Panama City & San Blas Islands

After having breakfast in Ecuador, I boarded a plane to Bogota. Bogota is located in Colombia and was only a short layover and an hour at the airport. I was thrilled to find myself in a chocolate factory at the airport. It was incredible! They had everything, from classic milk chocolate to dark chocolate with passion fruit (my favorite), pineapple, or soft cookie dough, to white chocolate with coffee beans inside. I tried all the flavors without having to pay a cent. It was like being in a candy land 😊

After that, I took a connecting flight to Panama City. Once there, I took about an hour-long Metro Bus ride (which only costs 0.25$ instead of 30$ for a taxi - although it is less comfortable and not air-conditioned) to the city center. I arrived at a charming hostel with a warm shower and clean beds. I immediately felt my mood improve with the sun and the 32℃ weather, and overall, I felt better than in cold Quito.

I'm sleeping in a 6-bed dorm here, which is a room with a total of 6 beds side by side. I immediately met an Australian girl, and we explored the picturesque old town of Casa Antiguo. After that, we went to grab a bite to eat.

The next day, I explored the city. The skyline of Panama is truly fascinating. Panama City is located right by the sea, and the skyscrapers seem to rise from the water. I walked to the Trump Tower and admired the beautiful and rich people who had stayed there and were sunbathing by the infinity pool. Then, I went to the largest shopping mall in Panama City, where I could only afford a waffle and frozen yogurt between stores like Dior, Rolex, and Bulgari. Clearly, the people here have money.

On the way back, I stopped at Mercado de Marismo and had freshly caught fish with yam (a type of root vegetable that tastes like potato).

San Blas and my first lobster experience

Spontaneously, I decided to take a tour to the approximately 350 tiny islands on the Caribbean side of Panama. There, the Guna Yala people live, indigenous people who have been living in straw huts for centuries and build their homes and catch fish using the simplest means. The boat ride to the islands took about 20 minutes from the mainland, and the islands can barely accommodate more than a few straw huts. I visited an amazing snorkeling spot, saw a coral reef, and swam in the turquoise blue water surrounded by many starfish. Fish and rays were swimming everywhere, and the Guna Yala people took my group and me to a total of 4 different islands, each barely larger than a football field (some only had 3 palm trees). Only a few of these islands are inhabited, and there is no electricity. That's why from the beginning, I decided to leave my phone, iPad, and even the book at the hostel and not take them with me, to fully experience the remoteness. Besides, there is no reception on the islands anyway. So I spent the day in paradise, soaking up the sun and relaxing. I ate freshly fallen coconuts and sought shade under the giant palm leaves. In the evening, I lay on the beach and saw the Milky Way in the clear night sky. I don't know how long I lay there, but it was breathtaking. Tired and exhausted from the sun, I crawled into the straw hut that I shared with 6 others. The next morning, I woke up before sunrise and hurried to the beach. The sun emerged from the sea, and I felt a wave of melancholy. The Guna Yala chief called for breakfast at 6:40 in the morning with a horn (yes, really!). Still sleepy, the others set off on another tour, but I spent the day relaxing on the beach. Suddenly, I had my own little football field-sized island all to myself.

In the afternoon, we returned to the hostel.

If you have the chance, you should definitely visit this little paradise at least once in your life. The remoteness and silence, the starry sky, and the opportunity to completely disconnect without cell phone reception and contact with the outside world were amazing.

At the end of my report, I have to tell you about my culinary experience. South Americans generally eat a lot of meat and fish, but everything (really everything) is fried (but hey, it's a vacation, and you can't always eat healthy - different countries have different food cultures). So, for lunch and dinner, I had fried fish and a huge fried chicken drumstick with rice and fries. After stuffing myself at dinner, the Guna Yala people suddenly appeared with 2 boats and brought giant metal plates (hold onto your seats!) with about 50 huge lobsters marinated in garlic and herbs. I had never eaten lobster in my whole life, and even though I was almost rolling because I was so full, I grabbed a giant lobster and had a TASTE EXPLOSION! It was incredibly delicious, and I devoured a second and third lobster. The seafood was unbelievably good, words cannot describe it. I definitely found a new favorite food! After that, I couldn't eat anything else, but I have no regrets 😃