Well, A5 (Argentina 5) is over and I’m now back in Toronto. To soften the blow of leaving Argentina, I had a little four-day vacation in Panama on the way home and enjoyed it very much. Here’s a little video with a taste of the various aspects of Panama I saw. I couldn’t figure out how to do voiceovers, so couldn’t tell you on the video what you are looking at. Instead, here’s a rundown.

The first couple of photos are of downtown Panama City across the bay. It’s basically just like any other big city today, but I didn’t stay there. I stayed in a sweet little hotel in the Casco Viejo, the old part of the city, which is quite lovely. The old buildings are undergoing a sustained program of renovation and they are doing a great job.

The young woman in the photo with me is Sandra, a Panamanian friend of my friend Cecilia from Buenos Aires. She invited me along on a night out with some of her friends, which I enjoyed very much.

But the highlight was undoubtedly my foray into the jungle, via Gatun Lake. This is the biggest manmade lake in the world, created by blasting away actual mountains so that ships can pass through on their way to the Panama Canal. We saw big container ships passing by. But the main attraction was pulling in to the edge of an island and having monkeys come visit us and take fruit from our hands. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done. I had to keep reminding myself that these were not zoo monkeys, but wild animals in their own habitat. And then holding a tiny baby crocodile in my hand — amazing. Thanks to my friend Luis for this adventure.

The last photo was a lucky moment. I was just hanging around the square in front of the cathedral when this young woman in Panamanian national dress showed up for a photo shoot and she graciously posed for me too!

Here’s the video:

So that’s it for A5. Now I’m ready for spring to be really here so that I can enjoy my northern home here in Toronto.

Tomorrow is my birthday, and I’m having a combination birthday and return party. Looking forward to seeing lots of my Toronto friends.

I will resume the blog in late fall, as the time approaches for me to return to beautiful Buenos Aires for A6! Thank you for following my exploits and for your comments, and I look forward to taking up where this leaves off.

Hasta Luego!