Sargasso weed.

[Wansworth]

Panama is certainly not paradise. The city of Colon is aptly named. It looks like the footage you see of bombed out parts of Ukraine but its never been bombed. The crime is off the scale. You can't walk down the main street in Colon without being mugged.
Portobello, where we were anchored and lost the galvanising is a sh1t hole.
Going up the Rio Chagras was a highlight. Anchoring in the jungle surrounded by amazing wildlife and howler monkeys was amazing.
Bocas del Torro, in the North was not too bad, but the officials are crooks and on the take. They basically steal from you through the threat of not clearing you in. Disgusting.
San Blas is nice but over rated in my view.
Panama would not be on my list of places to visit again.
I might pass through on the way to the Pacific

Oh …..lucky my ambitions are closer to home

 

[capnsensible]

I didn't find colon that bad. As you get stuck in Shelter Bay for 10 days or more waiting for a canal transit it was a time filler to take the free bus across to the Mall in Colon. Big supermarket and a couple of chesp canteens. Plenty of security around.

Much better though is Panama City. And Balboa Pacific side.

People we know base their yacht in Shelter Bay and sail up to Boca De Torro every season.

Each to their own!

 

[geem]

I didn't find colon that bad. As you get stuck in Shelter Bay for 10 days or more waiting for a canal transit it was a time filler to take the free bus across to the Mall in Colon. Big supermarket and a couple of chesp canteens. Plenty of security around.

Much better though is Panama City. And Balboa Pacific side.

People we know base their yacht in Shelter Bay and sail up to Boca De Torro every season.

Each to their own!

We did that bus trip several times. The mall is a safe place. The walk from there in to the centre of Colon certainly isnt.
Panama City is fine. I love the modern high rises with all the dug up streets at the bottom. The underground infrastructure is terrible.
We did the trip from Bocas to Colon. We arrived in Bocas direct from the Bahamas.
Bocas is on the back pack trail so lots of youngsters about heading South. Some of the hiking trails near town have police stationed on them as muggings are routine. I have never seen so many police in one small town.
It a weird place chiseled out of the mangroves.
Lots of Americans have bought strips of land on the many islands and set up home. There is a radio net in the mornings where these home owners all call in. They each have a number. The net rollcall is each member shouting out their number in turn. It's a security thing incase anybody has been attacked over night in their home.

 

[capnsensible]

I noticed a lot of armed young bored soldiers all around the canal zone....