16.3. 6:45 am, wake up and load everything into the car as we want to pack our backpacks only in daylight. The drive to the airport proves to be a test of patience as we are in rush hour. At a gas station, we load our backpacks and throw away some things that are either broken or no longer needed. The car return is super fast and everything goes according to plan at the airport. The almost three-hour flight passes by watching movies and we land in
Panama City at 2:20 pm. The controls here are also quickly passed through and we grab a taxi to our hotel in downtown. The skyscrapers are impressive and our container hotel is right in the middle. The Nomada is highly recommended! Shortly after, we are already sitting in the restaurant and enjoying salmon tartare, octopus, and ceviche, yummy!
17.3. Today, we want to learn more about the San Blas Islands and if possible, book a trip and see if we could send one of our hitchhikers home as a whole, because we don't need a lot of our equipment anymore for the last 4 months. We set off on foot as 2 travel agencies are supposed to be nearby our accommodation. Unfortunately, both are no longer there. We suspect that Corona is to blame. The third travel agency we target is also untraceable. Next to it, we visit a post office that only sends packages up to 2 kg, and DHL, which also sends 30 kg but all shipments are express only and you can imagine what that costs (about 450 dollars!) - so it's more like a no... After our explorations were rather unsuccessful, we decide to walk to the Casco Viejo, the old town. This way, we make our way through neighborhoods that are usually withheld from tourists and get a more comprehensive insight into Panama City. The old town of Panama is currently being renovated: all the beautiful facades with the ornate iron balconies create a French and Spanish flair. It also reminds us a lot of New Orleans, the nearby Caribbean with its harbor towns from times gone by - simply picturesque! Of course, there are also downsides to this, especially for the residents. Rents are going up and Casco Viejo is already THE tourist magnet par excellence, which will certainly become even more "hipster" in the coming months and years. Since we have already walked more than 11 km in the blazing sun, we want to use some means of transport on our way back. The queue for the rechargeable plastic card is too long at the metro, and we are overwhelmed by the sheer number of vehicles when it comes to buses, so we take a taxi. José drives a very old model, but he quickly and safely takes us to our destination. Of course, he also offers his services for further trips and we gladly accept his number. After a refreshing shower, we continue searching the internet. Now the rain is pouring down - how fitting. After the city has been freshly washed and somewhat cooled down by the rain, we go to a Lebanese restaurant for dinner. It's fine, but we find that Domino's in Bern is hard to beat. ;)
18.3. Besides organizing, there's not much happening today. In the afternoon, we go to a nearby brewery and taste the city beer from small breweries. After that, we dine in a restaurant and then stroll back to the hotel, where - quite simply - there's another movie to end the day.
