Blog du Wren

Panama Pictures

Here are my leftover, didn't-make-the-blog-elsewhere-but-are-still-neat-and-I-want-to-share-them pictures. I attempted a creative way of showing them, like I have before (here, here, and here), but I'm afraid this country silhouette collage method falls a little short. So instead, why not go ahead and click on any tiny picture below (or here) and scroll through them using the good old fashion lightbox slideshow. Included is a little blurb about each picture. You could even think about it like 13 instagram posts in one! Enjoy!

Sunday December 15 2013

File under: travel, Panama

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Chronicling Travel

When one returns from a wonderful trip, there are lots of memories that will stay for a life time. Then there are the other memories, the stories that get lost when recounting the adventure for family and friends, and after telling more or less the same account of the adventure, get lost even to yourself. So has been so many of my adventures; if it didn't make it to the blog*, it sometimes just slips away.

Since travelling with Della, she's instituted a great new travelling habit, one that I plan to implement on whatever adventure I am on from here on out: chronicling. At the end of each day, we record what we did that day. It's amazing how even little notes about the day can remind you of some story or adventure that didn't make it from short term memory to long term.

Here's a couple examples from this latest Panama trip (augmented with photos of course):

Day 8: Wednesday 20th
- pancakes
- awesome bike adventure, "¡somos los batidos!"
- geocache, binocs, Trump tower, threw pennies in fountain
- empenadas
- taxi to parque metripolitano (opted out of paying, walked short trail then into long walk home)
- long walk home (jugglers, Della's scary neighborhood, turned down ride from cops, cheap taxi home)
- Batidos! and park
- Dinner @ Mac n Cheese place (Tapas) Fue delicioso
- Evening walk through pleasant neighborhoods

Day 6: Monday 18th
- Eaten by bugs, poor sleep, hot, buggy, kind of miserable, full of bites
- We like fry bread!
- Ate ceviche in grass...Della tried it!
- Our dude rode us across in his boat
- Bussed to Porobello (tiny internet place)
- Bussed to Colon (walked to train station, didn't get shot :)!)
- Train w/ 27 Frenchies...oui oui!
- Della saw a crocodile (or 2!)
- Awesome train ride
- Haggled w/ cab driver
- Found awesome hostel (Luna Castle)
- Crazy ass rain shower
- Cheap ass dinner
- Wren snored

As you can see, it pretty much covers the bases, sometimes a little too much. But having this record will be great in 25 years when we head down to Panama again. After all, it will be very important to remember "Somos los Batidos!"

(Note: Della has been doing her own blogging about our trip and it is totally worth checking out. But please pretend all the photos for this post weren't stolen from there. Thanks!)

Saturday December 7 2013

File under: travel, Panama

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Tropical Waters Trifecta

While I'm not a beach person the way some people are beach people, I've been known to enjoy a good beach every now and again (as testified to in these previous posts: A Day at the Beach, My Kind of Beach, and Beach life (is the life)*). And since it seems somewhat of a sin to go to the tropics and not enjoy the beaches, I made it my goal to complete the Tropical Waters Trifecta*: Gulf of Mexcio, Caribbean, and the Pacific.

First stop, Venice Beach, Venice, Florida*. While initially reluctant to get in due to the overcast skies, I instead busied myself with searching for shells, walking the beach, and lounging. But just as we were starting to pack up, I felt inspired and dove in*. I'm so glad I did. Bobbing in the waves (and rinsing away 2 days of travel grime) was a great start to the trifecta.

Next, 1225 miles SSE, I tested out to the waters of Isla Grande, just east of Colon, Panama. The warmer water made entry much easier, but the best beach on the island charged a day rate we weren't into paying, so we grabbed a quick dip on various other corners of the island. On the plus side, while the beaches weren't great, we did manage to find a all to ourselves at a closed down resort (which required crossing the island by foot through some pretty neat rain forest jungle). And since a deserted beach tops a beautiful beach for me most days, I greatly enjoyed phase 2 of the trifecta.

A quick hop across the isthmus, the last stop on my tropical waters trifecta was Isla Taboga, Island of the Flowers. We came to this island just to get a final day of beaching in and we weren't let down. Although I had to stay huddled in a tiny shade patch, I often popped down to the water for a . And since my shade patch was hammock ready*, my lazy beach day was perfect.

While none of the beaches I visited would be mistaken for the best each area has to offer, they were definitely good enough for me. Now just to figure out where the next beach trifecta will be...

Sunday November 24 2013

File under: travel, Panama

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Coast to Coast By Train

Sometimes, when traveling, there are things that cost more than you want to spend but something tells you to just go for it. The trans-isthmus Panama Canal Railway definitely fell into this category for me. Although the cost was about 10 times what a bus to travel the same route would have been, I riding on trains. So with the coaxing help of Ms. Della, we decided to do it....and boy was it awesome!

While the route doesn't exactly parallel the canal, as one might assume from the name, it goes through jungle, over swamp, and along the canal for a stint. We saw a crocodile(/alligator?), jumping fish, wild banana and other fruit trees, and some of the coolest terrain I've seen in a long time. We were constantly running from one side of the train to the other to take it all in.

And speaking of the train, it was gorgeous. With exotic wood paneling and dark stylish lighting in the passenger cars and a dome topped viewing/cafe car, it was meant to mimic the experience of riding the trains of yore, when train travel was more than just a means of transportation. Although a picture doesn't do it justice in the least, we . But despite the lavishness, Della and I mostly outside to take all the scenery in.

When train travel combines with awesome scenery and some wicked interesting history, it makes for something really remarkable, something that's worth the extra money. Finding gems like these is a big part of what travel is all about.

Wednesday November 20 2013

File under: travel, Panama

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