1. On to Panama City

Saturday, around 4.00 am, we set off for Amsterdam Airport by car. We leave the car there for 3 weeks. The flight with KLM to Panama City (11 hours) is scheduled for 11.20 am. Due to Corona, we plan with plenty of time.

Unfortunately, the parking provider sent us 2 contradictory emails regarding the location of our parking space. First here, then there, and on the evening before departure, the other parking space again. When we saw the last message, we were quite unsure and wanted to contact the parking operator (Friday evening). No success. After work. I (Sascha) first tried the number of the operator. After work. Answering machine. Then I tried several times to call the number that was given to open the barrier to the parking space. I thought there might be a kind of reception with a person there. But I always got a Dutch announcement with a selection option, no matter what I pressed.... nothing. Couldn't reach anyone. So, with a leap of faith, we aimed for the last mentioned parking space. We got to Amsterdam without any problems. Before the barrier, I dialed the number for the 'reception' to open the barrier and found out that apparently dialing the number always opens the barrier. So, with my attempt to reach someone, some funny, random idiot must have been constantly opening the barrier and putting on a show. ;) haha.... images in my head.

Then we took the shuttle to the airport.

Of course, we were early at the airport. The airport is always like that, without a time zone. So, you can even have a beer at eight in the morning to pass the time. We had three.

Shortly before boarding, we received the information that our aircraft had a technical defect. So, different gate, different aircraft, but it worked and there was only a 1.5-hour delay.

The flight was super smooth, but (only 10.5 hours) it is really exhausting. (Why do we do such things again?) At immigration, suddenly our QR code for the vaccination was not valid (online you could only enter 2 vaccinations, but you still need the booster for a test-free entry). So, we were sent away again, a doctor at a desk checked our vaccination card and gave us the green light to enter. The luggage was also on the conveyor belt immediately. Taxi to the old town, checked into a hotel room with a rooftop bar, took a quick shower, went to the rooftop bar, had a beer and realized that we couldn't go on anymore and were just exhausted. Despite the mega loud party on the 6th floor rooftop, we were able to sleep in our room on the 4th floor due to our condition. Under normal circumstances, this would probably not have been possible.

We hoped for a good start to the next day and knew that we would no longer book hotels with rooftop bars. We actually thought that people would just sit and drink there, without the thought of a mega disco going on.... didn't occur to us.