Arrival in Panama

 

We arrived in Panama City at 2:00 PM Thursday, December 6, 2013. The flight was very smooth and we had a great vegan lunch provided by Copa Air. It was however another story once we arrived in Panama City. Customs and Imigration was not to difficult but once through those gates it was a madhouse. We got a taxi to downtown PC and it took about 20 minut. Yeses but once in the downtown area it tooks us approximately 2 hours to go less than a mile.

 

The taxi took us to the wrong hotel even though we were very specific as to the name and location. (there are no street addresses in Panama) We had to get another taxi who did take us to the correct hotel. Total cost from airport to downtown $40.

 

We had read and were told that there was not tipping for services in Panama but we found out quickly that that was not the rule. We were told that Visa and Mastercard are readilly accepted, not so. We have found several places that would take cards, the hotel, some supermarkets and gas stations and rental cars but places that you would expect such as for bus tickets and small stores, no. Fortunately we did find that the ATM systems worked well with moderate charges. ($3.00 - $3.50 per transaction)

 

Our hotel booked by travel agent was not at all as represented on the hotel website, it was then, dog tired that we realized we were truly not in the United States. Yes there is much that is modern here, but by in large it is a very poor country. Dramatic differences between the rich on poor. One thing that really stands out is that in Panama City and the surrounding countryside, piles of trash is everywhere. It's virtually impossible to walk down the city streets without encountering numbers of piles of rotting garbage and trash. Construction standards for hotels, homes and apartments seem to be non-existant.

 

Roads are interesting and somewhat of a puzzle. After spending the night in a less than satisfactory hotel (Don't ever stay at a Wyhndom hotel in PC) we boarded a bus for David the next day. After waiting in a long line to purchase a ticket (cash only - must submit passport) we were able to get our five suitcases plus personal belongings to the bus gate and beyond. We paid a young man to help us get things through the line and we were waiting, first in line to load baggage, suddenly people came from everywhere crowding us out, it is not like what we are used to with people waiting in line for their turn.

 

We finally got loaded on the bus, assigned seats, and began the seven hour road trip to David. I would not recommend it if at all possible as Panama roads are less than desirable, at least the Interamerican highway. (One can fly but it is from a different airport across town which takes about 1 hour and $40 to get there, then $180 pp to fly) The reason it takes seven hours is because speed is limited, potholes, cracked pavement etc. everywhere. Average speed is probably 50 Kph or about 35 mph. They play movies on the bus, awful, loud and nasty and there was no way to turn down the sound which is coming from directly above the seat. Five of the seven hours was spent with maximum sound beating down on us. Both Kathy and I had a headache by the time we reached David. (This was sort of a torture chamber, there was no way to block the sound and no where to go.

 

Fortunately we were picked up by the person who rented us a casita in Alto Boquete (small house above in altitude Boquete) What a relief it was to get a warm shower, quiet and peaceful at last. We took a brief tour around Boquete, an intersting little town but quite expensive. As an example, two quarts of soymilk in Knoxville-about $2.85. In Boquete one quart $3.95-more than twice the cost. In Knoxville a can of beans, black or kidney costs about .69 at Kroger. In Boquete it costs about $1.59. Some seasonal fruits and fresh vegetables are cheaper. Rental cars run about $30 a day for the smallest, but huge deposits are required as well as additional insurance. Drivers here are absolutely insane. If there's a free spot or even if there's not, someone will fill it. There is no order in towns, Do not expect US style house construction either unless you are prepared to pay dearly. It has been very surprising to me to look at construction here for most buildings, very little attention to detail and not the craftmanship that one would expect. Gasoline is sold by the litre and runs about $1.00 a litre. Taxis and buses are plentiful, but be prepared to be crammed in like sardines in a can. Even though everyone pays the fare, they just keep picking people up till you're sitting on top of each other.

 

There are good things also, the place is extremely beautiful and the climate in Boquete is very delightful. There are flowers everywhere and the people here are much more friendly. It's a different way of life but we are adjusting to it and after one week are really beginning to enjoy it. Check out the "Boquete" page for much more detail on that town. Pedasi and other areas we visited each had their own charm and beauty, check out the individual pages on this website.