Panama City

We drove to Panama City from Boquete after a late start.

We had to run to David for a couple of errands, then Los Anastasios, then Dolega and back to Boquete before we got on the road.

I don't recommend that. It is a 7 hour trip to Panama City with a stop for a quick lunch, on top of the 3 hours we spent driving around Boquete.

I was traveling with a friend who smokes and likes the windows down. So the trip was WINDY! I forgot how hard the constant wind is on me. I prefer the peace and quiet with the windows up, not to mention the cool air.

I do love Panama City. Vibrant, bustling, traffic & traffic & more traffic. Fortunately, it is a vacation week with Eastern at the end of the week. Traffic was actually light...still hectic for sure but not as bad as it can get.

We checked into a hotel that I haven't used before. Very nice and only $3 a night more than the hotel I normally use.

A word about hotels in Panama...

The rooms are huge, but there is almost no furniture in them. Strangely disorienting! At least this one has reading lights, normally absent from rooms here.

Also, when we called for a reservation, they had no rooms. On further prodding, they had 2 rooms. They knew we were jubilados, getting the 50% discount, so they don't want to rent too many of the cheap rate rooms. This is confusing and needs some getting used to.

We ate breakfast on a 2nd floor balcony over looking the street. It is cool and beautiful in the early morning...soon to heat up to oven temperatures!

As we sat and ate, a variety of people sat and talked. I like the travel culture. People reach out and connect because they are either alone or anxious for information.

I met a guy who at the age of 65 got a masters in International Business. He now travels the world selling fork lifts. Go figure! He loves it. He did mention that you can't do what he does and be married.

In a few moments, we start on a hectic day of stuff around my friends car selling business. And a side trip to buy guitar strings which are not available in Boquete and David.

Tonight we pick up one of my best friends from the airport, spend the night and head back to Boquete.

I hope he doesn't mind wind...after all, the windows will be open ALL THE WAY BACK!