The last leg!

Boarding the plane for our final flight - from Dallas to Wichita.

Two to go!

In Atlanta now getting ready to board for Dallas.

Miami

Thought we'd have a really long layover in Miami, but after standing
in lines at immigration, customs, and security it has taken us 2 hours
to get to our gate!

Next stop - Atlanta!

Headed home

We're now on the Panama City airport waiting to board for Miami. We go from Panama to Miami, Miami to Atlanta, Atlanta to Dallas, and Dallas to Wichita - 4 flights!

Dani & Raul

See the couple in the back seat with me? They rode out with us, but
they didn't come back with us. While we were at the Indian village
they arranged to stay awhile (they're not sure how long).

They are taking a year and a half to travel from Chile to Alaska and
are making a documentary that they hope to sell. Be sure to check out
their blog at www.renunciantes.blogspot.com

Lunch

Our final stop was an Indian village. They served us fish and yucca
fried over an open fire and served in a palm leaf.

A swim

The water was a little cool at first, but very refreshing after our
hike. We discovered that if you stand under the waterfall and let the
water pound onto your shoulders & back it is better than a spa massage.

The end of the trail

At the end of our hike, we were met with this view!

The hike

We hiked about a half mile, crossing back and forth across a swift
stream to find the best path. The path was red clay which tends to be
slippery, but we made it without any major mishaps.

Up a creek

Today is our last day in Panama. A tour driver skillfully serpentined
us up into the mountains. Actually the roads were fairly straight, but
we were continuously weaving from one side to the other to avoid the
pot holes! :-)

In the mountains, we rode in a canoe guided by an Indian man and son, down a large river. The scenery was awesome - almost surreal - steam rising from mountains that were greener than you can imagine!

Hot milk

One interesting thing we've seen here is that they serve hot milk to
put in coffee and tea. A great idea that we'll continue to use at home.

Shopping mall

We made a shop at a large shopping mall yesterday afternoon. It looked
very much like those in the US - complete with Wendys & Subway.

Surprisingly we haven't seen a single Starbucks!

Stormy skies

Due to this storm, we didn't get to ride the aerial tram yesterday.
Our driver took us on a nice tour of the city. This pic shows more of
the canal.

Monkey Island

The monkeys came right onto the boat begging for handouts of food!

Boat ride at Gamboa

We weren't sure whether this life vest would hold up Harold, but
probably wouldn't matter because the crocs would get him anyway.

Portobelo

One more from yesterday...

This wall was built to help defend the city of Portobelo from pirate
attacks.

Unexpected adventure

Our sissy driver (see earlier post) made the mistake of stopping on
the way up a very steep hill. We couldn't get enough speed to continue
up, and in the process of backing down we went off the road.

No cell service & no other vehicles for miles - and a storm is brewing.

After almost 3 hours using cables & jacks and wedging stones and
branches under tires, we finally got it free! Minus one running board
plus one dented bumper.

Luckily the rain held off or we'd most likely still be there!

The pic above is after we got the back wheels back on the road.

Harold swings through the jungle

Harold's first ride!

Cable ride

Tammy gears up with a harness and heavy gloves to "glide" on a series
of 9 cables through the jungle. It was SO much fun.

Harold & I mastered it in no time, but our driver was a big sissy! He
was scared to go fast - and without speed you can't get to the next
platform. He was also scared of heights so someone would have to go
back and pull him across! Not once or twice - but EVERY time!

On the train

We're headed to Portobelo for the day. Not sure how long I'll have net
access, but will post again when I can.

To the jungle!

Today we're off to the rainforest. Wish us luck!

Ancon Hill

A narrow windy road led us to this amazing view of the city and
coastline.

The Causeway

We enjoyed a nice lunch (sea bass for me jumbo shrimp for H.) while
watching the yachts in the harbor.

The Canal

Our first stop today was the Panama Canal. It was fascinating! In the
pic below the water level is being raised so the ship can enter the
next lock.

Breakfast at El Panama

A yummy breakfast at our hotel. Getting ready to leave for a canal and
city tour. Will post pics as I find wireless networks.

How this blog works

I've had some inquiries as to how I'm managing these posts without a
computer.

Before I left home, I set up a blog using Google's "Blogger." While
messing around there, I discovered that Blogger provides an option for
posting via email.

Blogger provides you with a send-to address. When you send an email to that address, the subject becomes the title and the message becomes
the body of the blog post. You can even attach a photo!

I also have it set up so that I get an email when anyone adds a
comment. So - you don't really need an iPhone. You could use any
device with email to maintain a mobile blog.

I cannot add or respond to comments except through a web browser, so
that's when the iPhone comes in really handy!

Once I get back home to a full size keyboard, I'll post more specific
instructions at my website. I'm excited at the possibilities of using
this with students. But I'm not going to think about that this week
because I'm on vacation! :-)

The New Place

We've found a new home for the rest of our stay. El Panama Hotel is in
the downtown area of Panama City surrounded by local shops and
restaurants. www.elpanama.com

The weather is rainy and about 85 degrees - very humid! Tomorrow
there's only a 40% chance for rain, so will try to hit a beach or do
some sightseeing.

Our Room

We made it to Panama late last night. It turns out that the b & b is
still under construction and in a rather remote location. We'll
probably be looking for another place to stay...

In Dallas

Harold makes final phone calls before we board for Panama.

On the plane

Getting ready to leave Wichita.

On Our Way

Our fabulous neighbor, Judy, drove us to the airport.

Breakfast

Our first breakfast in Panama? Nope - we don't leave until afternoon. This is a typical weekend breakfast at home - prepared by Harold of course.

We'll soon see if Panama cuisine can compete!

Weather Predictions

Guess we'd better pack our umbrellas!

Uploaded with plasq's Skitch!

Harold Packs

Harold's well-organized system for packing:

Tammy's Essentials

Tammy makes sure she has all the necessary cords & cables -- and
plenty of tea bags.

Our Home in Panama

We'll be staying at the Balboa Inn, a bed & breakfast in Panama City. See more at: http://www.ilisa.com/panama/balboa/index.htm

Getting Ready

Harold and I leave for Panama on Saturday. I'm hoping to travel light (without my laptop), but want to be able to maintain a blog while I'm gone. I'm experimenting to see if I can manage / update this from my iPhone. Wish me luck!