Aug 2007

I arrived in Nicaragua's capital in time for the annual celebrations of their revolution. These two were taking the same bus as me.
The Sandanista flag was everywhere, as it is the flag of Daniel Ortega's party, who had recently been elected president. This was the tune blasting from every loudpseaker and every car, a sort of unofficial (and blatantly borrowed) anthem for their party.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqplKh3q9TA

It seemed that everywhere in the country people had these ornate sillas de abuelita or 'little granny chairs', made in Granada, on the shores of Lake Nicaragua.

You couldn't go far without coming across a stray dog or two, most of them painfully thin.

I stayed on a coffee co-operative on an island on the lake, which was basically two volcanoes joined together. This is the larger one to the south.

Panama City was a bit of shock, after all things low-key in South America.

But the buses at least reminded me I was in Central America.

For anyone interested in big canals, it is a great place to be. For more info on it, visit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal

I got away from the smoke and into the mountians of Western Panama which was a great change of scene.