panama canal...so close but i gave up

I went to the panama canal yesterday as it seemed that the work on a boat option was not going to happen. Although I got a lot of what seemed to be good information I finally had to give up. I went back to a hostel that was supposed to get back to me, a new hostel and asked at the panama canal.

I found out
1) the pizza parlor is pizza & dessert and got the address.,. They are no longer there
2) the names of places to go where I would likely find crew..... The closest was about a $15 taxi ride one way with no guarantee of success
3) a website....www.7knots.com check it out captain Stu....for me there appeared to be no current opportunities and I do not have the time or desire to wait
4) suggested I post a notice on the bulletin board of the 2 hostels....it did not seem like I would Be around long enough for this to make sense

The canal was good but not a lot to see. I found out later the locks in colon are better but they are about an hour away.

I also went to the open air fish !market. Delicious and inexpensive seafood. I started with a cup of Ceviche then you can buy raw seafood and take it to the restaurant upstairs for them to cook it. We shared two sea bass filets.

During my running around I found a lonely planet guidebook for all of south america. It was at one of the hostels book exchange. Since I did not have as book with me they held it and i came back. The not so good news is that it is a 2004 edition, which I knew, but you can't beat the price and although hostel and restaurant info may be out of date things to do should not be. Also I am hoping to sell it to a used book store along with my 2010 central america book or perhaps trade these for the 2014 version which supposedly just came out.

I boooked a flight to medellin Colombia for this morning.. I shared a taxi and am here way ahead of time. Thankfully they have free WiFi.

Still meeting a lot of great travelers but had my second bad hostel experience. The first was at hostelluego in Bocas where often nobody was to be found and where they seemed to not care that their internet was down. First they blamed the holiday traffic and said the whole island had problems. Eventually they fixed their internet. In the meantime no rate adjustment and their only response was go to the internet cafe.

Here in panama city mamallenas had signs saying 1) you can flush toilet paper (Everywhere else so far you put it in a wastebasket and 2) you are NOT required to wash your dishes though it is appreciated. I washed my dishes every day. Today we had to leave for the airport at 6 am. I was told pancake mix would be available at 5. At 5:20 I asked finally and the guy said 5:30. Around 5:25 I saw it out and the reception guy made it sound like he did me a big favor. After breakfast I had no time as the taxi driver was waiting so I did not wash my dish. The receptionist told me I had to. I reminded him the sign said optional and I had no time since the mix was brought out late. All of the way to the taxi he was asking me my name and where I was from and taught me a new (curse) word in Spanish. He cursed the whole time.

In Panama they say it is safe to drink the water.

I have done a positive review of a hostel. It appears it is time for two negative ones.

I wanted to go to san blas islands but was concerned about the long boat ride so I am not going.

Airport security is similar to US. A ruse. First flight knife confiscated. This flight lost shaving cream and fork but although I was told no liquids overb 100 ml my 1 liter of water got through easily.