Luke James and I were drawn to Casco Viejo, a bedraggled yet gorgeous neighborhood, made up of historic buildings and cobbled streets - just a touch more interesting than the steel towers that lay across the ocean Luna's Castle, old mansion turned hostel, was our home, or I really should say playground, for the week we were stationed here. Looking off the balcony over the Pacific Ocean, this hostel had everything, and I mean everything, to offer.
Mitch stoked upon finding the movie room
Theatre aside, this four level backpackers paradise accommodated over a hundred people, had free breakfast, four chill out rooms (all featuring guitars which got regular workouts), and most importantly, a downstairs gorgeous bar and deck area that was open until 3am. Obviously, we didn't have much reason to leave this hostel... except of course to visit our good old friend McDonalds. A ritual almost all backpackers have when visiting a city.
On one occasion when Mitch and I were having a lengthy lunch in the air conditioned heaven of Maccas, we started talking to a middle aged Jamaican guy, Rick. He spoke perfect English (and French as well!) and had a cast on his right leg up to his thigh. He told he was on holidays in Panama, and just a week ago had been hit by a car and broke his leg badly. Lying on the ground, waiting for help, he received exactly the opposite. Locals robbed him of almost everything -shoes, wallet, hat, shirt, and most importantly, his passport. When police came by and he tried to call out for help, they just assumed he was another bothersome homeless drunk, and left him lying on the ground, thinking about what a wayward world this really is. Rick became a good friend of ours, and visited us at our hostel on many occasions while he waited around pointlessly in Panama for an emergency passport.
Stories like this really do get you thinking... would something like that happen in Australia? Of course not. We are so blessed to live in such an amazing land, where everybody - be it neighbour, colleague, friend, family - will always have your back. It's crazy to think that such antics like this happen all over the world, and how many heartless people we live amongst. Travelling really does open your eyes, and allow you to take off those rose coloured glasses, and sometimes see the world basked in all it's true grotesqueness.
Mind you, it's not all bad. Actually, most of what you discover over here opens your eyes to a kaleidoscopic world that's completely hard to comprehend, and gets your thoughts all tangled up in some kind of fuzzy web.. It makes you wake up, and see the world in a different light, and take problems, dilemmas, opportunities as you would have never done so before. Seeing the world helps you see yourself, right through that mirror and deep into your soul. It definitely helps you to understand or work out the kind of person you want to be. Definitely not the kind who'd steal from someone in trouble. Or steal from anyone for that matter.
Done and dusted with Panama City after a few wild nights out, and many days in the movie room, it was time to prepare for our trip to Colombia... To fly or to sail, that was the question. $400 or thereabouts got you four days frolicking around the San Blas islands on a yacht, and eventually delivers you to the unknown land of South America, Cartagena in Colombia to be precise. With activities and meals all inclusive, it wasn't a hard choice to jump on that boat (ha ha, pun intended) for a magical trip across the Caribbean. Wouldn't have it any other way. Wait til you hear all about it, promise you'll either die from jealously, or book a flight to Panama City as soon as your working day's over... sucker. xxx
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