i once was lost but now am found

We're in the mountains now. Sticky Panama feels light years away, even if we were just sweating it out at the Miraflores Locks on the Canal this morning. I'm in a hoodie now. A two-hour drive can really work wonders on your core temperature.

I really had high hopes for the Panama Canal. I was picturing just sitting back to a small sea of giant tankers drifting by with their multicoloured containers. Instead, we watched a bunch of eager tourists try to snag pictures of one tiny boat's epic journey through various chambers of rising water. Like watching paint dry, noted Amy. A tourist trap if I ever saw one.

High time to ditch the city, especially since Sunday worked out really nicely. We took a hike to the Parc Metropolitan in the morning and then took another impossible drive into the heart of downtown. We actually managed quite well on the way to the Causeway. It was hot and windy as all hell and I accidentally walked into at least two different local trying to fly their kites at the giant park. Then we rented bikes and rode to several small posh peninsulas just off the city centre. On the advice of one of the only particularly friendly (and bilingual) hotel guests, we then attempted to make our way to an outdoor market in the Government District for some killer Lobster Ceviche. "Just make sure you avoid La Chorrera" she said, referring to one of the city's infamous no-go neighbourhoods. We ended up driving right into it. No harm done. But when we finally finished eating, we got completely lost (again) and ended up right back in the slum (again) and then right back at the same restaurant ten minutes later.  

But that all feels very far away right now. El Valle is a travelling driver's paradise by comparison, with only one main road and plenty of signs telling you exactly where's where and what's what. This town is apparently built on the crater of a now dormant volcano. The clouds fly so low up here you are constantly being drizzled in a very fine mist; God's own little spray bottle. Amy is a big fan. The only remnants of Panama City now are the gale-force winds - of which I am not.

I'm loving the roar of it though. I'm pretty sure we have the entire third floor open-air lounge to ourselves. Even the cute little Green Parrot and his impressive arsenal of Spanish greetings has gone silent for the night.