Day 5 in Panama City - 02/02/2023

Arriving at Guayaquil International Airport, we first sat down in a café and had cold drinks. After 1 hour, our Copa terminal opened and we lined up for luggage drop-off. Then we went through security and exit procedures. The border officer was surprised by Anne and my short stay in the country. We explained to her that we wanted to pick up our daughter. In the departure area, there were beautifully designed shops again and we bought coffee for our neighbors. Boarding started at 03:20 AM and we departed on time at 04:20 AM for Panama City. We used the 2 hours to take a nap. After landing in Panama at 06:30 AM and going through immigration procedures, our Airbnb host, Rudy, welcomed us at the airport exit. It was already 26 degrees Celsius at this early hour. We drove for about 30 minutes in Panama's old town, passing by the downtown area with glass and steel skyscrapers. What a difference to the old town, which is a World Heritage Site. Beautifully renovated old buildings in Spanish colonial style. During the drive, I had to engage in small talk with Rudy because the two girls wanted to sleep in the back. But it wasn't a problem. Rudy was very nice and easy to understand. Our apartment was located in a beautifully renovated old building with a courtyard in the old town on a quiet side street. The porter carried our suitcases to the 2nd floor and we entered our beautiful air-conditioned apartment. Rudy showed us around and then we took a shower and went to sleep. We woke up again at noon and went to explore the area. First, we went to a café for breakfast. Then we walked through the streets. We first walked away from the city center and ended up in a rather poor street with dilapidated buildings and many children playing on the street. Then we turned left at the next street and entered the renovated part of the old town. It was a different picture here. Many tourists, cars, restaurants, and shops. We admired the beautiful houses and shops. We saw almost the same things in the stores as in Ecuador, only 3 times more expensive. It was now afternoon and 32 degrees hot. We continued strolling towards the Pacific and found a nice bar by the sea where a refreshing breeze was blowing. When I saw the sign "Happy Hour" for Mojitos 2 for 1, I knew we needed a break. We found a nice shady table and ordered Mojitos. The waiters were all very fast and friendly and spoke Spanish with Pauline. Anne and I enjoyed the drinks, the music, and the sea. After the 2nd Mojito, we continued our tour of the old town, including visiting churches. In the evening, we found a nice Peruvian restaurant with some vegetarian dishes. The food was very tasty, although a bit expensive. Then we headed back to the apartment. We noticed that the old town became very crowded in the evening, with people dressed very elegantly in evening gowns and suits. We didn't go to bed too late because Rudy wanted to pick us up the next morning at 07:20 AM for a visit to the Panama Canal and a city tour. We fell asleep quickly and slept very well.