Panama City
My heart is in Panama - oh, wait, was it somewhere else? Camila Cabello could reconsider changing the name of her song after visiting Panama. Here are the best and the most fun parts of the city.
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| three sides of Panama City - concrete jungle, driving madness & clearest sky |
When it comes to driving in Panama you cannot not be warned. Every blog you read, every forum you come across - everyone is trying to get you ready for that. The thing is - you cannot be fully prepared for what's awaiting you. People are honking A LOT - if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Also, they gladly hit you if it means they will make it to their desired lane - good luck with your rental :D. I saw a taxi with rear lights that were not working and after I pointed it out to Telchac, he outbid me and showed me a cab with no rear lights at all. Can you not love it there? :) Either way, I think (not sure, though) you can get used to it - I saw a lot of cars which the owners simply did not repair because, you know, why bother? The best way is to just go with the flow or not drive at all (does not get much better out of the city - a little, yes, but not much).
After the initial introduction to driving in Panama, we got out of the city. Direction: Playa Blanca, time expected: 100 minutes, actual time: 300 minutes. Reason: it was the start of the Carnaval weekend in Panama, so just a tiny traffic jam. Thank God we had water and snacks in the car with us. When we were coming back on Saturday, there were even more cars in the direction of Playa Blanca. We really felt relieved we had gone on Thursday.
That feeling disappeared when we re-entered the city. Google tried its best but with more roads closed (due to Carnaval) than open, we needed to step up our game and get to the airport. Fun, so much fun :D (I am laughing now, wasn't so much laughing then - on the contrary Telchac was laughing and is still laughing about this :D).
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| upside of a traffic jam? - time to take photos! |
That feeling disappeared when we re-entered the city. Google tried its best but with more roads closed (due to Carnaval) than open, we needed to step up our game and get to the airport. Fun, so much fun :D (I am laughing now, wasn't so much laughing then - on the contrary Telchac was laughing and is still laughing about this :D).
Useful tip: use offline Google maps, Sygic is a nightmare when it comes to Panama (and Costa Rica)
Equator zone, guys!
The best things about Panama when it comes to the city itself? The skyline and Plaza Bolivar. Just use sunblock. Take my word for it and just do it, I want only the best for all of you and therefore I will enable you to learn from my mistakes: it was our second day in Panama City and we decided to walk to Casco Viejo (from Calle 43 Este along the shore). It's not like we did not use sunblock, however, at the last minute I decided to wear a different dress. So I changed and off we went. It was as hot as you can imagine but still nice. Hand in hand, we took photos, watched the birds, the ocean, people, we were enjoying everything.
One hour there and one hour back at noon. When we came back and I saw my back in the mirror I immediately remembered that even though I did use sunblock, I did not use it on the upper part of my back and my shoulders (which were supposed to be covered if I wore the dress number 1) and, surprise, surprise, all of it was now accordingly red. Equatorial magic! Every other body part was absolutely fine (normal, previously-seen skin tone). Me and my colorful back could be spotted around for the next five days. Amazing, don't you think? Is there a way to look more like a tourist? :D
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| THE dress Casco Viejo - amazing contrast Plaza Simón Bolívar |
One hour there and one hour back at noon. When we came back and I saw my back in the mirror I immediately remembered that even though I did use sunblock, I did not use it on the upper part of my back and my shoulders (which were supposed to be covered if I wore the dress number 1) and, surprise, surprise, all of it was now accordingly red. Equatorial magic! Every other body part was absolutely fine (normal, previously-seen skin tone). Me and my colorful back could be spotted around for the next five days. Amazing, don't you think? Is there a way to look more like a tourist? :D
Useful tip: put sunblock on before you decide what you're wearing, you don't want to learn the hard way
By the way Casco Viejo is nice, Plaza Simon Bolivar is amazing, you can relax under the tree (there is a free wifi spot for those that can't live without internet). Nice views, could be perfect in the evening when people are not hiding from the heat.
Next week more on Panama's nature and a little bit of jungle. CU there!