Panama City

We fell in love with Panama City! The people, the food, and the architecture captivated us from the beginning. Casco Viejo is the old part of the city. It's a place brimming with character and charm, and Fia and I felt right at home with the locals. We immediately took to the food, the pace of life, and managed to navigate the tricky transportation system.

The first night we bunked in Luna's Castle, an artsy little hostel in the heart of Casco Viejo. No air conditioning, but for $10 a night and an incredible view, we really had nothing to complain about. What struck us the most was the beautiful, quirky artwork that surrounded the hostel. You can stay for free if you lend them your artistic talents, which is why the hostel is full of an eccletic mix of creative expression.


The next morning we hopped the a local bus, the diablo rojo, which are these outrageously painted school buses decked out in graffiti and loud colors that scream flashback to the 90s. (Think The Fresh Prince of Bel Air). For 25 cents, we chose a bus at random and rode it around the city just to see where it would go...


While wandering the city, we got caught in a torrential tropical storm (it is rainy season). We were completely illprepared trekking our way back through town in shorts, tank tops, and flip flops splashing through the puddles that had collected from the pouring rain. Within minutes we were drenched to the bone. We got quite a few strange looks from the locals, and honks from the cars passing by, offering to give us a ride out of the rain.