Having studied the map enough to get it right, we actually made it here quite easily. The road, once you get off the main highway and are on the turn to Gamboa, is a bit of a roller coaster at times, but you only have to go down a few minutes before you are at the trail head.

This park has been on the “to do” list for some time because it is virtually untouched jungle. During construction of the canal, and wartime, they punched some roads through it, which are now the trails themselves, but otherwise it has been left pretty much as it is, and it doesn’t take long to see it.

The size of the trees here aren’t what is remarkable, it’s the number of them that are that size, all over the place, all the time, on all sides, that takes me back to the Tarzan movies I watched as a kid. There is no doubt you are in jungle.

With that, I’m just going to put up a pile of pictures of it. Honestly, it’s going to look like a bunch of trees, but I’m sure you’ll appreciate one or two of them.

With that trip under our belts, we made it back home, and spent the next day looking for a reason to get on the subway here.  Looking for a part for the car was a good enough excuse, so away we went.

It’s no great shakes, but I wanted to ride the line just to get a better view of the city.  This place is huge, and I’m always driving, so what can you really see but glimpses here and there?

and..

and of course the train itself…

As you can see, it’s clean, and modern, which I guess is no surprise, but you ride this thing all the way out into the slums and such, and the lack of graffiti, and respect among riders was notable.  People consistently gave up their seats to mothers holding children or simply with children, the elderly, etc…

That’s the station mid-shot in the distance, and that was our trip into the heart of Panama.

The next day, we packed up to head to Santiago, but not before actually going all the way out to Gamboa first.  First, a little history lesson on what Gamboa is.  If you click on the pic, you can read it well.

Gamboa is a small community on the banks of the Rio Charges that housed canal workers, and to a small extent, still does.  As you can see, they think rather highly of themselves, 🙂

They are at the end of the road, and on the other side of an unusual bridge, which is fun enough.  Noisy, clancky, rickety, every board moving underneath you, but if the guy in front of me doesn’t go down… my chances are still pretty good, right?

What to say of the place.  A time warp.

It has an almost abandoned feel to it, and at one end they’ve made a go of an “Eco Resort”, but from what I could tell, it’s was mostly empty.

Aside from that, there was the restaurant and marina there, worth a picture…

but not much more, IMO. I’m sure people pay through the nose to do this sort of thing, but both of us were “jungled up” at that point. If they had offered it to us for free just then, I think we both would have said “Nahhh”.

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OMG longest post everrrrr.

I’m looking to get caught up tonight, so bear with me.  Or come back.  Or don’t.  At least I’ll have it done.

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Then it was time to make a run for it. Heading out to Gamboa took us to the autopista, and the new bridge, Puenta Centennial or something. Don’t know, can’t remember, don’t care.

It’s a cool looking structure, but like all bridges, doesn’t offer a view from a sedan.

Once out onto it’s surface, it’s pretty much hit the gas and hold on until you are past La Chorrera and the autopista ends.

Here’s a view of those “gated communities” they’ve been flogging off on the interwebs.  Blech.  I guess it’s ok if you only want a place to drop your shoes, but to live?  Nahhht for me.

This is common, but still makes me catch my breath.  That’s a lot of lives packed into that thing.

Weird.  I’ve never seen a leaf on this thing, but it sure is neat.

Here is a dam, 95% completed until the locals decided flooding their land without compensation wasn’t going to go over that easy.  I don’t know the full story, no one ever will but them.

And here they are protesting.  Dangerous looking bunch, aren’t they?  That must be why they have so many riot police.

During this particular drive, we straddled (avoided) two windshields on the highway.  Whole, (well, busted up) windshields.  I guess it’s hard enough just to clean up an accident, let alone pick up the debris strewn about with the drivers here.

Some of these folks are just crazy, doing 140 and chasing one another, some are just plain stupid, doing 80 in the inside lane, but most just want to get there alive, yet have to suffer the fools around them just the same. We just cruise along in the middle lane, keeping up with traffic, staying out of congestion when we can, with one eye on the rear-view and one up ahead, and happier the further ahead you can see.

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We made Santiago by just about 4, and pulled into Hotel Seuss again. Knowing where things are is nice, I tell you. Just plain nice. It was hotter than the sun, we collapsed in the room, and I was out like a light for a good hour.

In the morning we went into Santiago on a smash and grab. There’s no reason to be here unless you own cattle or want a hat. We wanted a hat, and once we had it in hand, made haste for the exit. This town is not built for traffic. I’ll leave it at that, lest I find myself on a rant.  It’s hot, I tell you.

The less said about the remainder of the drive to David the better. The fact that TwoGunz survived yet another thrashing over that miserable stretch of highway is a testament to her durability, and now that we’re here, I have to get a revisado on my car so I can get my plates, so I can get a passe salvo (permission to leave the country), so that can return and drive for another three months if I want.

Panama will only let you drive on a foreign license for 3 months, after which time you must physically leave the country for 3 days and return.  I don’t understand it either, really.  Just one of those things atop the pile of other things that makes this place different than where I was.

I’m tired tonight, so I hope that didn’t bleed into the post too much.  If it did, my apologies.  As I stated, I’m tired.