Why Panama? Because it's there and we can go!

Melinda Gustafson Gervasi
January 9, 2019
All rights reserved for text and images.

People who know me fairly well regularly ask "where is your next vacation taking you?"  For the past six months most conversations followed a pattern:

Question - So, where are you headed over winter break?
Answer - Panama!
Question - As in Panama City, Florida?
Answer - No, as in Central America!
Question - Ummmm, why Panama?
Answer - Well, it's there.  It's easy to access.  And, well, we just can.

We'd either part ways or segway into a new topic with promises that I would share my photos once we were home.  And here we are, January 9th.  I am home.  My photos are organized, and I'm ready to share. To offer my reflections on Panama City, Panama from December 26th, 2018 - January 3rd, 2019.

Our first glimpse of a city that we now know is a beehive of international travelers was taken from the airport van at about 9am on Dec. 26th.  It was already nearly 90 degrees.  A harsh difference from the weather we'd left behind in Madison, Wisconsin.

We devoted our first day to settling into Coral Suites, which offered a full kitchen and a roof top pool!  Then it was out to explore our little neighborhood and stock up on groceries.  We immediately picked up on the plethora of gambling Panama City offers.

A shuttered casino at the end of the street where we were staying.

CJ gets a quick lesson in Spanish about the lottery tickets sold on street corners.  We never fully understood the rules, but for 1 Balboa ($1 US Dollar) we purchased 4 tickets.  To the best of our knowledge we were not a winner when results were broadcast at 1pm.

Snack shops dot the streets -- and line up at bus stops along very busy roads.

One convenience store run by a immigrant Korean family.  We stopped in often for this or that.

Three store fronts down another convenience store, this one run by an immigrant Chinese family.  They offered amazing fresh blended iced fruit drinks.  Perfect when every afternoon temp exceeded 89 degrees.

Panama is know for the Panama Canal, however, rooftop pools are common place at hotels in the city.  Panamanians certainly know how to maneuver water.  To this day my engineer husband is still puzzled how  a sixth floor pool was supported above the lobby.....

Nighttime view from Coral Suites rooftop pool area.

Breakfast (or any meal) to go.  Note the prices -- those are the same as US Dollars. Americans can use  dollars throughout the country -- no need to exchange currency.

He was ALWAYS in a chair outside his snack shop.  Morning, afternoon, night.....I couldn't tell if he was there on our last day when the airport taxi picked us up at 4am.

"Wow, I sure hope someone knows where all those wires go" said our 10 year old when
looking up as we walked down our street.

Souvenirs!

A country with stunning beauty, but a problem with trash.....and little to no recycling.  I did notice that garbage trucks were picking up at 7pm on New Years Eve!

Car antlers!  I'd estimate one out of every 10 vehicles were in the holiday spirit. 

At the end of our street, one of the two "traffic stops" we passed that were checking people's papers.  We were never stopped.  There is a substantial number of Venezuelans in the country, and these stops may related to illegal entry.  Not sure I should have been snapping photos.

Abierto / Open, one of the Spanish words I picked up on this adventure.  I can also order a Coffee with Milk to go without thinking!  Commonly sold for $1.50.  Again, the US dollar goes along way in Panama.

Our second day took us to Cacso Veijo -- the old quarter of Panama City.  It's a bustling area of the city with historic buildings and sites, all at tourist prices.  By far, we spent more for food, etc. this day than any other on our trip.  In fact, the places that cost the less or were free in Panama were generally far more enjoyable.

Need an iconic Panama Hat to bring home or use to shield the sun?  Lovely items are sold all over this old part of the city, for prices 4x what you would pay in neighborhoods occupied by those who live and work in the City.  Any guess where we purchased ours?  Remember, we are quite frugal.

Mobile snack carts are ubiquitous all over the city.

Church and Convent of Santo Domingo

Our first encounter with Panama City's employees who call out to passerby's enticing them to use the restaurant (or bus line, see Allbrook Mall comments).  He used "you better come in before it rains" in front of our son, already anxious about getting caught in a thunderstorm.  So into Diablicos ,where we learned Panamanian lunches will take about 2 hours from being seated to paying the bill.  It was way too pricey, but the food was great (I did not get food poisoning from the local dish of Ceviche - tropical fish marinated in lime juice with plantainos.

Our waiter at Diablicos.  We'd learn over the week ahead that one restaurant employee will seat you, another take your order, another will bring the food and or check in, and someone will bring you a bill.  A bit different than one devoted server to a table in the US.

Alter at Capilla San José in Casco Viejo

From the pews.  Legend says that when Henry Morgan attacked in the 1671, the people of Panama painted this alter all black to cover the gold and save it from being pillaged. 

One massive sized Nativity Set

With amazing detail.  Beware the friendly face who calls you back to see this amazing Nativity set, who then starts telling you about the escape tunnels under the church, snaps your family photo....you'll realize quickly he does not work for the church, but for himself.  And he is hoping you'll sign up for a days tour of all of Casco Veijo.  We stopped with the church and wandered around solo after giving him a tip.

Light through stain glass.

One cannot visit Panama City without a stop at the Panama Canal.  So off we went.  Our driver was full of information on the trip out, pointing out former US military buildings that were part of the "Canal Zone" (note, Senator John McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone), and are now being converted to office buildings and even a Holiday Inn.  The visit itself, was well, okay.  The cost was about $50, it was packed with tourists, and we did not really hit a time when a large ship was passing through.  Our biggest shock.....NO BUGs!  Not a bee or mosquito or other flying annoyance.  Why'd we pack all that intense bug spray?

Security was intense from my USA eyes.

Young minds contemplating.

An electrical engineer pretending to be an engineer at the Canal -- great hands on experience for adults and kids.

"How about we head to Ancon Hill, it is the highest point in the city and is supposed to have great views!" said my husband as we piled into a taxi after finishing at the Panama Canal.  "Sure" I responded, neither of us noticing the silent children along for the ride.  We made a quick stop to pick up water and use the restroom; the store had water (and lots of fresh produce), but no bathroom.  It was a sign of what would follow.

Most likely the only thing the kids will remember from this "hike".  They belly laughed at this cartoonish sign.

The view from atop.

Note the road built offshore, inside is Casco Veijo.

A glimpse at the non-tourist sections of Panama City.

A fence in the path of our upward hike.  How do get through?  Hop through the side.  Hikers welcome, but no vehicles.

Leaving Panamanian style.  Our deepest apologies to the other people seeking a calm nature hike.  Our 10 year old basically screamed all the way up, and most of the way too, convinced we were going to be caught in a thunderstorm.  Thankfully we weren't, in fact I don't think we felt a single rain drop during our entire stay.

The next day in Panama we opted for a causeway over a hike.  It was time for Amador Causeway, which offers bike rentals (from single bikes to a four seater a family can use, which we did).  It's the perfect way to check out the causeway and two important sites: The Smithsonian Tropical Research Center (Punta Culebra) and the Biomuseo, a museum about biodiversity.

Biomuseo -- inside and out, it was an amazing experience.

Statue at the start of Amador Causeway.

Yet another road sign the kids adored -- check out those muscles!

During our visit, taxi or Uber drivers would ask, "so, have you seen any Lazy Monkeys yet?"  This was said in Spanish, and my husband was not certain of what creature they were talking about.  Then we learned the proper name is Lazies, what we call sloths back in the USA.  And now we can say yes, several!  Our first sightings were at Punta Culebra.

Shhhhhh....Mama and baby are resting.

Hungry after all that peddling, we summoned an Uber (faster and half the price of a taxi) to drop us off at the Fish Market we'd heard about.  Boats arrive from the bay at 5am and sell direct to consumers.  Plus it offers several seafood restaurants on site.  And, as we learned, a copious number of Hawkers.

Fish were everywhere!  Note, if you are traveling with someone who cannot stand the smell, sight or taste of fish you may want to alter your plans.  Sadly, that was not an option for our 8 year old who put up with mom's need to snap photos, buy fish and then eat in a restaurant.  I owe her one!

These were LIVE

Seller weighing my purchases.

1 pound of mixed pieces.  Sadly, I let them sit too long in our hotel fridge.  Having had food poisoning on our trip to Sweden I was extra careful and did not prepare the mixed bag.  Total cost, $3 for a pound.

$4.50 for a pound of shrimp turned into two lovely meals.  One with shrimp sauteed in butter, garlic, ginger and lemon juice.  The leftovers were add to black beans and salsa for a thick soup.

Me, the one who rarely drinks and is especially not fond of beer, found a lovely brand of beer.  One can/bottle of Balboa cost 1 Balboa ($1 US Dollar).  I wrongly assumed the massive liquor store back home (Woodmans) would carry this Panamanian beer.  When I asked at Woodmans I got a blank stare and the words "Balb....what?  A Panamanian beer, sorry;"  And now my hunt begins for a place in Wisconsin that sells Balboa.  If you make a connection, I'll buy you a 6-pack!

As noted earlier, lunches in Panama take about 2 hours.  While we waited we were given several Ceviche -- that tasty food I had in Casco Veijo -- fish soaked in lime juice.  They were delicious yet again.  It wasn't until later in our trip I ran across another tourist who said "oh, those from the Fish Market....several people in our travel group got sick from eating those!"  Phew, I dodged a bullet.  That two hour wait is long, but no worries, you'll likely see an assortment of Hawkers.  These folks bring shopping to you as you wait.  Need a Panama Hat, sun glasses, perfume, Altoids?  No worries, you'll be given the chance to make some purchases if you wish.

And finally, my Corvina (Sea Bass) paired with those amazing plantinos!

The following day it was back to learning about historic Panama with a trip to Panama Veijo.  This is the site of Panama's ruins.

Little ones getting up close and personal with stones from the 1500s.  The access was far more relaxed than anything you'd find in the USA.

Never got this Lady's name, but I'm thankful my children showed more respect to this archaeological site than she did. Can you imagine her expression if those stones would have collapsed?????

A great site for young ones to run around. 
There is also an excellent museum that provides more context on Panama Veijo, and a lovely gift shop on the grounds as well.

Have an urge to visit the Jungle but not leave the city limits?  Panama City has the answer -- Parque Natural Metropolitano (Metro Park).  It's a nature preserve that is basically where the jungle creeps into the city.  The visitor center is helpful and friendly, paths are well marked, and you'll likely glimpse a critter or two that you may not have encountered in the past.  And I'll point out again, we never needed bug spray on this hike.

Welcome to the jungle.

Old buildings in disrepair.  We suspect they had some role around the time of WWII.

First glimpse.....

....and a second.  We never learned the name of these guys, but they seemed to be a mix between raccoon and monkey.  They were fast, and not shy around the tourists meandering through their home.

And looking down you'd find ants.  Very busy ants!

After all the nature, we, a family that pretty much loathes shopping and malls opted to visit Albrook Mall.  Described as the largest mall in Central America, we'd be able to use Panama's subway line to get there and take a look around.  Off we went. It was January 1st.   The bus transfer hub was running and so was the casino, but not the mall.  My American was in full display, "what, a mall that's not open on New Years Day!"  Back home we went for some R&R by the pool.  January 2nd we tried again.  I'd found a store that offers gourmet Panamanian coffee and chocolate, and I wanted to make a purchase before our return flight.  Finally, success!  We entered the mall, and really felt as though we were back in the 1990s or possibly the 80s.  A feeling we had had several times during our adventure.

Subway entrance that was a 5 minute walk from our hotel.

Shiny and new, but getting a Subway card to work was a bit of a challenge.  An attendant told us to put $5 on the card, sometimes the machine works, sometimes it doesn't.  The machine did not accept $1 bills or coins, a ride cost $0.35 cents.  After changing a $20 for $5s at the nearby McDonalds, we had a card.  It was smoothly sailing!

Once at the mall we instantly noticed a few differences from those back in the USA.  We think those guns were real, the knives certainly were.

Scattered about were companies we recognized from home.

And then those we didn't understand.....a store DEVOTED to unicorns, but the name implies items would be about space.

As I said, the mall felt old.....even 1970s, that was when wigs were in style, right? 
Or are they so old that now they are retro chic?

One of my favorite images.  Note the neon sign for Krispy Kreme, below, seated on the bench a Kuna couple (one of the indigenous peoples of Panama).  The past meets the future?  I certainly hope the Kuna tradition outlasts Krisy Kreme.  On New Years Eve, when we walked to a community celebration, I bought several Molas  from two different women selling on the street.  It was the best $80 I spent on our trip.  Molas are fabric creations that can be turned into pillows, clothing or a wall hanging.  Stay tuned to learn what became of mine. 

Leather Lovers.....not a common expression back in Madison, WI.

The mall has your pharmacy needs covered.

And then we found Route 66, a store focused on all things USA.

The generic passport cover if you'd like to keep your country of origin a secret.

From antique fire arms to Rubik Cubes to dainty music boxes.  Okay....this is not how I think of my home country.  Not shown (due to a glare in my photo) were the cases of Zippo lighters.

Okay, does this not look like the 1980s?  Cases of jewelry, underwear in the far back of the store, and an escalator up to what, appliances? 

Want an Atari?  You can find one at Albrook Mall.

The mall is also home to a huge bus depot.  From modern tour buses to those with a more local flare, you can hop a bus and be on an adventure.  Ticket sellers called out from booths ----- go to Costa Rica, go to Colon.  Really, does one go to the mall from new shoes and decide it's time to visit Colon?

Part of me really wanted to hop on one of these colorful buses.....but the "reasonable" part of my brain said no, wait until retirement.  We'd had enough kid meltdowns by this point in our travels.

And then our days in Panama were about to end.  A few final snap shots.

A mirror in a taxi.

A police officer who does not like his photo taken. 
Or, as my husband pointed out, some countries do not allow photos of police personnel.

Beauty can be found in the oddest places.  A fence along the street.

And then it was time to fly home.  Our flight was at 6:30am.  The hotel reception told us we'd need an airport taxi to pick us up at 4am.  What?  As we learned, in Panama some things take a long time.  Our alarms went off at 3am, both kids hopped out of bed (eager to return home) and off we went.  Where we waited.

Kids getting creative after we had to go through security again, at the gate, with even more restrictions than the standard security.  Bottled water purchased in the airport was not allowed on the plane.  

Copa airlines was clean, ,friendly and on-time.  However, notice the lack of screens on the seats?  There was no modern in-flight entertainment.  So....

Our kiddos turned the 1990s style channel buttons (yes, it worked) into some sort of game.

Why Panama?  Because it's there and we could go.  One of the things I've learned by practicing estate planning and probate is that there is no guarantee that your health will allow you to travel "one day", and there is no guarantee of a tomorrow.  With that knowledge in hand, we set out to explore our planet as much as we can.  So that's why it was Panama this time.  I'll add, it is about a 6 hour flight out of O'hare, operates on Eastern Standard Time, and currently your US Dollar will go a long way.  Check it out if you can, and try the seafood!