One day in Panama…
You know there are levels to crazy when it comes to traveling… I’m at “I will book the flight with a 20 hour layover just so I can check out another country on during my original trip” level... 😂😎
This is another edition of #TravelThursday, my very own way to tell my travel stories and show you some places. It happens to coincide with #ThrowbackThursday which is current the case in some most of these travel post (given the situation we’re all in).
This time I’m taking you to Panama City, Panama!
On our way back from Mexico City, my sister and I had to fly back to Curacao through Panama. We got there around 2 pm (if I remember correctly) and our outgoing flight was at 10 am the next day. We decided not to go full hobo, and rented a hotel room in the old part of town just so we could look around. Our original plan was to just go to the room and walk around and check out things in the neighborhood… But that all changed!
On our way out, we got hailed by the cab drivers (it’s a tricky business and I guess as a driver you always try to pick someone up from the airport cause it’s a guaranteed longer ride). Since I was with my little sister I immediately got hyper-vigilant. A normal reaction for me whenever I’m traveling with my sis or my mom. (Can’t help it, that’s just the way I am).
So to be honest, I didn’t trust the dude at first, I wanted to see the car, I took a look at his license (which was in front of the dash). Something I also picked up during my travels is sitting in the front seat. I’m not paranoid or anything but I know I can at least notice anything wrong and/or do something about it. In the back you’re not in a great position. But I digress….
So after talking with our driver for a couple of minutes we decided to take the ride. He politely asked us where we were from and what we wanted to do in Panama.
So we explained that we’re just here until tomorrow and that we’re going to check out whatever we can.
And this is where it all changed… Our cab driver turned into a full blown tour guide! He even pulled out another stack of cards of his touring business. Well what do you know!?!?
After a quick negotiation we agreed that he would take us to see the sights.
We visited the Panama Canal (of course), a fancy harbor and shopping mall (we didn’t shop) in Panama Bay and a local market (to eat) on our way to the Historic part of town.
The Panama Canal
There was no way we could skip this, I mean, to foreigners, this is what Panama is famous for right?
It was about a 20=30 minute drive there (yes I was double checking everything on Google Maps) and once we got there our driver was kind enough to get us some tickets.
He told us he would wait in the lobby and that we would find him when we were done. Again, a lot of trust, but turns out we could trust him and secondly we hadn’t paid him (and thirdly my valuables are never in the suitcase/duffle bag).
So back to the story! It turns out there was a very interesting museum at the canal, and you could make your way through it to learn its history, the people that worked on it, but also technical details about how the canal actually works. Very interesting to walk through so totally worth it in my opinion.
After the museum we got to the viewpoint… and it was…..BUSYYYYY.
I mean, imagine everyone basically trying to get close to the railing just so they could take their selfies. We pretty much had to wait our turn to get close to it and even then you were basically shoulder to shoulder with others. I guess that’s pretty typical for overly touristy places.
However, we were not going to let that spoil our fun. We got our pictures and we’re lucky enough to see two ships pass…
This my - I've been trying to get to this railing for half an hour now, let me take my selfie - face
Panama Bay
This one is honestly a little hazy in my memory. But it turns out there is the famous mall/shopping area where it’s almost as if it’s a separate island. The drive was pretty but mind you, I live on an island so a boulevard is not the most amazing thing to me. Besides we had no plans on shopping.
Nevertheless, it was a fun drive and we got out for some fresh air and some pictures.
The Market
Now this was fun. I mean it’s definitely not a touristy place but it’s the best way to get a sense of the local vibe in my opinion. What I noticed in a lot of countries I visit is that the local scene and the tourist scene can be worlds apart. It’s logical and sometimes even for the best, but if you get a chance to experience local stuff, I say go for it!
And so we headed to the market! There are row of restaurants which each of them having a row of tables of their own. We chose something specifically local, fried fish! It was great and MUCH NEEDED (I actually got a headache cause with all the traveling I forgot to eat/drink enough).
After our dinner we walked around for a few minutes before our ride home.
Old Panama City
This my people was the main event!!!
This is where we wanted to make sure we went in the first place (that why we booked our stay there).
You see I like…. Architecture and buildings and especially if I feel like these buildings have a story to tell.
These older city always have sort of a cozy vibe to them… I love it!
We checked in and took our time, showered, put on fresh clothes, you know the things you do when you’re finally done traveling…
After that I convinces my sister to explore a bit. I mean we couldn’t let this pass us by!
And it was worth it…….
I actually watched an NBA Finals game while having a rum/coke in the Historic City Centre of Panama 😎
The love for Basketball is always there!
*You can see the modern part of town across the bay
All in all, I’m very happy we took that trip! I know there is a lot more to explore in Panama, and I plan to go back! On a personal note, I got to bond with my little sis even more and we have another country on our list! (we’re trying to beat our mom but we’re nowhere close with countries visited).
That’s it for me today!
As always, if you have any questions, tips or comments, let me know below!
Stay safe!
Gyanno
P.s. This is post 8/30 of the #HiveBloPoMo, where we post a blog everyday for a month. Check it out!