito with a strong social and political conscience who created the Capilla_Del_Hombre  museum to showcase his work and promote his ideals. I started with a tour of his house which was in English but I found the guide difficult to understand. Later had a guided tour of the museum itself by Astrid who did an excellent job of explaining the pieces of work.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Capilla_del_Hombre

http://www.guayasamin.org/

Guayasamin's House 

From there I had planned to go to the Central Bank Museum, also called or Museo Nacional del Banco Central del Ecuador, which is rather confusing since it is nowhere near the Banco Central building off the Plaza Grande and which has its own numismatic museum.

Banco Central. Not the Museo Nacional del Banco Central

The taxi driver seemed confused at first but then I showed him the address on the map and off we went. He dropped me on the opposite side of the road from a massive shiny circular building which turned out to be the “Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana”. It wasn’t far from there to the museum I wanted to go to but it was a wet walk through the steady rain, only to find when I arrived that it was closed. Suppose I should have looked at Trip Advisor first to save me the effort. Started walking back towards to the hotel but the rain turned from steady to torrential so dived into a branch of Sweet & Coffee, a local chain for a coffee and a large slice of apple and nut cake. 

Apple and Nut Cake and Coffee

Once the rain had eased off, continued my walk stopping off at the Mindalae Handicraft museum very close to the hotel. Think its official name is Ethnohistoric Museum of Handicrafts. They didn’t have many visitors this wet afternoon so after paying my $3 I was able to enjoy all the four, small, floors of exhibits in solitary isolation. The exhibits are quite interesting, showing handicrafts from various locations, and it has position sensitive lighting that mostly works, only occasionally leaving you in darkness. Learnt a new word today in Spanish and in English "Telluric" At first I thought they had made a wrong translation but it does mean "relating to the earth" in English as well. 

All the information is in Spanish, English and French but they obviously assume that the English and French have better eyesight than South Americans since while the Spanish information is in large white lettering on a dark red background the English and French is about 2/3 the size in light red lettering on a dark red background. I looked on the web expecting to find a clear, simple guide to legibility for museum texts but, perhaps not surprisingly, couldn’t find one, although individual museums have design guidelines.

Stairwell at the Mindalae Handicraft Museum

Traditional Textiles on the Mindalae Handicraft Museum

Legibilty Challenge: Spanish on the Left.
English and French on the Right

In the evening braved the rain to head down to Plaza Foch which is supposed to be the beating heart of nightlife in this area and proclaims “Foch Yeah!”. There are plenty of places to eat and drink but most of them were empty this wet Monday night. Had a burger and a beer at BBQ & Co and, since it was still raining, got a taxi back to the hotel.   

Plaza Foch when it isn't Raining

Plaza Foch when it isn't Raining

Stopover in Panama City

Wednesday 30th March

The flight was as good as any flight departing at 3.40 am can be. Immigration and customs were quick and easy although the immigration officer seemed to be in a bad mood. The taxi crawled for nearly two hours through heavy traffic, for the most part along a six lane expressway, to reach the hotel. It was too early to check in but got another taxi to go to Miraflores locks on the Panama canal. Just as I arrived at the visitor centre a ship was going through the locks, heading from Pacific to Caribbean. I remember reading about the Panama canal as a child in an old book that had been my dad's. Modern Engineering Marvels or something similar. After watching the ship go through had a coffee and a brownie at the cafe and went round the ground floor exhibition. There was a 3D film but almost as soon as the lights went down my lack of sleep caught up with me and I nodded off almost as soon as it started. Almost by accident I found another exhibition on the upper floors which had more information on the canal its history and operation. Built and operated by the US for nearly 100 years it was transferred to Panama in 1999. The fees for using it are based on size and nature of the vessel but for big commercial ships can be upwards of $250 000. New locks and a deeper channels are being constructed to accommodate bigger ships. Later watched a Maersk container ship and an LPG ship going through in the Caribbean to Pacific direction. The Maersk ship was accompanied by three yachts. For the big ships the locks are tight. I guess many ships are designed so that they just fit. 

Miraflores Locks on the Panama Canal

"Mule" used to Guide Ships

"Mules" used to Guide Ships

Three Yachts in the Lock

Looks like a Tight Fit

By now I was feeling the lack of sleep badly so was happy to get taxi back. Checked into the room. The Principe is much more upmarket than I expected. The room looks good,  is large, and the bed very comfortable. The room has a safe but, strangely, no fridge. Went to bed soon after 4pm and slept almost continuously until  7.30 am.

Thursday 31 March

Had breakfast of apple strudel and coffee at little place near the hotel and headed out down Avenida Argentina. Quite curious to see at close quarters the green  "spiral" tower I had seen from the taxi. Looks even more impressive up close. The area is a strange mix of modest, mainly two storey, older buildings interspersed with modern towers. 

View from the Hotel Window. Tower Blocks and Corrugated Iron Roofs

Green Spiral Tower

Whether Singapore, London, Dubai or Panama I always wonder where the money comes from. Even at $250 000 a ship, the canal can't be supporting it all. There are a suspiciously large number of banks so maybe it is money laundering? Panama City isn't pedestrian friendly; the roads are too fast and crossing points few and far between.  Stopped off at a shopping mall full of luxury brands. Made my way towards the coast where there is a footpath and cycle path, obviously built at great expense but almost empty. Think I saw less than a dozen pedestrians on it in over half an hour and NO cyclists. The planning doesn't seem to have been thought through. Nothing wrong with the path itself but it is separated from the rest of the city by an eight lane road with only a few inconvenient overhead bridges across it. Plus there is no shade on the footpath in a very HOT sunny city.

At the shore there are lots of birds, which I found out were “Magnificent” Frigate birds over the sea and several pelicans in it. I was feeling very hot by the time I reached the old city and, as with Rio, found that the churches, of which there were several, were the coolest places. Eventually found a bar where I was happy to sit down and enjoy a cold Coke. Many buildings have been beautifully restored but others are either extremely run down or totally gutted, presumably with the intention of restoring at least the outside appearance. 

City Skyline

“Magnificent” Frigate Bird

Panama Hats

Quaint parts of the Old City

After taking in my fill of the quaint area at the tip of the peninsula I headed away from the sea into a commercial area that was neither quaint nor upmarket. Lots of shops selling electrical appliances, cheap clothes etc. Found myself in Plaza 5 Mayo and close to a metro station from where I took a train back to Via Argentina close to the hotel. The metro seemed efficient and pleasantly cool. The line is shown as "Linea 1" although at present there is only one line. Back at the hotel, cooled down, drank lots of water and had another Coke.

In the evening went out to El Caribe nearby which gets good reviews and had their fish soup, more of a stew really,  which was tasty and filling. Since it is a Caribbean restaurant had a Jamaican Red Stripe beer. Then went up the road to La Rana Dorada a microbrew pub where I had their pale ale. $5 The Principe is brilliantly located close to lots of restaurants.

Things I hadn't known about Panama

Balbao was the first European to see the Pacific after he crossed the Panama Isthmus

Panama City was the first European settlement n the Pacific Coast of the Americas

Long before the canal was built, the Spanish were using the isthmus of Panama to transport gold from Peru back to Spain.

The Catholic Diocese of Panama is thought to be the oldest in the Americas, founded in 1514.

"A man, a plan, a canal – Panama!" first appeared in the November 13 1948 issue of Notes & Queries. 

Friday 1st April

Lazy morning, had a "Panamanian" breakfast of sliced sausage in tomato and onion sauce, fried egg and some sort of bright yellow potato cake, at Bora cafe close to the hotel. $10 Checked  out at midday and car to the airport.