Panama City and Canal Crossing May 11-12/26 Days 128-129

After an afternoon site seeing beautiful colonial architecture of Cathedrals and Canal buildings in Old Town,

Casco Viejo (or Casco Antiguo) is the UNESCO-listed historic district of Panama City, established in 1673, we met Eddy Silvera, a Venuezualan friend of Amy Kaufman, who showed us the strong and dynamic Jewish Panama City by night with  large synagogues, an enormous kosher supermarket, and a delicious meal at Aroma, one of 42 kosher restaurants!

Acajutla, Evolvimg El Salvador 5/9/26 Day 126

El Salvador is evolving from a gang ridden, impoverished land to a safe country with compulsory traffic breatherizers stops and super max prisons.  Lovely people, but gritty cities. 

We took the free shuttle escorted by two police motorcycles with lights and sirens, not for security, but to expedite our travels through the thick traffic to nearby Sonsonate!   We enjoyed the modest Railroad Museum complete with a short vintage train ride that echoed the Sammy the Banana King saga of shlepping produce for United Fruit Company. After checking out the cathedral complete with pigeons flying inside and municipal market for jamaica and horchata restockimg, we headed to the nearby Beach Club with black lava sands and sea birds amidst the surfing waves for the 1% while the rest eacked out modest livesalbeit with free healthcare and affordable education. El Salvador may have Bitcoin and $US but is still evolving. 

Puerto Chiapas, Mexico 5/8/26 Day 125

Triple tour of Izapa ruins, Tapachula town and Tuxtla Chico Dona Chepi chocolate --what can be better!  Gracias, Angel Gabriel of Cruceros Tours.

Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico, a perfect "10+" 5/6/26 Day 123

Manzanillo is where they filmed "10" with Bo Derek years ago, but we met a 10+ on the trail to Mirador de la Cruz named Daisy who guided us with care through the strenuous 2 hr hike to the gorgeous summit. Afterwards we went to the Iguanario wildlife center and saw a crocodile enroute. The large and baby iguanas feasted on local mangos and climbed on us. After we checked out the municipal market, colonial architecture, and sculptures on the malecon boardwalk.