Panama Canal

Today I was woken up at 6 am by birds. I heard that Panama is a stop-over for many species of birds migrating between south and north Americas but I didn't think they would be so visible. There was a cacophony of sound made by them. It was amazing. Chirp, chirp, chirp. Chirp CHIRP chirp. chIRp, chIRp, chIRp. Chirp, Chirp, CHIRP! Very nice but imposible to sleep. I went outside on the balcony and decided to swing on the hammock and see how the city wakes up to another day. It's a district of banks and hotels. I had the continental breakfast, provided by the hostel, together with a few other early, but actually late, birds. I went to bus terminal to catch a bus to a city the name of which I don´t remember now... hm... and I don't have a map. At the bus terminal of that city I took a chicken bus to the coast to see the ruins of the St. Lorenzo fort. However, we got stuck on the canal and were stuck for 3 hours. It was very hot but a great observation point of the canal - I saw many ships passing by and the usual hurly burly of operating the gates, workers screaming commands, things being driven from place to place, etc. The people on the bus were like a one big family. There was no sign of any impatience shown. Kids started playing ball on the grass, adults were talking and napping. Vendors showed up with all kinds of food, mostly fried Carribean stuff, and drink. Someone caught an iguana which they presented to me and I said ¨very nice¨and they asked if I know the taste of it. And I explained that where I come from it´s considered a pet. They laughed. I think if they had a frying pan on the bus they would prepeare a meal for me right there on the spot, so that I could taste it. We finally crossed the canal and it turned out there was no other transportation except per pedes )20 km) or a ride. I parted with ¨the family¨warmly and shortly afterwards I got a ride from Russell, an American who has lived in Panama for twenty years. He is very much like Mike except he doesn't built projects for the poor but hotels for the rich. He was driving in my direction but on the way had to meet with government officials to assess a former military base which he planned to turn into a resort. I decided to go with him and I took part in the tour. The place is absolutely beautiful. A few very nice two-story high buildings, right on the canal, with beautiful lawns and palm trees around them. In the back there´s a dense jungle. Beautiful, beautiful. It won't be so when there will be hoards of turists but now it´s serene... Since I was so delayed at the canal I decided to go back to Panama City with Russell instead of walking back the 20 km and then God knows how long wait for a ride to the city from which I was to take the bus to Panama City. Russell said there are virtaully no cars passing this way except US soldiers who are stationed nearby and a possibility of spending a night on the road scarred me a little. Russell gave me a ride back and showed me interesting places along the way: an old railway through the jungle which is still functioning, the jungle national park, a new very nice bridge over the canal. The heat of midday exhausted me. I am going to take a nap... hr, hr, hr....