Cerro Ancon

So finally, an up-to-date post. This is what I did TODAY!!! Not a month ago like the previous two :) More than any other day, I wished I had my nice camera and a tripod. We "hiked" (up a road...) to the top of Cerro Ancon, a really big hill in the middle of the city. We didn't do this during the day though, we started hiking around 5:30-6:00ish, about when the sun was setting, hence the desire for a tripod and a nice camera. I did my best though, using Carolyn's shoulder a few times, trees to brace the camera against, and the occasional sign. Still came out pretty blurry though :(

This was right before we got started. Note Carolyn playing on a ledge overgrown with something green and slippery. This is her convincing me to NEVER go hiking with her anywhere near cliffs.

So... Completely unrelated to Cerro Ancon except that I took the picture while on the hill. Note what is different in this sign than the ones back home :) I find it entertaining.

Looking out over the pacific side. If you could see behind the palm tree on the right, you would see a line of ships waiting for their turn to go through the canal.

Looking out at the city

Well, it's blurry, but over on the right you can see lights from the ships waiting their turn to start through the canal. The big blur of lights is a cruise ship. Apparently going through the canal is not only practical, but a selling point for some cruises.

Beautifulness

The City on the left, ocean on the right, entrance to the canal if you keep panning right beyond where this pic toes.

That strring of blurry lights on the left is the Bridge of the Americas. The bridge going over the canal, connecting what the canal separated.

The city from the top. As you can see, it was flat out dark by the time we got up to the top. I can't take credit for this picture though. Gracie climbed a tree and asked me to pass her my camera. When I got it back, this picture was on it.

Carolyn and I at the top with the city lights in the background

On an unrelated note, I'm getting used to all the things that were weird when I got here. I'll have to catch a picture of it sometime, but when I walk back from school at the same time as there is a ship going through the Miraflores locks, it looks like there is a huge container ship driving down the street in front of me. I'm starting to tune out the loud and long ship horns that I used to hear at all hours of the night and day. I know they're happening just as often, I just don't notice it as much.
Oh ya! 3 trips to immigration, one of which involved a bomb scare, and about 12 hours of waiting, but I got my student visa!!!