Arriving in Panama City, Panama via a short flight from San Jose, Costa Rica … I begin another Centro America adventure.
Just a short stay here in Panama, 8 days. Never enough to fully understand a country – but it will have to do for now. No plan on arrival…..time to improvise.
Landing in Panama City is an education. The city’s skyline looks more like Miami. Soring skyscrapers are packed dense in downtown – money from the Canal driving the construction. Who knew? Most are apartments or hotels, with many of the office buildings vacant. … a lot like Shanghai. Its impressive none-the-less.
My start here was a little bumpy. The airport taxi driver rips me off! We negotiate one price…then on arrival at my hotel – he demands a higher price!!! …. refusing to give the proper change. I argue, and he heard my anger … but ultimately, I’m a gringo visitor to be ripped off – too bad, get over it Bruce. It’s not the first time this has happened, won’t be the last.
Taxi transfers all-over Panama require a plan. Look at the Uber price first..then negotiate with the Taxi ‘hawkers’…. If the price is close; good!! But sometimes, the ‘hawkers’ charge double or triple,,and may even lie about it (as I experience). Just make a plan..always good advice for transfers.
But,,from then on, my visit to Panama has been wonderful. Great even!! I arrive with only one night booked in the old-town district of Panama City; Casco Viejo. My hotel room is amazing, huge, on Plaza Bolivar. It’s so good, I extend my stay in Casco Viejo for three nights. This is definitely a place to hang-out for a visitor in Panama City!! I absolutely love Casco Viejo.
I walk the streets of Casco at all hours. Enjoy the coffee shops and restaurants. Police everywhere. No crime in this neighborhood, that’s for sure. This little corner of Panama City is like a mini Havana, a protected enclave. Cool old colonial style buildings, with 2ed floor balconies of wrought iron. Brick paved streets with old cable-car tracks crisscross the district. Beautiful architecture surrounds.
The interesting museums, cathedrals, and views of downtown are a perfect escape. I catch my breath here after a fast-paced visit of Costa Rica (previous stop).
Panama does not print its own money. And only uses US currency. All transactions. Another interesting example of the power of Benjamin’s … something I have blogged about before. But almost everywhere here, credit cards are accepted. ATM’s only issue US currency. Where do they get all this US cash ?
Rested up; I’m ready to explore more of Panama City, I take an Uber to the Miraflores Canal Visitor Center…. No fight about the fare... Thank-you Uber. A Canal tour is a MUST DO here in Panama. Everyone in the world knows of the Panama Canal. Its history, it's amazing construction, its political evolution. I get to see a Cruise Ship pass thru a lock, seeing the Mule trains do their job … the ship rising to Lake Miraflores .. heading to the Caribbean. Cool experience. The IMAX movie here is also worth the time, adding to my appreciation of the complex Canal history.
Negotiating another taxi ride, I tour the downtown skyscraper district. Skyscrapers; Packed together, tons of high-rent hotels and casinos and apartments and office buildings – all mixed together. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the Cities design. All from Money flowing thru the Canal. Wow!
For an hour or two, I walk a busy shopping area of downtown. It was difficult to truly get a feel for the city – its spread out more than I realize – Its geography not easy to visualize. No where do I come across people begging for money. And very-very few hawkers pushing to sell something/anything. Kinda amazing really. Still, my walk gives me another impression of life in Panama – a positive one .... This could be any one of a 100 cities I’ve visited around the world. Cars, Trucks, taxi’s … everyone focused on their mission. No one even notices me..just another American walking around downtown. Panama has had millions of them.
USA’s has a long history here – based around the construction of the canal; and the later famous US military incursion and arrest of Noriega – the sitting president and dictator of Panama at the time…. Interesting trivia about Noriega,, he is not mentioned in any of the Museums that I enter. Wonder why? Maybe a little too embarrassing ? or maybe just history being managed ? hard to say.
While Panama is known as a ‘dangerous’ poor country…. And its history definitely supports that conclusion. I didn’t experience anything remotely dangerous here, and saw few truly poor. I was told by a Panamanian, that 60% of all families here receive $400/mth from the government (canal money). It doesn’t sound like much in US terms, but compare that to the countries of Africa, the true third world – where the average wage is less than $2/day…when there is even work available!! Well, Panama is not so poor by that comparison.
Obviously, I didn’t visit the jungles of Darian, or the villages of indigenous Indian peoples – there, I would expect to see a very different Panama… But in the larger, populous cities and communities; I see money and construction and jobs everywhere.
Miraculously, I successfully book a last minute domestic flight from Panama City to Bocas del Toro. My destination is dive-central in Panama. On the Caribbean side. Find a dive shop, a hotel, and magic – I’m diving in another country. Another Uber to the Domestic airport in Panama City. Time to fly again.
I fly another small prop plane – love those. A Fokker F50, just an hour flight. Fantastic views of Panama’s green green jungles. Everywhere is lush green jungle. Like the Everglades, or swamplands of Central Florida.
Minutes after landing, I meet Calypso Joe. The Baggage handler at this tiny island Airport. He makes a joke, and proceeds to sing Bob Marley – Three Little Birds. Calypso Joe is incredible!!! Absolutely a treasure.
I hang out for a while and talk with him before finding a taxi to my hotel. There was more joy in that old man than 100 people combined. Just meeting him made my trip to Panama worthy!! Too cool for words.
After a $2 taxi transfer (when did you ever hear of that!!), I check in at my Hotel/Dive shop. Divers Paradise Hotel and Dive Center. I found the sweet spot of Panama. The vibe of Bocas Del Toro is authentic and welcoming. There must be 50 three-star restaurants and hotels here … and Zero with five-stars… My kinda place. It looks like old Key-West, or maybe old Boca Grande and Cedar Key of Florida – only 50 years ago. A hidden corner of the Caribbean. They call it an Archipelago…hundreds of islands scattered around an isolated bay. Christopher Columbus visited in 1502; later the Toro was used by Pirates thru the 1700’s. Now it’s a growing tourist destination and a produce export port (banana, cacao, coconuts, plantains).
Beat-up old shacks mixed with small 10-room hotels and restaurants fill a 10-block area on the Isla Colon. Hop around this beautiful Archipelago on water taxis, dive, explore, have a Cervesa. I need more time here!!!
I pack in my diving. 4 dives on my second day. Just a quick stop here, so I can’t waste any time. I had no idea how cool the place is. Diving is only so-so here – as most diving in this corner of the Caribbean. With heavy-rains and wind most of the year, along with plenty of rivers - Low viz diving is the normal here. But still, I come away with a few good photos of the vibrant healthy reef and had a great day of diving. Casual diving in Bocas, no current, warm waters, a relaxed pace. I’m quickly at home in this hidden corner of the planet.
My visit to Bocas Del Toro and Casco Viejo surprise me. Panama has more to offer than I expect. I travel here during their ‘dry season’ (January) ... so maybe it’s the best time to visit? Walking the towns and cities,,and diving are 100x easier without endless rain that feeds Panama’s jungles most of the year.
One last observation from Centro America. I discover a statistical impossibility. Every taxi driver that you ride-with, ALL share that they have a son in Miami, or a brother in San Diego, or a cousin in Texas somewhere. It’s a humorous statistical impossibility to meet a Taxi driver in Panama (or Costa Rica) that does NOT have family in the US. No-wonder the population density is so low here.
Its already time to jump. Dry my equipment. Re-Pack. More Airport body scans and taxi transfers. But it’s all worth it.... Nothing replaces seeing a country first-hand….nothing in the media tells the truth about life in Centro America …or maybe anywhere.Panama is authentic and I’d return in a minute.
Comentários