24 Hours in Panama City

Tocumen Airport has free wi-fi so I arranged accommodations at a hostel called Luna’s Castle, which according to multiple online reviews was the most “bodacious” and “wicked” (in the British sense of the word) place to stay in Panama City. As I walked toward the bus stop just outside the airport property, I passed a beautiful KLM MD-11 that had just arrived from AMS. I love classic birds and the ol’ MD-11 now falls into that category, especially for North America flyers.

 

 

I waited about 15 minutes for a bus, thinking the ride would be similar to my experience in El Salvador, and sure enough, a “school bus” presently pulled up that was already filled to the brim. I wedged in and we quickly scooted off toward Panama City.

 

The ride was smoother than I thought it would be, though I was standing the entire time, and I hopped off in what appeared to be the center of “Old” Panama City. I had no idea where I was or where the precise location of the hostel was, but rather than ask for help I resolved to find it myself.

 

I took many twists and turns down side streets, some of them shady looking, but eventually ran into the hostel. Luna’s Caste is a 17^th century structure that fits in well with the neighborhood. I love classic architecture and the old section of Panama City is probably about as close as I’ll get to Havana, until the embargo is lifted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After checking in and dropping my bag off, I took off and started exploring. As usual, I had not set a schedule for the afternoon and merely wanted to get a feel for the city and snap some decent photographs. Though the heat and humidity was deafening for this Californian, I got along just fine with a 3L bottle of water by my side.

^{Looks like a very confortable place!}

I enjoy wandering through shopping districts, especially in countries where the dollar goes a little further, and retraced my steps back to where the bus had dropped me off. I ventured into a couple department stores, not looking for anything in particular, and almost bought a couple pairs of “leather” shoes for $10/pair. After a few minutes of contemplation, I passed on the shoes, but in hindsight, I should have picked up a pair. Why not? Even if they only lasted a couple months, they looked pretty darn expensive and fit well. Of course, I’m no fashion connoisseur.

 

 

Yes. I’ll admit it. I stopped at McDonald’s for a burger. But I will say this: if eating local fare means eating with the locals, than I ate local fare. The large two-story McD’s was filled with lines stretching down the street and hundreds of people inside. And they were locals. I always feel a little woozy after a couple cheeseburgers at McDonald’s (begging the question why I always seem to go back when I find myself in an otherwise unfamiliar area) and this fine-dining experience was no different.

 

I walked off the fat and grease (yeah right) after lunch in another area of the city, before returning the department store with the shoes. Call it sappy, but I like to bring home a piece of artwork from each country I visit, or at least from each trip. Although my acquisition cannot honestly be described as genuine, I did pick up a nice 2’ x 2’ print of a British Naval vessel for only $6. How I would get it home, frankly, I had no idea.

Back at the hostel, filled with British students, I hung out and tried to be social for a couple hours. I almost sold my iPhone for a nice profit to a desperate guy who lost his phone, but didn’t have the heart to gyp him out of $400. The wi-fi does not work on my 3G and I wouldn’t have felt right pawning it off to an unsuspecting victim.

 

At 5pm, I again returned to the central area of old town to try to find a bus to Miraflores, site of the Panama Canal. Dozens of busses drove by, but none were going in that direction. Finally at 6p I hailed down a cab and directed him to take me to the Canal. He refused, saying it was closed. Devastated that I had traveled all the way down to Panama and would not be able to see, I briefly forgot the famous adage when it comes to dealing with airlines: if you don’t like the answer, hang up and try again.

 

 

The next cab driver I hailed was more than happy to take me to Miraflores. The journey took about 20 minutes and took us by many fancy hotels and restaurants. As we pulled up into the Canal parking lot, we were stopped by a guard who informed us that the Canal was closed. A restaurant overlooking the canal, though, was open and he invited us to proceed down the winding road to Miraflores Locks.

 

The restaurant featured an American-style buffet (with American-style prices at $34/person) with various appetizers, seafood, and meats. A separate dessert bar in the corner featured pastries and fruit. While I wasn’t in the mood to pay so much for a meal, it did not look bad. Rather rudely in retrospect, I slid past the hostess and walked out on the patio to snap a few pictures of the canal—in between the tables of paying customers. It soon became apparent that I wasn’t the only one who wasn’t eating. Two boats were coming through the canal so I ended up sticking around for about a half hour.

 

I thought catching a bus back might be easier than the trip over, but after 30 minutes of swatting mosquitoes, I threw in the towel and hailed a cab. $15 later, I was back at my hostel, ready for a more reasonably priced dinner. And reasonable I found. A little Italian restaurant a few blocks away from the hostel hit the spot—and all for less than $8.