Airport Reflections

Hello from a new airport!

I am currently sitting in an airport lounge on a brand new continent (which will probably be obvious after you read this) waiting for my connecting flight to a cool place!

I have just wrapped up a couple of weeks in Central America, and they were a lot of fun!

At the beginning of the month, I flew to Guatemala, a place most people seem to think is “dangerous.” While it’s important to remember that I am indeed just a tourist (as opposed to being a local), I never felt unsafe. Guatemala City is very skippable - not much to see there and it feels a bit sketchy. The fun begins when you go to Antigua.

Antigua is about an hour west and is very laid back. A volcano (one of the 36+ in Guatemala) overlooks the town and there are lots of colorful cafes and roads and friendly people. The food is pretty good but unfortunately, most restaurants seem to be marketed towards tourists; a significant number of local options were lacking. Antigua is a great place - laid back, great atmosphere, and just a fun place. Lots of digital nomads. I stayed at the Selina (my first time at a Selina, they have many locations in this part of the world), and it was one of the best places I’ve ever stayed. It’s a hostel/hotel with a restaurant, bar, library, outdoor gym, pool, co-working space, comfortable and random places to sit, lots of outdoor space, amazing architecture, and more.

In Antigua, I met lots of cool people (I had dinner/drinks with a different group every night, and throughout my stay in Guatemala I saw the same people multiple times in different places) and just had an enjoyable time. Next was Lake Atitlan, which is often called “the most beautiful lake in the world.” I’ll let the pics speak for themselves, but I have a feeling you won’t disagree. What an amazing place!

There’s not a ton to do at the lake, but there are a number of towns around the lake that make for a fun day trip. There is a local ferry service that is very efficient, though the lake is pretty large so it does take a considerable amount of time to get across it. Shortly after I arrived in Guatemala, a friend of mine in my study program in the Netherlands told me that they were coming to Guatemala as well, so we ended up meeting at Lake Atitlan! What a cool coincidence. So, I went to another town along the lake called San Marcos (I was staying in Panajachel), and it was a fun day trip. I really enjoyed the ferry ride, great views and lots of fun going across the lake!

Guatemala, unfortunately, gets a bad rep in the US but I am here to tell you that it’s incredible! Definitely a place I could have spent longer in. There’s so much to see and do, I will be back. I would say it’s my favorite place in Central America out of the three countries I’ve been to and it’s incredibly scenic. You see so much greenery and mountainous terrain when driving around the country.

Next up was Panama! Specifically, Panama City. Unfortunately, I spent the entire week in Panama City, which was nice because Panama City is great (really nice skyline, it feels like the Dubai of Central America), but unfortunate because I didn’t see much else, despite there being much to see in other parts of the country. Staying in the city for a week wasn’t the original plan. The reason for that is the roads around the country were closed due to anti-government protests. Interestingly enough, I stayed in Casco Viejo in Panama City (the “old town”), which is also where the president lives. On my first night there I saw a pretty big protest and from then on it just got worse road closure-wise.

People in Panama are protesting rising prices, specifically food, fuel, and other basic necessities, along with rising unemployment. I had an interesting talk with a local who said that the president was drinking $500 bottles of alcohol while others were paying more for lots of things, so I can understand the motivation behind the protests. It felt like a historic time to be in Panama. Today (July 18th) protest leaders are apparently meeting with the government, so it sounds like some progress is being made.

Panama City did get a bit boring after a few days because there’s not a ton to do. But since I couldn’t go anywhere else it was nice to hang out for a week and make some new friends. I found it interesting that the skyline in Panama is so new, as it feels very modern compared to the rest of the cities in the region. One of the smaller buildings in the city used to be the tallest 30 years ago. As we know, there is a lot of money in Panama.

Since I was in Panama, I also of course visited the iconic Panama Canal. As you may know, the canal was built by the Americans in the early years of the 20th century. But what lots of people don't know is the French were actually the ones who started the project. In 1881 the French government started construction of the canal and the project was led by the same men behind the Suez Canal and the Eiffel Tower. However, major construction and cost issues with the Panama Canal led to a major scandal in France and the two men ended up being convicted in connection with the failed effort to build the canal. The Americans ended up buying the French assets, but not before trying to decide whether to build a canal in Panama or Nicaragua. A lobbyist supporting the canal in Panama sent a stamp from Nicaragua to every US senator which depicted one of the country's many volcanoes. Panama doesn’t have any volcanoes, making it a more desirable location for the canal.

I won't go into too much detail but the history behind the construction is dark. 25,000 people died and far more were subject to brutal working conditions. Another great example of the US doing well around the world. The US didn't even hand over control of the canal until 1999 which is after I was born. Modern-day colonialism?

These days, no less than 6% of the world's commerce passes through the canal, which is a significant amount, and revenue from the Panama Canal makes up at least one third of Panama’s entire economy.

My adventures continue, and my next new country includes one of the 7 Wonders of the World. It’s going to be fun!

Happy July!

Adventures in South America

Returning to my former home: Vietnam!