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A man a plan a canal Panama
  • Powell Ettinger
  • Powell Ettinger

A man a plan a canal Panama

An open-ended adventure by Powell Read more
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  • Trip start
    December 11, 2025
    Powell EttingerA man a plan a canal PanamaPowell Ettinger
    taking selfies. feel like an influencer

    BHX

    December 11, 2025 in England ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    everyone as friendly as the good people of Bali. though food not as good. car park man asked us if we had left valuables in the car. I offered an umbrella, he said more like a Rolex? do I look the type?

    obviously not. girl in the lounge asked us if we were going trekking. because that was how we looked?    Read more

  • Powell EttingerA man a plan a canal PanamaPowell Ettinger
    1

    New old town. Grackles and grockels

    December 12, 2025 in Panama ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Bit harsh, not so many grockels. the old old town was trashed by Henry Morgan in 1670 so they built a new old town in 1673. Colonial style buildings, black vultures, unbelievably expensive shops and Panama hats, brown pelicans and noisy grackles, views to city high rises, canal museum (hugely about politics more than digging) and average food (so far and expensive too). BBC promised thunder and lightning all day but didn't rain.

    Also found "Sombrero"Street. decorated with many hats!    Read more

  • Powell EttingerA man a plan a canal PanamaPowell Ettinger

    scalping

    December 12, 2025 in Panama ⋅ 🌧 29 °C

    in need of a haircut. found small open air barber. not much communication. when I arrived middle aged man cutting younger guys hair. indicated for me to sit in another chair. younger guy then came to cut mine. is this a daisy chain barber? I have to cut the next bloke's hair? long slow hair cut n shave
    but electric not wet shave. and sideburns removed, and hair very short. at one stage I thought I might get zig zags down the sides

    Caroline doesn't approve 😮    Read more

  • Powell EttingerA man a plan a canal PanamaPowell Ettinger
    AgoutiCity view before the rain.Cocoa tree creeperwhooping motmotvery male monkeyview of the city during the rain

    Parque Metropolitano in the rain

    December 13, 2025 in Panama ⋅ 🌧 28 °C

    Very efficient Uber for about $4 to park entrance. Ranger wanted to know where we were from, and how old.

    first path came with agouti, quite tame. well placed shelter reached just as biblical rain hit. see before and during photos. good view of city from shelter but it completely disappeared for 30 minutes.

    second path up to higher viewpoint had some good birds, my favourite of which was the whooping motmot! passing chap pointed out a sloth asleep, apparently with a baby. also spotted a few monkeys (geoffroys?).    Read more

  • Powell EttingerA man a plan a canal PanamaPowell Ettinger

    Hernan. Voice over man

    December 14, 2025 in Panama ⋅ 🌧 26 °C

    Hernan Araus, son of Bolivar, who ran the 1960 trans Darien expedition, and xxx, who was Panama's leading anthropologist and leading light in UN cultural council deciding on World Heritage Sites.

    Hernan has his dad's photos from the trans Darien. amazing. was actually his third expedition, he had already crossed on foot and by canoe, but 1960 was in 2 vehicles and took 69 days.    Read more

  • Powell EttingerA man a plan a canal PanamaPowell Ettinger

    Darien

    December 15, 2025 in Panama ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Woke up with the Darien Gap outside the cabin window. watched some local fishermen with brown pelicans in attendance.

    Zodiac ashore to Punta Patino Reserve.

    ANCON established the Punta Patiño Private Nature Reserve in 1993. It was a private cattle ranch that has been allowed to return to nature, which happens remarkably quickly in this part of the world. It covers 30,000 hectares of secondary forests and primary rainforests, as well as a large area of mangroves in the Gulf of San Miguel, 

    Landed to be greeted by ranger team and some 'border police' with large hardware. this area now safe but these guys patrol to deter people crossing from South America.

    Tobiaso had the largest weapon, but was very friendly and there was much discussion/ banter about England v Panama in Mondial 26. He thought 3-1 to Panama, I went 5-0 England.

    guided walk of 3.5 miles through forest. Spotted a large troop of Geoffroys tamarinds and heard birds but just mostly the. jungle vibe and huge variety of fungi. A quick visit to the old ranch, now park HQ, with great views before returning to ship. a few Cayman spotted in lake on wY back to Zodiacs.

    Most people's favourite ,Wildlife, was the tiny and very friendly puppy!

    Also a 1 hour zodiac cruise to see the local birdlife: Brown pelicans. Blue footed Boobies, magnificent frigate birds, blue and yellow crested herons.    Read more

  • Powell EttingerA man a plan a canal PanamaPowell Ettinger

    Embera people

    December 16, 2025 in Panama ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    The day started with some if the Embera coming on board. Forest dwelling people who have migrated north from Colombia. But they are not averse to a full English from the buffet!

    This village has chosen to acknowledge and interact with ' modern society ' but other groups like to remain isolated.Read more

  • Powell EttingerA man a plan a canal PanamaPowell Ettinger

    Embera village

    December 16, 2025 in Panama ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Just one of those magical places you find very occasionally. After the turtles, we climbed a small muddy hill to the "Big House". A speech, a song and dance and some time for shopping - as ever the ladies set up tables and display their wares, fantastic they are too.

    A small display of how they cook fish etc, and some stocks (yes, for punishing naughty boys) , apparently still used for minor misdemeanours.

    Walk around a mile along the beach to the village. Very large chickens with bare necks, plentiful fruit and veg trees, a couple of pigs in an enclosure, dug out canoes, a school and football pitch, apparently a few solar panels and lights, and many hammocks. absolute magic.

    Around 200 people live here.

    Everyone looked very healthy, everyone was remarkably friendly and excited to have visitors, and nothing but smiles all round. Even some small boys to play football with, to assuage my guilt/foolishness in not bringing a ball.

    And a puppy in a Tonka toy dumper truck.    Read more

  • Powell EttingerA man a plan a canal PanamaPowell Ettinger

    Turtle chaos

    December 16, 2025 in Panama ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Playa Muerte. Arrived to a welcome party, singing and dancing, and helping land in the surf, and loads of onlookers.

    Main event was a release of baby Olive Ridley turtles, probably around 100 or so. Not planned, they had all hatched the previous day/night in the village turtle hatchery. They are big on turtle conservation here, they recognise it is good for the village and also good (Increased revenue) for the turtles. Seems to be working, last year some 350 turtles nested, this year 500.

    Quick speach then tipped up the crate and off they all scuttled into the sea.    Read more

  • Powell EttingerA man a plan a canal PanamaPowell Ettinger

    Darien Gap

    December 16, 2025 in Panama ⋅ 🌧 26 °C

    Jungle trek in Darien Gap. Jimmy Cliff sound track - Many rivers to cross. I took river crossing shoes, but just marched whole way in walking boots with wet feet. Poured with rain, people falling over and into river occasionally, guides taking tumbles, and a swim in a waterhole - Absolutely loved it.

    Saw zero wildlife apart from a spectacular butterfly and maybe a kingfisher. Picked bananas off a tree. chatted with porter called Mitchell (I was Pablo or Paulo - He couldn't cope with Powell). Mostly about Mondial, but he had 3 kids, 10, 8 and 5 (Bastante, finito) and tried to teach me to count to 5 in local Embera dialect.    Read more

  • Powell EttingerA man a plan a canal PanamaPowell Ettinger

    Troglodytes

    December 16, 2025 in Panama ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Spent a fun hour propping the bar up and talking to Chandler.

    Amused by various members of staff appearing to collect their 2 free drinks per night. often without speaking, just holding out their mug. 2-3 of whom aren't usually seen during daylight, they just appear at night to collect their rum ration. pale and very troglodytish, appearing from the dark gloomy decks just briefly.Read more

  • Powell EttingerA man a plan a canal PanamaPowell Ettinger

    Pearl Islands Kayaking

    December 17, 2025 in Panama ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    reasonably standard mangrove kayak but too big a group. some birds spotted and the fuckwitt that I am I managed to drop camera into water. fortunately it was waterproof camera I had borrowed from Steve, photo man. Expedition crew man Joshua saved some of my embarrassment by retrieving it from the water.Read more

  • Powell EttingerA man a plan a canal PanamaPowell Ettinger

    last chance snorkel

    December 18, 2025 in Panama ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    As map shows, the vessel took the long way round to get here, cruising right around the islands during the night. small island, very average snorkeling but good frigate bird and xxxc action. also colony of Pelicans around the corner. Strong sun, dam hot

    back to boat by 10.30 to head to the canal    Read more

  • Powell EttingerA man a plan a canal PanamaPowell Ettinger

    Miraflores locks

    December 18, 2025 in Panama ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Into the canal. dark but warm. Nothing unexpected but good theatre, and the huge commercial ports probably better at night all lit up. 2 locks, a short stretch and then 1 more lock brings you up to level of Gatun Lake. the mules (mini electric train engines) don't pull you through the lock but do guide the ship and keep it away from lock walls.

    the biggest ships go through the new locks, a few hundred yards away. These Panamax ships are huge, can carry 15000 containers and pay as much as $1.5 million to go through.

    smallest ever fee was 36 cents for Steve Haliburton who swam the canal.    Read more

  • Powell EttingerA man a plan a canal PanamaPowell Ettinger
    1

    Barro Colorado research -monkey island

    December 19, 2025 in Panama ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Island created when Gatun lake was flooded during the building of the Canal . Has been a Smithsonian research station since 1923.

    slightly disappointing tour with loud guide who didn't know any birds, and a couple of loud people whose phone kept ringing, and would shout "Look, there's an animal" very loud prompting it to disappear into undergrowth. saw 2 howlers, a small troop of white faced monkeys and an agouti. a few birds spotted but guide barely knew them.

    Quite like the huge trees called Beer belly tre&es due to their shape. no commercial value as so full of water but a huge size.

    After lunched a few hardy soles braved what looked like terrible weather to hear off in Pangas to monkey islands where we saw a wealth of wildlife. Geoffroys tamarinds, capuchin and howler monkeys, green iguanas, a sloth, and many birds including Toucan. especially enjoyed tamarinds (very curious, come very close) and the tiny bats.

    Returned to vessel, woke Caroline up and went out for a second run - much more rewarding than the research station.    Read more

  • Powell EttingerA man a plan a canal PanamaPowell Ettinger

    Portobello, black Jesus

    December 20, 2025 in Panama ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Morning visit to small but historic town of Portobello (inspiration for the road) which was key in the trade route across Atlantis, especially for treasure from Peru.

    Slightly dull guided tour, lots of colourful wall art, a church with a black Jesus, and ruins of old Spanish fort, sacked by Henry Morgan who appeared from jungle with 400 men rather than confront maritime forts and the huge chain that blocked the entrance to the harbour.

    really good artwork on sale but silly $us prices.

    back on board for song and dance, Congo devil dance. usually performed ashore but 20 December is anniversary of US invasion so no parties, alcohol etc allowed.

    zodiac cruise to spot a few birds a bit later before crossing back to Colon, where moored for a noisy night in industrial harbour.

    Like the anecdote about Panama qualifying for 2018 world cup. to qualify Panama had to beat Costa Rica, and USA had to lose to Trinidad, very very unlikely. but USA lost 3-0 and Panama scored last minute winner. country went wild and started partying. President went live on TV at 2 am and announced a national holiday. party finished about midday the day after!

    when Panama scored their first goal in World cup, against England (England were 6-0 up at the time) they started partying again, but president said no national holiday, but no one would be sacked for being late for work.    Read more

  • Powell EttingerA man a plan a canal PanamaPowell Ettinger

    Rainforest discovery centre

    December 21, 2025 in Panama ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Transferred to Airport ( about an hour from Colon) and picked up hire car. drove through heavy rain to Gamboa which was smaller than expected. found track with signs to Rainforest discovery centre so parked and walked 35-40 minutes with a few birds and a standard issue Agouti.

    paid $30 pp at small office, and went to enchanting humming bird feeding station. Caroline leg problem suddenly became much worse, really hobbling. walked another 100 yards and climbed rainforest canopy tower for views over canopy. Small troop of howler monkeys at top of nearby tree. could hear plenty more in Forest.

    had to leave Caroline at ticket office while I fetched car so had to drive over very rough road    Read more

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