Keith's travelogue

Greetings From Panama,

This week finds m,e doing some more independent travel in Panama, on the start of my way up Central America to the US.

I left you in Manausm, where I went on a four day Amazon trip, doing all the usual things people do in the Amazon such as:
* camping in the jungle,
* riding small boats amongst the treetops,
* piranha fishing,
* getting rained on and sunburnt,
* being eaten by insects (ants and mosquitos),
* alligator wrestling,
* watching the river dolhins from a hammock,and
* taking a siesta after lunch

Then it was back to Manaus for a trip to Venezuela´s Gran Sabana, where the open country shots for parts of the movie Jurassic Park were filmed. Took a four wheel drive over some pretty bouncy roads, and swam in some wonderful waterfall pools, while being in country that dates from some of the earliest times on earth (2 billion years).

After that little aside it was then onto the highest waterfall (single drop) in the world at Cainaima National Park. We took a small plane flight to the park HQ and then a four hour boat ride up the river, with stops to get out and push (for some reason equal rights for the privelege of pushing canoes only extends to males, must be an EEO case in there somewhere!) to reach our lodge, and see the first view of Angel Falls (983m high).

The sight was pretty awe inspiring, and the next morning there was a hike up to the base of the falls, and a swim in the ice cold water. After lunch it was with reluctance we left the lodge and returned down river (mainly because of the canoe pushing involved, although it wasn´t as bad going down river). We capped it off with a trip behind a couple of waterfalls (a la ¨The Phantom¨) and then took a small plane ride over the tepui (table mountain) that the Angel Falls drop from, with six tight sweeping turns above the falls for good measure. Fortunately everyone´s stomachs held.

After the flight back we took off for a couple of days R&R on the beach at Playa Colorado (another national Park) and then headed to Caracas through the crazy traffic in the lead up to Semana Santa (Easter or Holy Week ). Caracas is pretty crazy and I survived without being robbed, except for having to fork out $30 for the taxi fare to the airport (everyone has to so it is daylight robbery.)

For the last week I have been taking it easy around the old, colonial parts of Panama city, and have a look at the canal tomorrow. Then it is on to San Jose (yes, I don´t need to know the way, because I´m going by bus)in Costa Rica.

Regards,
Keith