2. Panama-City!

In the mornings, a sunny Panama City greets us. After a small breakfast and delicious coffee, we grab a taxi to go to the Albrook Terminal and get our ticket to Sona for tomorrow. We also wanted to get the Metrocard for the bus and metro network in Panama City, which is required for boarding. Our taxi driver Carlos is naturally curious about what we have planned for the rest of the day, and he offers to wait at the terminal until we get the Metrocard and then drive us to our next destination, the 'Parque Natural Metropolitano'. We originally planned to take the bus, but his price was reasonable and we wanted to save time. He also suggested picking us up after our trip through the urban national park and driving us back to the Old Town of Casco Viejo. We liked that idea as well, so we didn't have to figure out how to get back. When we arrived at the park, we agreed that he would pick us up in 3 hours. He received half of the price immediately and the rest upon pick-up. It was a total of $20. We thought that was fair.
The Parque Natural Metropolitano is the green lung of Panama City and is directly adjacent to the city area. We expected to take a walk in nature, and our expectations weren't higher than that. The park turned out to be a lucky find for us nature lovers, as we had some beautiful animal sightings. During the park walk, we saw hummingbirds, colorful birds of all kinds, small monkeys (right at the parking lot), a coati, a sloth (right above the path), and even an agouti on the way back. We were thrilled. There were also beautiful viewpoints, and it was nice to walk in the shade of the trees. We were quite sweaty afterwards. Going from the cold and wet German weather to suddenly being out in over 30 degrees is exhausting, but we longed for the heat and the humidity feels good. Carlos is punctual with the taxi, and he drops us off at the fish market on the edge of the Old Town. We briefly look at what the sea has to offer and then go to eat ceviche right next door. Delicious and super fresh. A good meal in the hot temperature. The cold beer also feels very good. We stroll back to the Old Town along the sea and spend the afternoon walking through the streets. Some buildings have been beautifully restored, while others only exist as ruins. We were also able to see the bridge over the Panama Canal. Along the way, we have a meat skewer to recharge. We actually manage quite well here with our basic Spanish knowledge. Spanish, English, and if all else fails, hand gestures and pointing. It works pretty well. The heat and the walking drain our physical energy. So, off to the hotel and into the rooftop pool. Blissful.
In the evening, we stroll through the Old Town again, eat at a Peruvian restaurant, and surprisingly drink Pilsner beer at a craft beer bar. It tastes excellent. Otherwise, you mostly drink Panama or Balboa beer here. We once again go back to our room amidst the loud noise from the rooftop bar. We even see a fireworks display from the balcony. They are actually celebrating Chinese New Year here. We sleep semi-well again. The hotel elevator, which is constantly in use, makes a lot of noise. It's a good thing we didn't book here for the entire trip and left that open-ended. We would have preferred less party noise nearby. Tomorrow we are heading to Santa Catalina!