Gettin' there. The flight into Panama was a long one. Long cab ride to the hostel as well. Panamanian traffic is excruciatingly brutal. Again we bused throughout Panama. One long overnight bus into David-Boquete (followed by a much needed coffee tour).

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As an engineer graduate, the Panama Canal was a must see. It was very touristy but it was still interesting.

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One highlight of Panama was visiting a coffee farm in Boquete. The farm was owned and operated by a retired man and wife from California who made an impulse decision to buy the farm, and quickly made it their dream job. This gem of a farm was humbling to meander around; the mix of trees mixed in with the coffee plants and the domesticated chickens plucking about gave a very organic atmosphere.

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The farmer though shared some disturbing information about the coffee grower industry. Many local farmers lose money every year because of large corporations using mass quantity to muscle multiple smaller farms down to a break even price. Starbucks was a named culprit in this practice. Even with the 'fair trade' sticker, it truly doesn't help because the fair trade price is only a promised price that could still be less than reasonable. The Californian grower said a big reason he's successful is because of his American experiences and that English is his first language. All the big coffee purchasers tend to be American or at least English speaking. His tours are also very successful. He claimed that he usually breaks even growing coffee but profits profits because of the tours. Last point to make, buy Kirkland brand coffee! The grower said that they are the most ethical coffee buyers and typically invest into smaller farms to grow the best quality bean instead of Starbucks who aggressively buy the cheapest bean and burn the shit out of it to get the same tasting coffee bean every time.

Richard, the Californian coffee grower, is very passionate about the industry and he cares very much for it. Go check it out if you're ever in Boquete, here's his website.

We also went caving and fought alligators...

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For anyone thinking of visiting Panama ... Do the Bayano caves! Get over your fears. Get ready to swim in a cave.

We stayed in this hostel that you had to hike to that was on the side of a mountain, it was very cool. Called the "Lost and Found Hostel", tons of hiking and activities to be done in the area. Here's a pic of me lounging on the balcony outside my hostel room door. Pardon the hairy legs ..

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After this we bused into San Jose, Costa Rica. We were only there for one whole day because we flew out early the next morning. We did get a chance to go to a cigar shop that was attached to a whore house, it was .. interesting. I'll stop there.

Then the flight home. 3 hr layover in Atlanta. Wasn't exciting whatsoever.

Contact me if you want any more info about travelling the western side of South America.