Day One
March 12
Fly to Panama City
Houston airport has the wildest looking, over-the-top, polished copper bar I’ve ever seen!
Our gorgeous Hotel Central.
Soon we were settled in our Hotel Central and were given a quick walking tour of the surrounds of Casco Viejo: where to eat, where to find the best ice cream, where was the mercado and the pharmacia, etc.
We thanked Roberto and settled on the Casa Blanca, a restaurant in the open on the square behind the hotel. The langoustinos in beer batter/butter and garlic sauce arrived about the same time as a local wannabe crooner and his cheap guitar. He launched into the Paul McCartney favorite, “jester” day and finished with LOUD self-clapping in an attempt to rouse the crowd into a tipping mood. If we had any doubts before, we now knew we were in Panama and loving it!
The journey began early with my first (unassisted) booking of an Uber to the airport at 5 a.m. All went according to plan until we entered the TSA line and my money belt cut loose. With every step, gravity pulled it lower until it resided barely north of my right kneecap. I’m sure there is a government video somewhere of this goofball from Colorado Springs reaching down into his new Costco pants clear to his knee to retrieve something which soon was lopsidedly lodged in his jungle underwear.
Once in Houston for a long layover, we explored the gargantuan airport and were eventually on a larger plane sandwiched next to a young adventurer from Vancouver, BC. He and his girlfriend had decided just the day before to go to Panama! No arrangements for lodging or in-country travel…just take it as it comes! (I remember those days…kinda).
A few pages of my book, a little nap and the entire movie “Bohemian Rhapsody“ was all the time needed to fly to Panama.
After customs and immigration, we were met by our guide, Roberto, who took us on a quick tour of this amazing city of cars and skyscrapers and shockingly modern urban surprises.
The first of our many Panamanian sunsets. They have mountains?
Quick drawing from the window of our room at the Hotel Central.