23/02/2023 to 25/02/2023 - Panama City / Panama

"That's brave," they all said to us beforehand, but the night on the bus was not bad at all. We often stopped for a pee break and still made good time. They had told us the journey would take about 10/11 hours. However, we arrived in Panama City at 3 a.m. From the bus station to our accommodation it was only a few kilometers. However, the metro only started at 5 a.m. and the reception of our place was not open until 8 a.m. Too bad the journey didn't last longer. So we sat at the bus station and passed the time watching movies and observing the hustle and bustle. It's insane how many buses arrived here in the two-hour wait. We took the state-of-the-art metro for four stations and thought we could at least have breakfast somewhere. The best thing we came across was McDonald's, but they didn't open until 6:30 a.m., so we had to wait again and then we had coffee and pancakes. Shortly after 8 a.m. we were in our hostel. Luckily, we were already able to check in and finally take a shower and wash off the salt water from the day before, which felt really good. It was also time for Ben to go to the hairdresser again. After that, we took a long nap. In the evening, we went out for a very delicious dinner. Our accommodation is located in the new part of the city, surrounded by many hotels, casinos, banks, and close to the promenade. We strolled along the palm-lined, four-kilometer-long promenade with sparkling skyscrapers and admired the city at night. It somewhat resembles Miami.

We had an appointment at the Gamboa Pier at 8 a.m. the next morning, 30 kilometers outside the city. We had a boat all to ourselves with a guide and a captain, and off we went to the Panama Canal. An artificial waterway, with a length of approximately 82 kilometers, which connects the Atlantic with the Pacific and thus provides a significant facilitation and shortening for shipping. We traveled from Gamboa to Gatun Lake, an artificial lake created for the construction of the Panama Canal. We circumnavigated some green islands, observed toucans, howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys, and Panamanian white-faced capuchins, and crossed huge container ships. After the boat ride, we went to the Miraflores Locks. We watched a 45-minute 3D movie about the creation, use, and operation of the Panama Canal and had a look at the locks. Unfortunately, there was no ship at that time, maybe next time. This gigantic construction was opened in 1914 and the first ship passed through the canal. We traveled back to the city, first to the fish market, the Mercado de Marisco. Many small stands offered fresh fish dishes. We opted for ceviche and garlic shrimp. After the tasty meal, we continued walking to Panama's Casco Viejo. The old quarter houses beautiful colonial buildings, colorful houses with wrought-iron balconies, several churches, and a view of the city skyline.

The city is probably one of the most modern in Latin America and heavily influenced by American culture. The next day, we visited Albrook Mall, the second largest shopping center in the Americas and the 25th largest in the world. It's crazy how many stores there are, how many snack bars, a cinema, a carousel, and a mini train that transports people from A to B. Since we don't have space in our backpack, we only ate a little and marveled.

A truly beautiful stay with many different facets of Panama City.