Author: Tim

Saturday, February 4 – Grenada

A rare (for this trip, so far) rainstorm this morning. The perfect excuse to work on a journal entry (not that I really need an excuse!).

By early afternoon the weather had cleared and I was ready to get out and do some more exploring. I think I’m going to head south of Grand Anse Beach to see what’s around the point. But first, I’m going to stop back at the Craft & Spice Market to have another grilled fish meal (no rum punch this time though – I have some walking ahead of me!). Just as tasty the second time!

On my way back to the apartment, I had to stop at the ice cream shop to get another waffle cone. And I went with a local flavor again…

Sunday, February 5 – transit from Grenada to Saint Vincent & The Grenadines

I have an early flight today, 9:20am, but that’s not too terrible. Rolson picked me up around 7am for the 20 minute ride to the airport (20 USD). It turns out I probably didn’t need to get there that early, but that’s alright.

This is not a busy airport. There were a total of 8 departures listed for the day; but they did include the impressive final destinations of London, Toronto and Miami!

I’m flying on Caribbean Airlines, aboard the same type of plane that brought me here from Trinidad (board from the rear). The flight’s final destination is Barbados, but we’ll be stopping in St. Vincent first. The flight was about 3/4 full, and I’d say half of us deplaned in Saint Vincent. I’m pretty sure I was the only tourist. The flight took 30 minutes and cost 128 USD.

And yes, the ticket agent DID ask me about my one-way flight. Going forward, let’s just assume I’m always asked about this, unless I mention otherwise. Same goes for the immigration officer NOT asking me about it!

In the afternoon I took a short walk around the Belmont area near my apartment.

Travel Note: I haven’t mentioned anything about the drinkability of the tap water on my trip. So far, I’ve ingested it at all of my stops, with no issues.

Monday, February 6 – Saint Vincent

I was feeling a little ambitious today and decided to walk from my apartment towards the coast and the town of Arnos Vale, then loop around to the west and the capital city of Kingstown. And then make the return hike. Now, the distances aren’t huge, so it normally wouldn’t be a problem for me. But I failed to take into account the hills of this island. I was exhausted by the time I got back to the apartment! And this proved to be problematic, considering what I have planned for tomorrow! (stay tuned…)

I ended up walking about 24k steps today, not huge, but it felt like a LOT more. The hills were brutal!

Tuesday, February 7 – Saint Vincent

I’ve booked a volcano hike for today. So you can see why yesterday’s overexertion was rather stupid. We’ll see how I do?

I had two guides on the hike, Anthony (pictured above) and Dale. I wondered why two guides were provided. It turns out it’s a safety issue. If one of us gets hurt, there are two available to render aid. I like that!

Anthony would kid me a bit when I had to stop for a rest. Then I asked him how old he was (23). When I told him I was 63 he cut me some slack!

The first part of the hike was strenuous, due to the steep incline. This portion of the hike was treacherous, due to the slippery surface and lack of a well-defined trail. The walking sticks were essential in this area. It was also very windy. There were a few times when I was holding Anthony’s or Dale’s hand to help me with my footing.

Of course, the descent was much easier. But it was still rather difficult as we had to make sure we had solid footing along the way. The only others we saw on trail were a group of 4 hikers and some workers clearing parts of the path. I’m surprised there weren’t more hikers.

Besides the stop for coconut water, we also made a couple photo diversions as we made our way back to the apartment. Thanks guys!

Today’s Timeline:

• 8:00am: depart apartment
• 9:00am: arrive at trailhead
• 11:30am: reach the volcano rim
• 1:15pm: back at trailhead
• 2:45pm: arrive back at the apartment

What a day! I’d say this and the Panama Canal Cruise are tied for my top trip experience so far.

I’d compare this to my hike to the remote waterfall last year on Kauai. It too was very difficult, which made completing it all the more gratifying.

Anthony and Dale were amazing, And on top of the hike, I basically had a 2+ hour driving tour of the island thrown in too! The cost of the guides and transportation was 100 USD, which I thought was a bargain. As such, Anthony and Dale also received a generous gratuity!

Thursday, February 2 – Grenada

Nothing very exciting to report today. I spent the morning lounging around the apartment and then did some travel planning and worked on a journal entry.

I did venture out by late afternoon though to get something to eat.

Travel Note: I forgot to mention the cost of my flight from Barbados to Grenada. 248 USD. Kind of pricey, right? No doubt a result of my lack of advanced planning!

Another Travel Note: I’ve mentioned the currencies of the countries I’ve visited, but not much else. Here are a few more details:

• Languages: Spanish in Panama and Colombia, English in Barbados and Grenada.
• Vehicle Traffic: Drive on the right in Panama and Colombia, drive on the left in Barbados and Grenada.
• Electrical Plugs: U.S. type in Panama, Colombia and Barbados; U.K. type in Grenada.

Friday, February 3 – Grenada

I’ve hired the driver that picked me up at the airport to take me on a 3 hour drive around the island (35 USD/hour).

I enjoyed the drive around the island. My driver, Rolson, provided some good stories and information. I found the interior of Grenada to be very similar to Barbados – the housing, roads, vegetation, etc.

Covid in Grenada:

• No testing or vaccination required for entry
• Very little wearing of masks

Grenada Weather: Highs in the low 80s, lows in the mid 70s, mild humidity

Sunday, January 29 – Barbados

I’m planning on a relaxing day, my last in Barbados. Work on a journal entry. Do some laundry. A little reading on the porch. Many places, and things, are closed here today anyway – including the buses.

A word about Barbados. I think it’s kind of overrated. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed my time here. And my apartment was great (especially the porch!). Of course, the beaches are nice, but there are many other places in the world with equally beautiful beaches. And they’re less expensive! Traffic on Barbados can be a pain at times, and it’s not very pedestrian friendly (which is important to me). And finally, I read a lot about the friendliness of the locals. Well, I found it to be a 50/50 proposition. I encountered a fair amount of grumpiness. A shame. My feeling is that Barbados is the kind of place people visit so they can say “I’ve been to Barbados”. Not my intent, but I guess I can now say that too! Haha.

Travel Note: For my trip to South America in 2019 I purchased a medical insurance policy. It included $50,000 in emergency medical coverage and $1,000,000 in medical evacuation & repatriation coverage. The cost for the 11-week policy was $27. For this trip, I bumped it up to $500,000 in emergency medical (includes COVID) coverage and went with the same $1,000,000 in evacuation. The cost of this 15-week policy was $452. The cost to upgrade the medical from $50k to $500k was $120. And the policy duration for this trip is one month longer. But still, a big spike in the premium cost from pre to post COVID.

Monday, January 30 – transit from Barbados to Grenada

I have a late afternoon flight on Caribbean Airlines that takes me to Grenada via a layover in Trinidad. I’ll be hiring Lisa once again for the ride to the airport.

I know I’m sounding like a broken record…but yes, the airline check-in agent did ask me about my one-way ticket to Grenada.

As I was waiting to board my flight, I noticed widebody aircraft for the following airlines parked at the gates: Virgin Atlantic (2 planes), Air Canada (2 planes), British Airways, and American Airlines (to Miami). This is definitely a popular destination!

The flight to Trinidad took about 40 minutes in a 1/2 full 737. I then had a 2 1/2 hour layover as I waited on the 8pm departure to Grenada. So, my seat assignment for the Grenada flight was 2A. I’m thinking, “Awesome, I’ll be one of the first off the plane and then on to a quick immigration clearance”. Wrong! The plane we were on happened to board from the rear!

The flight to Grenada took about 30 minutes. The seat layout in the plane is 2 x 2 x 20 rows, and it was full. We were the last arrival of the night and the immigration line went pretty quick (even though I was near the back!). If you’re wondering, no, the immigration officer did not ask me about my one-way ticket. And I didn’t have to wait for my luggage either. Nice!

The ride from the airport to my apartment took about 20 minutes and cost 20 USD. Fortunately the driver accepted US dollars, because there was neither an ATM nor a currency exchange office at the airport!

Tuesday, January 31 – Grenada

The plan today is to just roam around the area and get a lay of the land. I also need to find an ATM and pick up some groceries.

The ATM at the first bank I stopped at took me all through the input process and then wouldn’t give me any money. Oh Oh! There was another bank just down the road though, and I achieved success there. Whew!

The walk from my apartment to the grocery store took about 20 minutes. I was surprised to find that the prices here were not much different from Barbados. Must be a function of having to import most items.

Wednesday, February 1 – Grenada

I’m going to walk into St. George’s today, the capital city of Grenada. It should take about 40 minutes.

I had a nice walk around St. George’s. My plan now is to make my way back to the apartment for a rest and then head down to the beach to catch the sunset. But first…

Friday, January 27 – Barbados

I think I’m going to relax around the apartment today. I have 3 days worth of journal entries to work on, and some trip planning to do.

I learned my lesson last year in Hawaii, where I was going non-stop every day, and came home exhausted! I need to remind myself that each of my stops on this trip are not like their own 1-week vacations, where I then travel back to my normal life in the States. It’s the sprint versus marathon scenario…

I did, however, go out for another meal at the nearby Cafe Ma Cherie.

I’ve gone ahead and booked a ways out now to avoid increasing costs and limits on availability (both for transportation and accommodation). Here’s where I’m at so far:

• January 30: to Grenada
• February 05: to St. Vincent
• February 11: back to Grenada (to catch a cheap onward flight)
• February 15: to St. Lucia
• February 22: to Dominica via ferry
• March 03: to Guadeloupe via ferry
• March 09: back to Dominica via ferry (to catch a cheap onward flight)
• March 12: to Antigua

Covid Situation in Barbados:

• Vaccination or negative test is not required for entry
• Very few people that I’ve observed are wearing masks

Saturday, January 28 – Barbados

My destination today is Hunte’s Gardens (20 USD entry fee), to the northeast of my apartment. I could get there via bus with a transfer, but I decided to just walk there instead (surprise!). It should take about 2 hours each way. Plus, I enjoy exploring the local areas on foot.

Horticulturist Anthony Hunte converted an overgrown sinkhole into a 10 acre garden environment that I’ll be visiting. There are trails throughout, with benches and chairs readily available along the paths, and classical music plays overhead!

This was an enjoyable stop. A beautiful oasis, and very relaxing! Plus, it’s kind of off-the-beaten-path, with not many visitors; which I like.

Time to make the hike back!

Tuesday, January 24 – Barbados

Well, after yesterday’s record-setting step count, you can probably guess what happened today. That’s right, I set the low bar so far for the trip – 3,900 steps! Oh, well…

After relaxing around the apartment for awhile in the morning, I did work on a journal entry and got some advance travel planning done.

By mid-afternoon I was ready to venture out a little bit. My airbnb host told me about a pottery shop located just up the street; let’s check it out!

The open-air cafe here is not a problem. The weather is beautiful, with highs in the low 80s and lows in the low 70s. Mild humidity too. And very few bugs. Plus, we’re located up on a hill with some nice breezes. I’m told though that the heat can get a little stifling in the summer. Only the bedroom in my apartment has air-conditioning, and really that is all that’s needed (at least for this time of year!).

Wednesday, January 25 – Barbados

Okay, I’m on a mission today to take the bus(es) to the southern part of the island – a city called Oistins. I think I’ve got the route figured out; I take a maxi-taxi to Bridgetown and then connect to a Transport Board (normal) bus to Oistins. Each trip segment costs 1.75 USD.

I successfully hailed a maxi-taxi to Bridgetown (yes!), and then had to walk a little ways to the bus terminal in order to connect to the Oistins Transport Board bus.

I left my apartment at around 9:30am and arrived in Oistins about 11:30am. Not the most efficient journey, but it was a fun experience and cheap (my favorite word!)!

It’s getting to be around 3pm, so I think I’m going to start working my way back home (not sure how long it will take!).

It turns out I picked one of the worst times to catch the bus – it was packed with kids getting out of school! On one level though it was kind of fun too!

Traffic was brutal however. So by the time we got back to bridgetown I decided to exit the Transport Board bus and not even bother with hailing a Maxi-Taxi. I ended up walking the rest of the way home. It took about 90 minutes. Not too terrible. And a fun day with some interesting experiences!

Thursday, January 26 – Barbados

I decided to hire a driver today to take me around the island. I used the same person who picked me up at the airport. She thought 3 hours would provide good coverage, and charged me 40 USD/hour, which seemed very reasonable (especially considering those gas prices!). (A quick search online brought back rates closer to 60 USD/hour)

Travel Tip: A popular messaging app in this part of the world (including South America) is Whatsapp. I use it to communicate with the driver and my airbnb host.

Lisa picked me up at 9:30am, and our first stop was Bathsheba. It is located on the central east coast of the island, and our drive there took us through forest and farm land via some narrow roads.

Just as we were leaving two big tour buses full of cruise ship passengers arrived; glad we avoided that!

Our next destination is Animal Flower Bay, on the northern tip of the island. Normally Lisa would take us there via the east coast roads, but unfortunately they are currently undergoing repairs. That resulted in us traveling via the inland parts of the north. This is the more rural and poor part of the island.

We finished off the drive by heading counter-clockwise around the tip of the island to the West coast – the most exclusive (read expensive) area of Barbados.

Lisa dropped me off in Holetown, one of the main cities on the west coast. It is called the center of the Platinum Coast, due to the vast number of luxury resorts and mansions here that face the sea.

There is a nice grocery store in Holetown (of course!); I decided to take advantage and grab some things before heading home. My (low-cost) options to get back were: a) bus to bridgetown and then another bus to the apartment, or b) walk. You can probably guess which option I chose. The walk took about 90 minutes.

Barbados Trivia Update: I mentioned earlier that it is illegal to wear camouflage in Barbados. Lisa explained that this is due to the fact that the military’s primary uniform is camouflage, and the law is meant to deter individuals from impersonating military personnel.

Sunday, January 22 – Barbados

After yesterday’s journey I’m kind of tired today , so I think I’m just going to hangout around the apartment. I did work on a journal entry though!

Barbados Trivia: It’s illegal to wear camouflage in Barbados.

Monday, January 23 – Barbados

Today’s itinerary is to explore the island’s main city – Bridgetown. My plan is to walk there from my apartment and then to take a bus back. The walk should take about two hours, which doesn’t bother me, as I like exploring the areas I visit on foot.

In general, I’d say the walk wasn’t all that interesting. And some of the roads had no shoulders or sidewalks, which made walking on them a precarious proposition!

The bus system here in Barbados has three types of buses: normal size city buses operated by the country’s Transport Board, smaller mini buses, and even smaller maxi taxis, both of which are privately run. I thought I had it all figured out, but when I got to a bus stop to return home, I wasn’t entirely confident about which bus would get me back to my apartment. So I ended up just walking back!

I need to figure out this bus system though, because I plan on using it as my method of transport on the island!

At least my step count appreciated my ineptness – 34k for the day! That tops my highest output of 31k steps from last year’s Hawaii trip. Although, even after today’s big effort, I’m still only averaging 12k/day so far; well below last year’s record-setting average of 16k steps per day!

Thursday, January 19 – Bogota

Bogota sits at an elevation of 8,660 feet. That makes it the third highest capital city in the world, behind La Paz (Bolivia) and Quito (Ecuador) – so I’ve now been to the top 3! (I’ve also visited #5 – Thimphu, Bhutan. Will I get to #4 – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia? Mmmmm…) That’s the good news. The bad news is that, like my arrival in La Paz, I’m experiencing altitude sickness – fatigue and headache. It lasted for a few hours in Bolivia; hopefully it will be the same duration now, especially considering I only have two full days here.

Since I have to lay low for awhile, I decided to make an effort at updating my journal. However, when I accessed the site online I noticed the formatting was all messed up! What the… Fortunately the web host has some helpful tech support staff and they were able to sort it out as I was on the phone with them. That did take an hour though. It’s the first time I’ve had an issue like this in the 4 years of this website, so I guess I can’t complain. And subsequent to their repair of my site I had a conversation with one the host’s web designers and I think I may use their consultation services to help cleanup up my site and make it look a little more professional. So continue to watch this space (the update will happen later in the year)…

I was feeling a little better by the afternoon, so I decided to go out for a walk. But being that this is, well, Bogota, I thought it would be best to stick close to the hotel.

As I walked around I noticed many of the locals wearing their backpacks on the front of their bodies. It’s so sad that the threat of being robbed in the middle of the day in a nice neighborhood is something they have to deal with in their daily lives. Kind of reminds me of my time working in Johannesburg – same situation, but worse there (at the time), in my opinion. (all I had on me as I walked around was my camera and the key card to my hotel room)

Since I’m feeling better, and only have one day left here, I did something I’m usually opposed to – I booked a day tour for tomorrow. To be fair though, I’m doing the tour not only because of my imminent departure, but also due to the fact that I wouldn’t feel comfortable roaming around Bogota on my own.

Friday, January 20 – Bogota

My 6-hour tour will be private, meaning it’s just me, the driver Hernan and guide Marta. It was kind of pricey (for me), $189, but this seems like a moment to splurge (and I couldn’t find any group options!).

Our first stop is Monserrate – a 10,300 foot mountain that overlooks Bogota. There are three ways to reach the peak: tram, funicular, and hiking path. Now, normally I would absolutely want to do the path. But, as we know, I don’t have the time for that on this trip. However, there is another obstacle – the trail is known to be a common spot for muggings to take place. More sadness…

We will be taking the funicular.

Next stop. The Gold Museum. The museum displays a selection of pre-Columbian gold and other metal alloys, and contains the largest collection of gold artifacts in the world. I enjoyed this! Below are a few photos from the displays.

Just down the road from the Gold Museum is the Plaza de Bolivar.

Also close by is the Museo Botero. Fernando Botero Angulo (b. 1932) is a popular Colombian-born artist. The highest realized auction price for his work to date is 4.3 million US dollars. The museum is housed in a beautiful former colonial mansion.

This was a fun day! I enjoyed talking with Marta and listening to the local insight she provided.

Bogota is definitely the type of city I could spend some time visiting. A great place for walking and exploring neighborhoods. It’s too bad that’s not going to happen.

Colombia Covid Situation:

• Vaccination or negative test required for entry.
• No mask requirement (similar to Panama City, I’d say about 10% of the people I encountered were wearing masks).

Saturday, January 21 – transit from Bogota to Barbados

Happy Birthday Tim! Time to get up for your 4:49am flight! Who’s the idiot that booked a departure at this ungodly hour?? Oh…

So, I should be at the airport 3 hours before departure. That means leaving the hotel at 1:30am. In Bogota. Wow! That’s a brilliant decision! (unbelievable what I’ll do for a cheap flight!) Just another reason I reserved a room at this 4/5-star hotel. I was confident they would have security on site at that time of night, and that they would provide me with a safe ride to the airport (kidnapping by unscrupulous taxi drivers is also a thing here).

The taxi ride cost $8 (plus a very generous tip; thanks for not kidnapping me!) and took about 20 minutes. I’m flying on Copa Airlines via Panama City to Barbados. The cost of the one-way trip was $285. On arrival at the airport the Copa ticket counter was not yet open, and there’s already a long line. Great. It ended up taking about an hour to check in.

The ticket agent did ask me about my one-way ticket to Barbados, but I was prepared with my onward itinerary to Grenada. Ha! She also wanted to see my vaccination card. Not sure why, since neither Panama nor Barbados require vaccination for entry. And she wanted proof of my yellow fever shot. Again, not sure why since neither Colombia nor Panama are know as yellow fever hot spots. Regardless, it was obviously not worth arguing about, since I had both shot records handy.

DISASTER AVERTED!!

The flight from Panama City to Barbados took about 3 hours. Another full 737. Per the announcement by the flight attendant, we touched down at 1:21pm (on 1/21 – my birthday. Cool!).

Continuing the trend, no questions from Barbados immigration regarding my return/onward flight.

I booked a ride from the airport through my airbnb host. It cost 50 USD (Barbados is a little more expensive than Colombia!), and it took about 25 minutes.

I was pretty tired, but did take a walk (20 minutes each way) to the nearby mini-mart to pick up some food. Groceries are expensive here; I’m told it’s because most things need to be imported.

Monday, January 16 – Panama City

I’m planning another Uber out and walk back today. My starting point is the Casco Viejo (Old Quarter) area of the city. It was settled in 1673, following the destruction of the original Panama City in 1671 (which I visited earlier). And like Old Panama, this is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It took about 20 minutes to get here from my hotel ($4).

I noticed that this area was much more crowded with tourists than Old Panama. Part of it I’m sure is due to the fact that Old Panama is just an archaeological site and museum, whereas the Old Quarter has many shops and restaurants. However, I later learned that a cruise ship was docked in Panama City today, so many of tourists were here for the day only. (Bad timing on my part!)

Here are a few pictures from my walkabout…

I know what you’re thinking, “where are all the tourists Tim was talking about?”. Well, I had to be patient to get these photos with minimal human content! I’ll also say that the area was jammed with traffic. I guess I can understand why vehicles need to get in here, but it seems like the powers that be could set aside some roads as pedestrian only.

I’m going to make my way back to the hotel via the waterfront (well, until I need to cut inland, as my hotel sadly is not on the water!).

I don’t think I’ve mentioned the weather here in Panama City; it can be described in two words: Hot & Humid! The highs are in the mid-to-upper 80s.

Travel Tip: I’m trying to avoid roaming charges on this trip. AT&T charges $10/day for cellular access (however, they do max it out at $100/month). So, I basically use wifi exclusively. Here are some suggestions along those lines (and I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned these before, but they’re worth repeating):

• Subscribe to a VPN. This provides security to all my devices (laptop, iPad, iPhone). And it also lets me select an ip address from the location of my choosing. This is helpful when I’m logging into my personal financial websites, as they typically block access from foreign countries. I use ExpressVPN, which runs about $13/month (on a month-to-month basis).
• The Maps app on my iPhone detects my location via GPS, not the cellular signal. I therefore download the local map to my phone while on wifi, and then it’s stored on my phone for use with GPS as I walk around the city.
• Use wifi calling on my phone. I had used Skype in the past, and am new to the game on this. What can I say, I’m slow!

Tuesday, January 17 – Panama City

My last full day in Panama City. I’m planning on visiting a couple museums today. Again it will be an Uber out and walk back itinerary.

My first stop is the Biomuseo, a $5 ride from my hotel. The main reason I want to see this is because it was designed by Frank Gehry, the architect of such places as the Olympic Fish Pavilion in Barcelona, the Dancing House in Prague, and the Guggenheim Bilbao.

Now, I kind of dropped the ball here, because I just assumed that museum was open every day of the week but Monday, like most other museums. Unfortunately it is in fact only open Thursday through Sunday. Oops! Oh well, I mainly wanted to see the exterior anyway!

My next stop is the Panama Canal Museum in Casco Viejo, where I was yesterday (the Museum is closed on Mondays – as most normal museums are!). Well, apparently it is also closed today for some reason as well (nothing on their website warning of this). Mmmm, I’m sensing a trend. Oh, and yes, it was less crowded around here today (goodbye cruise ship!)

The last museum on my itinerary is the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo. And again, this museum is closed today. (Supposed to be open; no mention on their website) Looking through the front door, it appears that they’re changing around the exhibits. Almost a total bust on museum plans for the day!

Oh well, I ended up spending the day doing one of my favorite city things – just walking around and observing. I do have one more stop though. I want to get a closer look at a building I saw amongst the skyscrapers.

My thoughts as I leave Panama City:

• It probably wouldn’t be very high on my recommended places to visit
• It’s generally pretty dirty, except along the waterfront and tourist areas
• The traffic is terrible
• It is not pedestrian friendly (except for the waterfront path)
• No significant cost advantage versus the U.S.
• But the locals are generally friendly
• And it’s got the Panama Canal, that’s all that really matters!

And to be clear, my comments are about Panama City only, not the rest of the country.

Finally, the Covid situation here in Panama:

• No testing or vaccination required for entry
• No mask requirements (I’d say about 10% of the people I encountered were wearing masks)

Wednesday, January 18 – transit from Panama City to Bogota

My flight today is around noon, so fortunately I don’t have an early wake up! The Uber to the airport took about 30 minutes and cost $19.

And yes, the agent at the Copa Airlines ticket counter did ask me about my one-way ticket. I was ready this time though! I presented her with my onward itinerary to Barbados via Copa. No issues.

(I don’t remember going through this as went from Bolivia to Ecuador to Chile – all one-way flights, and I’m pretty sure I didn’t have the onwards portion booked prior to entry into the country.)

The flight took about 1 1/2 hours on a 737, which was full. And upon arrival in Bogota it took 1 1/2 hours to get through immigration! Brutal! The good news: I didn’t have to wait for my bag! (And no, the immigration officer did not ask about a return/onward ticket)

Travel Tip: I’m pretty sure I mentioned this before as well…I have a Schwab ATM card that charges no foreign transaction fee and reimburses the ATM charges. I use this card to get cash whenever possible. I also have a credit card that charges no foreign transaction fees.

At the airport it’s nice that they have a taxi system where you pay a set rate in advance based on your destination. My trip cost $16 and took about 45 minutes (rush hour traffic).

Sunday, January 15 – Panama City

Experiencing the Panama Canal was the main reason I wanted to visit this country. I’ve booked a tour today that will fulfill that desire. I’ll be taking a boat ride for a few hours along a small portion of the Canal. Hopefully I won’t be disappointed!

Besides the cruise, the tour ($145) also includes hotel pickup and return, and lunch served on the boat. I think I’ll do chronological style entries of the tour for this post. It might get a little dorky, so feel free to scroll down if you get bored! I don’t plan on getting into a lot of technical stuff though; there’s plenty of information online regarding the history and operation of the Canal, for those who are interested. Here’s one source.

9:00am: Pickup at the hotel by the tour company’s shuttle bus. I was told yesterday that I would be picked up between 9:15 and 9:45. This is the opposite of what I’ve experienced in Latin America – early rather than late!

10:30am: Arrive in Gamboa. This is where we’ll be boarding the boat for the ride south on the Canal back towards Panama City. I was the second of what turned out to be seven hotel pickups (11 passengers), and then it was about a 40 minute drive to Gamboa. One problem though – the boarding isn’t scheduled to start until 11:30! So we head back down the road along the Canal to kill some time at a little restaurant/grocery store.

11:30am: We’re back at the dock and the crew is ready for passenger boarding. While we were away however, several other tour buses have queued up to offload their passengers. This is going to be a full load!

11:50am: We’re underway!

12:45pm: Tied up at our first set of locks.

1:58pm: The lock begins to drain.

2:06pm: We depart the locks.

2:19pm: Tied up at our second, and last set of locks. Again, we’ll wait here until the car carrier catches up.

2:56pm: The locks begins to drain.

3:07pm: We depart the locks.

3:15pm: We arrive at the 3rd set of gates.

3:23pm: The locks begins to drain.

3:32pm: We depart the locks.

4:31pm: We disembark.

5:20pm: Dropped off at my hotel.

This was fun!. I was not disappointed!

There were 4 folks on our bus who travelled here from the States just for a long weekend, solely to take this cruise on the Canal. I spoke to a couple other people on the boat who were doing the same thing. And this was a small sample size, I’m there were others. Interesting. I guess I’m not the only Panama Canal geek!

But you may be shocked to learn that this Panama Canal cruise was NOT the highlight of my day. Nope. That’s because I made a new friend today…

Daniel is an 8 year old from Panama City. We were on the same tour bus (he and his grandfather were the first pickup), but didn’t talk on the way to the boat. Once we got onboard though, he joined me on the upper deck where I had planted myself by the railing. He would squeeze in next to me when it was crowded and go down below to get me snacks and drinks during the lulls. A very nice little guy. I had fun talking to him (his favorite car is the Supra, which I can relate to!). He wanted to sit with me on the bus as we returned and everyone was dropped off at their hotels. He even fell asleep next to me. Very cute.

Thursday, January 12 – Panama City

I’m still feeling a little tired today. Not sure why, probably old age! So, I think I’ll keep it fairly low key.

I did walk around the neighborhood a bit and made a grocery store run. The currency here is the U.S. dollar, so that’s convenient. Although the cost of my accommodation is rather inexpensive, the prices at the grocery store are generally about the same as those in the States (well, Madison anyway). Interesting. There are also several retail stores and fast food shops in this area, and from the looks of the prices I can see from the outside, again it’s very similar to back home.

Oh, and I also worked on the trip’s first journal entry today, so I wasn’t a complete waste! And I did go for a swim in the pool, so there’s that. I promise a more ambitious tomorrow!

Friday, January 13 – Panama City

Friday the 13th!! Oh Oh! I’ll try and stay busy today while attempting to ignore the perils that I may encounter.

My target today is the part of the city called Old Panama (Panamá Viejo). This is where the country’s capital used to be located and was the first place that Europeans settled when they landed on the American continent. The city was in operation from 1519 until 1671, when the area was looted and set afire by the English pirate Henry Morgan and his sailors. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage site that contains the remains of the original city and a museum ($10 entry fee to the museum and archeological site).

It looks like the walk from my hotel will take about an hour, but I think I’ll save that for the return trip. Instead, I’ll take an Uber over there ($4).

Time to make my way back to the hotel. I noticed that there is a big park on the way, so I’ll definitely be making a stop there. But first…

I got back to my hotel in the late afternoon and was kind of hungry, so I decided to stop at a cafe nearby. I had walked by there last night and it was pretty busy; that’s gotta be a good sign, right?

Saturday, January 14 – Panama City

I need to get some advance trip planning done this morning. I brag about how my winter escapes have no itinerary, which allows my stays to be flexible if I like a place and want to stay longer than anticipated (or visa versa). Buenos Aires is my benchmark in this scenario. But it also leaves me susceptible to fluctuations of flight costs and schedules, and the availability of reasonably priced accommodation.

My follow-on from Panama City is a perfect example. I’ve already booked a flight to Bogota. From there I was planning on visiting one of the nearby ABC islands (Aruba, Bonair, Curacao). And that still makes sense, because flights to these islands are very inexpensive. The problem is, departing from there to one of the other islands in the southern Caribbean is expensive. The short of it is that I spent a LOT of time today looking at a LOT of different scenarios on where my next few stops will be. Here’s what flights I’ve got booked so far…

• January 18: Panama City to Bogota
• January 21: Bogota to Barbados (short stay in Bogota unfortunately)
• January 30: Barbados to Grenada
• February 05: Grenada to Saint Vincent & the Grenadines

I have an airbnb booked in Barbados, but I still need to sort out accommodation in Grenada and SV&G (hopefully the cost of the options won’t be too exorbitant!).

This effort took way longer than expected, so I finished the day by making a grocery store run and then hitting the pool! Sorry, another boring day to read about. I promise tomorrow is going to be much better though. In fact, I have an excursion planned that will tick the box for my main reason to visit Panama. Intrigued? I hope so!