My stay in Panama City has not been what I expected. First of all, I felt like I was in Miami and not in Central America. When I was in David some people told me that (proud of it by the way): "Panama City is like Miami". This is my first (and hopefully only) time here but I saw photos before and indeed it really does look like Miami. There are lots of tall buildings. Some are very creative like the one looks like it's turning. And some are not so creative, like the one that looks that the Burj Al Arab.
Even when you are not in the financial or hotel district but some (even sketchy) other area, the city still looks like Miami. I've seen on TV that in some parts of the States when there are lonely and long roads people with fast cars like to test their cars, for this reason the local police has really fast and sporty police cars, i.e. Shelby Mustangs... I've seen those here. Why? I have no idea, there are no motorways and most of the time there are massive traffic jams. So, why use those fast cars. One question that will go into the "unsolved misteries" box.
The main reason why I wouldn't want to come back to Panama City once I leave is because of what happened not long ago. I had to work the night shift but my colleague asked me if I could start earlier. I had no problem with that. About a couple of hours into the shift, the hostel I'm working was robbed. The motherfuckers didn't take anything from guests. Not even my laptop that was on the reception desk (like it is now while I'm writing this) was stolen.
Anyway, I'm about to leave this country. I had given up with hitchhiking a boat. I didn't have the time to look for a boat. I have to be in Bogota no later than march 22nd at 19:35 when Paula arrives and we start traveling South America. Destination, unknown, it's a big continent. Lana, whom I met last month in Liberia, might have found a sailboat to take us to Cartagena. Work for passage? fine with me! Now, there's even a big possibiliy for me to arrive before "planned". Now I'm looking to the possibilty to go to Venezuela for a stamp as I only get 30 days to stay in Colombia.
Finally I'm going to South America. After postponing the continent for more than a year for this or that, finally I'm going. I'm so close I feel like I'm never getting there. Can't wait to leave. I'm excited. So far I've met a few people in Panama City that I would like to run into again in South America. At the same time, as much I want to discover SA, I also would really like to be back in Europe. That's where my life is. I will be going back to Guatemala to visit my mum and brothers as much as I can, there's no doubt about that. But to live there, that is not happening.
It's carnival time. Panama has a few cities that have big celebrations. I've heard that in Panama City is not very big, the celebration I mean. It was for me! There's a road that goes along side the ocean, Cinta Costera that is closed to vehicular traffic. There are several stages along the way and two main stages. Full of people, full of drunks (I was one of them but I behaved).
While I was taking a walk earlier someone saw taking photos and told me that it was a bad idea to walk around (during carnival) with a backpack and a camera. Then someone else told me that alone in a 4-5 street radius, there were around 160 rape victims!!
Overall my experience in Panama City has been far from what I expected. I can't wait to leave the country and never come back. I would rather go back to Bulgaria than come back here! Oh well, my mum always said that things happens for a reason.
I'm very happy I will be leaving soon. Get ready South America, I'm going to rock your socks off!!!
