Michael: Around the Horn

The afternoon air
After a tropical rain
Is heavy with sweat.

Saturday, October 31, 2015

These are a few small observations from our recent visit to Panama City.

We stayed in the Cangrejo district at the TRYP Wyndham Central. It’s a very nice area within easy walking distance of shops and restaurants and the Metro de Panama. The hotel is clean, quiet, comfortable and affordable and the staff were happy to answer any questions we had.

The Cozy restaurant down the street from the hotel was a major find for us vegetarian types. We had a salad there every night. Odd that the salads’ had all English titles while all the ingredients were in Spanish, but we figured it out easily enough.

Using the subway system, the Metro de Panama, was a great alternative to using a taxi. But it is only a one line system at the moment. I don’t know if Panama has any expansion plans, but the route through the center of the city that terminates at the Albrook Mall, served our purposes well. We walked 5 minutes from our hotel to board and 4 stops and less than 10 minutes later we were at the Albrook Mall.

The Albrook Mall is as monstrous and modern as any mall I’ve been to in the states. We walked around it for 5 hours and I’m sure there are wings of shops we didn’t see.

Kimme found a can opener at the Reys grocery store in downtown Panama. Unbelievable that we couldn’t find a hand cranked one in either Volcan, Boquete or David.

It was also very nice not to get bitten for a couple of days. It’s not like we’re being attacked by vampire mosquitoes every night here in Volcan, but we have come to expect a small bite every couple of days. Panama City was a nice reprieve.

Our internet this month has been so reliable this will be the first month we didn’t watch on old Columbo DVD. I kind of miss the old frumpy dude, but he needed the vacation.

I’m not a singer and even if I were, I wouldn’t sing “I’m a little bit country, and she’s a little bit rock and roll,” but Panama City is a fun place to visit and a big contrast in almost everyway imaginable from the small mountain .
town of Volcan.