Panama (10-11 April) & Costa Rica (11-15 April)

Just a quick snippet of our transit through Panama and few days in Costa Rica.  Next episode - Guatemala, coming soon :o)

Panama                     

The next pit stop on our journey (which is really a transit stop) is Panama City.  We were only here for 1 night and most of a day so decided to head out to see the famous Panama Canal.  Even though this has now been in operation 102 years its engineering is incredibly impressive.

The Canal enables ships to transit from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean through a series of locks that lift the ships up 85m to the centre lake and then back down again to the body of water they are heading towards.  The Miraflores Lock, which is where we viewed the Canal, is a series of three locks that raise and lower ships of gigantic size that now only just fit in the Canal. About 40 ships cross the Canal each day (20 each way) and they take between 8 - 10 hours to make the full journey.  It costs US $300,000 for each ship to pass and the Canal has transmitted over one million vessels since it's opening in 1914. 

Before our airport appointment we also managed to drive up Ancon Hill for great views of the city (and got to see a Sloth and Toucan), and through the old Colonial city.  The old city is undergoing major renovations and is starting to look really beautiful. 

Costa Rica  

Sadly Costa Rica is only a very short stop and San Jose is very much the arrival and departure point only.  Early the next morning our shuttle arrived (7am) to take us through to Santa Elena/Monteverde (home to the unique cloud forest landscapes). 

Upon arriving in Santa Elena we worked on making the most of our time here by booking a few excursions.  The first that afternoon was a tour of Don Juan's coffee operation.  Our guide, Alex, was fantastic and really passionate about the business and processes.  Really interactive we got to feel, taste, test and smell everything from coffee beans in various stages of process, sugar cane and cacao beans (and of course the decadent chocolate that comes from them).  The tour ended with the group sampling the coffee.

The next full day in Santa Elena consisted first of a trip to Selvatura which is home to zip lining and swing bridge walks. The zip line was great and a lot of fun - the longest zip line (done in tandem) was 1km long and reaching speeds of 60kmph it's a wonder the line doesn't start smoking!  It's through and above the very edge of the cloud forest so the scenery and views are quite something. The other highlight is the Tarzan swing (which Gary managed and Lesley chickened out off) which is an 8m drop and swing out - all in all a lot of fun.  We also did the swing bridge walk while we were there which was very peaceful as you walk through the forest and on 8 swing bridges along the way (the highest 50m above the ground and the longest 150m).  The greenery was beautiful, as were the birds serenading us through (although for the most part you could only hear, and not see them). 

That night we ventured out at 6.45pm for our night tour. We wandered around the forest/jungle for a couple of hours with a torch and a guide (and a few other people) looking out for anything that moved.  Approximately 60% of the wildlife in the region is nocturnal so there was a good chance we’d see something, and that we did – scorpions, funnel web spider, tarantula (as well as multiple other spiders), frogs and a toad, crickets, grasshoppers, ant armies, a sloth, toucans, a green viper (snake), a possum, squirrel, coati (we think) and a seen but not heard aardvark (or the guide thought it was one).  So the short trip was worth the effort and risk of creepy crawlies. 

The following day we did what we came here to do and that was to visit the real McCoy “Monteverde Cloud Forest”.  The temperature is much cooler here (max 21 degrees, as opposed to 27 in town), and we are now inside a very fragile ecosystem approximately 1500m above sea level.  Our guide, Adrian Mendez, was absolutely awesome and so unbelievably passionate about the area and everything within it that his excitement and enthusiasm most definitely wore off on the 9 of us on his guided tour.  He had us running to get views of rare birds and explained the environment, plants and everything in between.  Walking through this forest was really special and we got to see some very rare and very pretty birds – to name a few the Golden Browed Chlorophonia (yellow and green small bird), Black Guan (a really large black bird with red eyes), and the rare Resplendent Quetzal, both male and female.  They are both large and beautiful but the male is something else with large long tail feathers and gorgeous colouring.  Adrian was most accommodating taking photos of the birds, on our phone, through his telescope.  The Resplendent Quetzal is the national bird of Guatemala and can only be found in two places in Costa Rica.  Apparently most Guatemalans come to Costa Rica to see them as they are so hard to find and we were lucky enough to see 7 of these separately (some other groups didn’t see any) – am sure in no small part due to Adrian’s perseverance and 23 years of guiding experience.

Before we finished we visited the Hummingbird garden which most certainly didn’t disappoint.  They were everywhere, seven different species, so tiny and precious – with wings that beat at 60-80 beats per second, and a heart that beats 1200 times per minute!  It really was an amazing tour in an amazing place and a fantastic note to finish on. 

Our afternoon was pretty relaxed, on a beautiful day in Costa Rica, and we let it all soak in before our big travel day which will saw us bus back to San Jose and fly on to our next destination.

Best moment – seeing the Panama Canal in action, what a marvel!

Most special – seeing the Quetzal for the first time in Monteverde – an absolutely beautiful bird

Most surprising – no rain and very little cloud in the cloud forest - rainy season hasn’t started yet

Cuba (2-10 April 2016)

Cuba (pop 11m), Havana (pop 2.1m)

Two flights - we left Columbia at 9.30am to Panama and then transit onto our final destination of Havana, Cuba, finally arriving at 4pm (clocks one hour forward).  We arrived at our hostel and settled in for the night as after 102 days Gary has a dodgy stomach. 

The next day we headed to the main hostel (we are in one of three) to work out the plan for our stay.  The hostels here or casa's are all inside people's houses, so they may live in the front room and rent out the 2 back rooms or they are on the 1st floor and have 4 rooms on the level above. The first things you notice about Cuba – no wi-fi, and no ATM’s (or very sparse of both - we never managed to use either). So it's cash and USD's and therefore we needed to get to the Cash Exchange office (only one in our part of Havana and as it was Sunday - only open until 12pm). That done we started the Lonely Planet’s walking tour around the historical district visiting Catedral de San Cristobal which sits at the head of the Plaza, Castillo de la Real Fuerza – Havana is another city with historic city walls around it, the castle being part of those structures, Palacio de los Capitanes Generales and the park alongside was quite beautiful.  The road in front of the palace is made out of wooden bricks, which in the past they believed would quieten the sound of the horses hooves. Iglesia y Monasterio de San Francisco was a highlight and a very large and beautiful old building with a large bell tower and bells lining the entrance.  Finally we arrived at Plaza Vieja, originally home to some of Havana’s richest families.  Most of the buildings were private residences and the Plaza was historically the place for gory spectacles (including executions).  The rest of the walking tour was literally walking the streets and taking in the Havana vibe, people and streets.  The city is filled with the most amazing and beautiful buildings, however most are in a state of disrepair.  It would seem the city is focussed on putting this right, particularly in the major squares and buildings of note and you can’t help but imagine how wonderful it would have looked in its heyday. 

We took a short “bubble” taxi ride to the other end of town as the locals were into their Sunday Rumba but unfortunately we arrived just as it was wrapping up.  Very cool part of the city and lots of party people – really nice to see the community coming together for a bit of wriggling and jiggling. 

We got dropped off on the Malecon (Havana’s waterfront) for a short walk before heading back.  What a spectacle – the ocean is so tumultuous (even though it’s not really windy) and it’s washing machine like waves are pounding the Malecon, breaking over the sides in multiple places.  It was quite something to watch (from a very carefully placed seat), a nice view of the Castle and a great way to end our walking tour. 

The cars are something else.  We could have caught any number of different taxis – bubble car, normal car, 50’s American cars, horse & cart, tuk tuks or trishaws to name a few.  It’s an amazing array of vehicles sharing the roads and the big old cars are really something – they’re either in pristine condition, or desperately needing some TLC.  Either way they certainly add to Cuba’s character and all provide a great variety of ways to see the city.

The following day we were on our way to Vinales.  Recognised as a national monument in 1979, with Unesco World Heritage status following in 1999.  After 2 ½ hours we arrived in rural Cuba and apparently a special corner of the country.  The tell-tale sign you are getting close is the farmers out in their fields, then the huge limestone hills and cliffs that come into view.  The small town is pretty and colourful (literally every house is a different bright colour). 

After settling in to our hostel we opted to go exploring on the local Hop On Hop Off bus.  In a small town such as this there are fewer sites than there are specific destinations for locals but it gave us a good insight to the town. Our first “tourist” site was Cueva del Indio.  It’s a cave system inside the limestone structures that you are able to walk through and then take a short boat ride.

The next day we made the trip to Cayo Jutias.  The locals rave about this as being a super special spot and amazing beach.  We are lucky enough to have seen many of these so not sure that we’d rate it quite with the locals view but it was really pretty and blue, with nice warm water and white sand. The trip out to the beach was interesting in that the roads are terrible.  It was ~60kms and took an hour and 20 minutes to get there.  Very bumpy and full of pot holes.

On the way to the beach we stopped at a Family tobacco plantation and saw how it all works.  The drying house was something else with multiple stages of drying, amazing colours and the very manual threading of leaves onto drying racks taking place.  The seeds of the tobacco plants are as tiny as a grain of salt and once planted give four harvests of tobacco.  They take months to dry and go through multiple variations of fermentation and drying etc before reaching the desired age and taste.  They are very passionate about their tobacco in Cuba, and couldn’t quite believe we’d taken the time to visit when we don’t smoke. 

Next stop is Trinidad.  A long travel day with stage 1 being our transport back to Havana (almost 3 hours), then a swap of shared transport and into a seven seater for stage 2 to Trinidad (4 hours).  The journey was pretty uneventful and surprisingly once out of Havana not a lot to see. We passed through a couple of small towns, but for the most part the countryside was just that.  As we headed closer to the city our driver had to play dodgems along a long piece of coastal road where hundreds of crabs had decided it was a good idea to cross the road – unfortunately for most of them it wasn’t, but it was an intriguing phenomenon to witness.

Trinidad is considered one of the most intact colonial towns in the Americas, thanks to conservation efforts. It was declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 1988.  The town is full of rambling cobbled streets and its claim to fame is that the clocks stopped ticking in 1850 and have yet to restart with the exception of tourists.  That became obvious quickly when you’re woken up by horse hooves trotting down the street outside and vendors “singing” that they have fresh bread for sale. 

Plaza Mayor is the centre, or heart, of the old town and Iglesia Parroquial de la Santisima Trinidad (the church) sits at its head.  A short walk away is the towns former Convent (San Francisco de Asis) which is now a museum but its star attraction is the bell tower that you can see from many places within the town, and it offers fantastic views from the top.  In the streets surrounding the locals were holding their markets (goods, not food) so we weaved our way in and around those for a while.

  

Late afternoon we went back to Plaza Mayor to do the LP walking tour taking in the Church and Convent sites as well as the pretty park that makes up that squares main space.  It took us away from the main areas and into the locals’ streets.  Everywhere you look someone is sitting on a doorstep, children are playing, horses and riders pass by, or people are enjoying a drink or cigar.  It’s very much a neighbourhood where everyone is very friendly and just getting on with their business. 

The houses are really colourful and life is simple (although possibly not easy).  The walk was around 2km long and was great as it took us into a part of the town that we may otherwise not have seen.  Upon arriving back to Plaza Mayor we opted to sit and have a cold drink, and listen to a bit of Cuban jazz and watch the locals dance. 

Before heading to dinner we made it to a viewing point to watch the sunset – which we were again treated by witnessing the most stunning colours.  Can’t help but think of the song “April sun in Cuba” - these sunsets are worth singing about.

Our final day in Trinidad consisted of a taxi trip out to La Boca, a small fishing village about 5km out of Trinidad.  It was a real treat too, so quiet and peaceful.  We were dropped off at the fishing end where the locals’ boats were all tied up and fish, already caught, tied to the fence or being carted off home.  We walked through the tiny town’s waterfront road and as with many places were caught up in the colours of the surroundings, including the bougainvillea.  The walk along the waterfront was gorgeous, the water crystal clear and flat – and beckoning for you to swim (which we did after we’d walked to the end and back). 

Once back in town we walked up the main road where the locals’ fruit, veges and meat is for sale.  Some pretty good looking stalls and some pretty questionable ones (for Lesley’s taste anyway), but pleasantly no bad smells and by the time we got there it looked as though most of them had done a decent days trade. 

We headed back to our sunset viewing point for dinner (and another gorgeous sunset) – a really nice way to finish our trip to Trinidad.

Last full day in Cuba we headed back to Havana in a 1957 Ford Aerolite – surprisingly comfortable for the journey and took the 4 hours we’d expected (as opposed to be longer which were our initial thoughts when we saw it pull up).  Back in Havana we still wanted to go for a drive in a classic car around the old city.  We confirmed a purple Chevrolet 1953 Belair and spent 50 or so minutes cruising the streets of Havana – all pretty special.  Saw most of what we had seen already with the addition of the Capital building and plaza (although this was all about the car ride). 

Cuba’s history is complicated and socialism well afoot after adopting the Constitution in 1940 guaranteeing rights to employment, property, minimum wage, education and social security.  Although changes have been happening in the past 5 years and continue to do so, opening up to Cuban’s what we in democratic countries take for granted; it would appear to be serving Cuba well – with a literacy rate of 99.8%, guaranteed minimum income and exceptional healthcare systems.  The changes afoot will no doubt impact but how remains to be seen.  Havana is the epitome of Cuba, from our perspective, and is tragically beautiful.  Regardless of its future here’s hoping the country continues with its happy rumba beat, friendly people and interesting cigar smoking, rum drinking characters along the way.

Best moment – see Cuba as we expected, stuck in time

Worst moment – Gary being sick 90% of our time in Cuba, courtesy of Colombian food (we think)

Most special – the tragically beautiful colonial buildings

Most surprising – the realisation that statements about no wi-fi or ATM’s were actually real!

Weird moment – passing a tuk tuk on the freeway that was overtaking a horse and cart

Things we’ll remember about Cuba;

The big old American cars

The simplicity of everything

Socialist images

The colourful houses

The beautiful colonial buildings

Cigars (not us smoking them!)

Old fashioned school uniforms – long socks!

People on the side of the road waving money for a lift, and

Every vehicle having the potential to become a taxi

Palm trees

Banana Plantations

Horse drawn buggies and push bikes on the freeways

Taxi Trucks

Tobacco

Basic agriculture

Bullocks

Looking directly into people’s living rooms

Hand ploughing fields

Rocking chairs on the porches

High gabled barns