Panama

Finding myself with 3 weeks between an old job and a new job, I did what any travel addict would do, and booked a flight out of the UK. This time I was heading for Panama.

If I had a £1 for everytime someone asked me 'Why Panama?' I would have a lot of pounds in my purse right now. But my answer still remains 'Why not Panama?'. I want to travel as far and wide across the world as possible and Central America is no exception. So here comes by blog post on those 10 days spent exploring the beautiful country of Panama.

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After an 18 hour flight with a connection in New Jersey and a 30 minute taxi ride I finally made it to Panama City and the old town of Casco Viejo, where my hostel for the night was the delightful Magnolia Inn.

When I say hostel this place was more like a hotel. The facilities were all clean, hot showers, a comfy bed and super friendly staff. All for $11 a night.

Driving through Casco at night I definitely felt nostalgic pangs to my childhood summer holidays spent in Spain. Families and couples were sat outside in the plaza listening to local musicians whilst eating dinner. I couldn't wait to explore more, but after a 22 hour total journey, sleep was calling.

The next morning feeling fresh after a hot shower I went for a pre sunrise walk (thank you jet lag) where the streets were now a lot more subdued. I bought a coffee and took some photos of the white traditional colonial buildings mixed in with the bright and colourful street murals, before loading up on supermarket supplies ready for the bus ride later on that day.

A $5 taxi ride from Casco took me to Altbrook Bus terminal where a $15 ticket bought me a ride to David. The journey took around 7 hours but with an i pad loaded with content the time went pretty quickly.  The scenery from the bus window was also a welcome distraction and with views like this its easy to see why I was starting to fall in love with Panama.

As I was trying to keep the costs down and Panama was already proving to be one of the most expensive places I have ever travelled to I decided to take a $2 public bus to Boquete rather than the $30 price for a taxi. Public buses in Boquete though are actually bright yellow school buses like you see in American films. I was probably the only non local aboard the bus but it was interesting to see families and workers making their journeys home for the day.

During my time in Boquete (pronounced bocetty) it was windy, very windy. Loaded up with my heavy rucksack I was still unable to walk in a straight line and was being blown left to right, probably looking like a drunk to passers by.

I stayed at the Spanish by the River hostel which in hindsight wasn't the best for me as it was a little out of the town, meaning I had to take a local taxi if I wanted to reach restaurants and bars.

The next morning I booked on a Rainforest Canopy zip wire trip. Here I met two dutch girls Ellen and Maryanne whom I would later meet up with again in Bocas. The jungle zip wire was accessible via a very steep and bumpy jeep ride up into the hillside. The scenery from the summit was lush green hills, waterfalls and rainbows. Stunning!!

Once we were kitted up in our harnesses and oh so attractive helmets we were given a safety debrief from the guides before taking a short walk to the first platform. From there on there was no going back. With my heart in my mouth I took the first zip line down in just under 15 seconds. High over green jungle and blue waterfalls. The view was amazing.

For the next hour we took over a dozen zip lines, with some taking as long as 30 seconds to cross before safely arriving back at the base camp and warming up with a Kotowa coffee. Which by the way is THE best coffee I have ever had. Sorry Peru but Panama beats your coffee hands down. 

The next day Ellen, Maryanne and I spent the day drinking $1 happy hour beers, playing board games and eating shrimp tacos before the following day taking the $30 bus ride to Bocas del Toro.

Bocas is a collection of islands off the Caribbean coast mainland and I would be spending 2 x nights in a luxury tree house as a little treat to myself before meeting back up with the Dutch girls in Bocas main town.

The Firefly in Bastimentos is a small eco friendly hotel run by an American couple and serves up delicious home cooked food, amazing rum cocktails all whilst in a calm and ocean side setting.

My stay at the Firefly was pure indulgent bliss with a yoga class and daily trips to Red Frog beach thrown in. However for a single traveller it was a little too quiet for me so I was looking forward to heading to the main island and to my hostel the Selina.

I like to think after 5 years of travelling I am quite accustomed to what to expect from hostels. I don't mind basic, I don't mind noisy. But dirty, noisy, poor showers and rude staff is not the way to win me over. Guys out of their minds drunk just made me feel really uncomfortable. I would not recommend this place one bit. I couldn't wait to leave :(

Thankfully this was to be the only low point of my trip.

The next day I got the hell out of there and flew $50 back to Panama City and back to the beautiful Magnolia Inn. 

The staff at the M.I kindly arranged a mini bus to take me to the Panama Canal at 11am which is apparently one of the best times to visit and there is generally a ship passing through. Entrance to the canal at the Miraflores Lock is $15 and the viewing platform gives great views of the locks.

You only need about 90 minutes at the lock to see the passing of the ships and visit the museum, leaving me with a free afternoon to chill and catch some sun on the rooftop pool of the Hard Rock hotel.

For my final leg of the trip I had pre booked a 2 day 2 night stay on the beautiful islands of San Blas.

San Blas is an archipelago of over 365 islands off the north east coast of Panama. the islands are home to the Guna Yala (pronounced Kuna), an indigenous tribe. The Guna people live by separate laws to that of the Panamanian people and the tribe live a very simple life.

I was picked up at 5am by mini bus and driven through some very rocky terrain to the harbour where I would take a water taxi to the main island of Isla Aroma. I was staying in a bamboo cabana and would be touring several islands and water pools over the next 2 days.

This place was bliss.

I was looking for a chill holiday before I start my new job and San Blas gave me just that, Lying in a hammock with a cold beer and a good book surrounded by nothing but sand, palm trees and crystal blue oceans.

I was sharing my cabana with a Canadian/Nicaraguan guy called Marcelo who could talk the hinds legs off a donkey. But he was great for bringing people together and at night he gathered a group and we build a fire on the beach and chatted for the next few hours.

Meals on San Blas are simple dishes of local caught fish, rice and lentils, and whilst the food was filling it did become a bit repetitive after 4 meals of the same dish. But there was something very traditional about eating the fish you saw the fisherman catching throughout the day.

The second day was spent taking a short boat ride to Pelican Islands followed by a visit to a natural pool. Pelican Island is smaller than Isla Aroma but no less beautiful. Snorkels are provided and if you swam out far enough you could see lots of different varieties of fish and coral.

The natural pool though had to be my favourite as here we saw Starfish and small blue little fish (that looked a little like Dory). The water is so blue that no instagram filter was needed to capture how clear the water is.

More hammock and beach time followed before packing my bag for the early morning boat ride back to the mainland.

Arriving back in Panama City at lunchtime the next day I had a much needed shower (goodbye sand) before heading back to the airport for my flight home.

I hope this blog post answers the question 'Why Panama?. A country rich in history and surprising natural beauty.

You should definitely add Panama to your travel list.

For now though the chill time had come to an end and the exciting new chapter was about to begin.

Thanks for reading.

Nic x

Hong Kong

If I had to chose one word to describe Hong Kong in late September it would be 'Humid'.

Boy was I not prepared for the sensation of sticking my head in an oven as soon as I left the lobby of my hotel. 

September can experience humidity in the 80% region so be prepared with lots of water and a fan if you are thinking of going at that time of the year.

Hong Kong however was to be the last stop on my G Adventures 'Beijing to Hong Kong Express' tour and so our group were determined to go out with a bang.

We arrived into Hong Kong around mid afternoon, after an epic day of travel across from the mainland.

A quick shower and change of clothes and the boys and I walked down to Victoria Harbour to watch the ferries, take in the glorious skyline and eat an ice cream quicker than I can say 'Mr Whippy' in the hope it didn't all melt over my havianas.

The harbour has a great view of the high rise business district on the Hong Kong island side and from here you can pay £1.50 for a ride on the Star Ferry across to the island.

For our last night, the London boys and I got dressed up and went for dinner before heading across to HK island for final drinks..

As rooftop bars were by now our 'thing' it was only fitting that we finished our time together with cocktails and tequila on the roof of Sugar Bar. As the city was all lit up like fairy lights, we drank way too much gin, too many porn star martinis and far too much tequila. We laughed a lot and finished off 12 days together in style.

The next day with a hangover I hugged the boys goodbye as they left for the airport and I headed for my hostel. After checking in and settling into my bunk a horrible empty feeling crept in. These boys had been by my side for the past 12 days and now I was alone with 4 days of my holiday left without my sidekicks.

During those last few days I stayed at the Urban Pack hostel in Tsim Tsa Shui which is just off Nathan Road. Location wise this place is perfect and I cannot say enough kind words about the owners as they gave me great tips on how to navigate the city.

The hostel is modern, clean and compact. The Wifi is good and the bathrooms clean. This was probably one of my favourite hostels and the view from the balcony with a cold beer in hand is the perfect way to unwind. Look at that view.

Later that afternoon I caught the metro to Central Station over on the island and took the trolley tram up to Victoria Peak. The old tram line existed half a century ago and was used by the British to go up into the mountain during the summer to beat the heat. Nowadays at the top is 'The Peak' a platform complex offering 360 degree views of Hong Kong. 

The perfect time to head up is about an hour before sunset so you can watch the light change and capture photos of both daylight and nightime. With the sun shining on my face this was such a beautiful experience and one of the highlights of my time in HK.

 

 

The next day I caught the MTR over to Tung Chung and took the sky tram to Lantau Island.

A little tip would be to book tickets in advance as the queues can be pretty epic and in the scorching heat you would be better prepared to book and beat the crowds. 

The cable car lifts you up from the mainland and over lush green hillsides before 30 minutes later dropping you off in Lantau.

Lantau is probably most famous for the Big Buddha which sits at the top of a hill accessible by steps. It takes about 10 minutes to climb to the top but the platform gives great views over the island and each of the buddhas are all unique.

Also on Lantau Island is the Po Lin Buddhist Monastery. The monastery was founded in 1906 by three visiting monks and was initially known simply as "The Big Hut". It was renamed to its present name in 1924. The main temple houses three bronze statues of the Buddha – representing his past, present and future lives. The monastery is very calm and the smell of incense wafting through the air made the place feel really peaceful.

No trip to Hong Kong is complete without a trip to the night markets so that evening I caught the MTR to Jordan and started with the flower market. The smell of lillies and fresh flowers was a world away from the usual Asian food smells.

Next was the Goldfish market, and I don't think I knew there were so many different varieties in the Goldfish world.

Finally it was time to barter my little butt off at the Ladies Market. The endless rows of stalls seemed to go on forever and I made sure to drive a hard bargain before bringing home a rucksack full of souvenirs. From fridge magnets, to purses and silk dressing gowns. I definitely shopped until I dropped.

My final day in Hong Kong was spent having breakfast in a local cafe with a friend who works for the HK branch of my work. The locals always know the best places to go and I can honestly say I had never had macaroni and cheese followed by french toast for breakfast. Delicious.

With a full belly, my afternoon was spent on one of Hong Kongs many beaches. Deep Water Bay is a 20 minute bus ride from Causeway Bay and white sandy beaches and blue seas awaited. Time to get my tan on.

For my final night in the big city I spent it on the rooftop of the 'Eyebar' and even though I didn't have the boys with me, I just had to finish my holiday with a Gin and Tonic in hand and an amazing view before me.

I am glad I stuck around for an extra few days in Hong Kong and explored further what the city had to offer.

My China adventure had come to a close and I was leaving home with the best memories and a definite new friend for life in James.

G Adventures once again you have given me experiences and memories to last a lifetime.

Thanks for reading my China Adventure.

Back soon, Nic x

Yangshuo - China

Picking up from where I left off by leaving Shanghai behind and taking the final overnight train to the town of Guilin.

Arriving late morning it was then another 90 minute bus ride to the small town of Yangshuo which lies in the middle of a very lush and green landscape of mountains. Yangshuo is a resort town in southern China’s Guangxi region and was to be home for the next two days.

A quick shower and change of clothes and we headed out for a group lunch. I think we all then started to fall in love with the small town of Yangshuo and its quaint little streets and souvenir shops.

Over lunch, Leah our G Adventures tour guide very kindly gave each of us a small piece of paper with our Chinese name on it. This was based on our personalities that she had seen during our time together. This was such a sweet touch for her to go to the effort for. Apparently I bring the sunshine in an elegant way. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

 

Leah also told us this place was great for a massage so the majority of the group went to try and get some of the knots and tension relieved from 3 overnight sleeper trains.

I had no idea at the start of this trip that I would be having a massage in a room with 4 of my new friends who all happened to be boys. They were all very well behaved gentleman and let me go in first but there were quite a few childish giggles amongst the five of us as we all lay there getting a massage.

After a little afternoon power nap the usual gang headed out for some drinks and by night Yangshuo certainly livens up. With neon bar signs and loud music lining the streets this place felt very different after dark.

We found ourselves a bar and sat outside chatting before Chris once again bought a round of tequila. Followed then by a second. It seemed we had all forgotten the hangover from tequila in Shanghai and were all ready to go once again.

Rooftop bars were starting to become our groups 'thing' and as we walked down the street I saw a bright neon sign reading 'rooftop bar' so off we went.

This place didn't have the views of Shanghai's rooftop bars but it did have a beer pong and pool table. Winner!!

Our competitive sides all came out and we bonded even more from a night of drinking, dancing and puppy cuddles. Cue more drunk photos.

The next day as expected my head was a bit fuzzy but out we all went to pick up our bikes for a day of cycling around the hillside of Yangshuo.

We cycled through rice fields and green mountains and it felt nice to get out of the town and into the quiet countryside and breathe in the fresh air.

After the first leg of the bike ride it was time to take a bamboo raft ride down the Li river. I had partnered up with James and it was to be a fun filled 90 minutes chatting to my best buddy. However at the last minute our fun was scuppered and I had to partner with Barry due to bamboo weight issues. Dammit!!

The river ride was nice but the conversation was a little stilted and it was a relief to disembark in the end.

Fair play to the locals who paddle the rafts though as they kept us safe and secure down the river and even battled a river snake with their paddle.

Lunch after the river ride was at a local famers market but after seeing a plate of chicken heads being served on arrival I suddenly lost my appetite.

Cycling our way back to the town centre we were able to catch a glimpse of Moon Hill which is pretty impressive. By mid afternoon my legs definitely felt like noodles after all of that cycling.

Dinner and drinks on our last night in Yangshuo were a little more subdued than the night before but we had so little time left together we didn't want to waste it so James, Ryan, Sam and I went out a few drinks before an early night. Tomorrow we were to make the monster trip and border crossing over to Hong Kong.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for the final part of my China adventure - Hong Kong.

Nic x