First time I landed in Panama, years ago, it was during the day. Back then I did not get to see the stunning views of the city at night. That year I was on my way to Ecuador and I had a stop over in Panama City. I spent only a few hours there, as I was only in transit. I can't explain how surprised I was to see that Panama City was not quite a third world country capital, as I was thinking.
Until that moment, Panama was not on my travelling bucket list, thus I did not know much about it, apart the fact it was connecting Central America to South America and the Canal was linking the two oceans.
Before landing, when I saw the city's skyline, for a few seconds I was under the impression I was about to land in Miami, Toronto or any other cosmopolitan city.
Like any first time visitor to Panama City, I was struck by the amazing views of the city. Seeing what a wonderful city Panama was, I decided to return and spend some time exploring the country. I still remember that my jaws dropped at the sight of the skyline on my way to the city from the airport on my second trip there.
The Banking Area with all its skyscrapers was gorgeous. These photos were taken from a hotel's rooftop in El Cangrejo, a downtown neighbourhood.
The city consists of an unusual mix of safe and less safe neighbourhoods, meaning that only couple of blocks separate you from the poor neighbourhoods.
Most of the people complain about the heat and humidity. I did not find it as hot as Dubai or Thailand, but humidity was definitely an issue. The weather was and still is unpredictable in the rainy season, as it can go from pouring cats and dogs to sunny. I called it super bipolar weather.
Another thing that surprised me in Panama was that its population was a heterogeneous mix of people: blacks, mestizos, whites, indians, chinese. To latter I would add the retired baby boomers from North America.
The Asian community is one of the largest in Panama. From what I have seen most of the convenience stores, supermarkets and smaller hotels are owned by Chinese. Probably the second or third of generation of Chinese in Panama.
Panama City's traffic is no different than other metropolis. At peak hours you can expect traffic jams and lots of delays. Though no one seemed to be bothered by being late. Being on "Panamanian time" is the equivalent of "manana"attitude, meaning that nothing is really pressing.
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Travel Resources for your trip to Panama
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Flights: We recommend checking Kiwi.com to find the best and cheapest flights to Panama.
Accomodation: Explore the best places to stay in Panama on Booking.com, Agoda and Hostelworld.
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