Well...I arrived in Panama city last night at 12 midnight..what a trip from San Jose.I left San Jose on the TICA bus at 11 pm Tuesday evening and at 4am Wednesday morning we reached the Panama border.We had to get out of the bus and wait in line until 6am when the Costa Rica border officers opened and then after they stamped our passports allowing us to exit Costa Rica we had to walk 200 meters to the Panama border to get stamped in.Half of the TICA bus passengers were stamped in ( I wasn't in this half) when suddenly there was a power failure and the Panama authorities closed the border until they could fix a broken transformer and process passports electronically.We had to wait in line from 6 am until 4pm...I·m not kidding.Part of it was in the sun then it poured rain and for the most part I sat on a dirty tiled flour waiting for the power to come on.Fortunately I had bought a good book in San Jose as I was killing time to get on my TICA bus.The line grew over the hours as more buses and cars arrived wanting to get into Panama.There were literally over a thousand people ...and probably more as the hours ensued and the crowd grew.It was crazy...tempers were flaring at times but generally people were stoic and patient and of course much laughter at the ridiculousness of it all.It was hot and muggy but fortunately there was a market nearby and people were good about watching your place and stuff.I ended up chatting with a Costa Rican woman who was going to Panama with her daughter and dtr·s boyfriend to visit her journalist husband.There was also a young Swiss girl on the bus but other than that it was mostly Panamanian·s,Costa Rican·s and Nicaraguan's ...anyway by the time they fixed the power and we got back on the bus it was 4...4:30 pm and getting late.We got back on the bus and soon it was dark....so ...My whole trip via bus occurred through the dark so I saw little of the countryside...I was exhausted by the time we got to Panama city..It is a good thing I reserved a place in Hospedaje Casco Viejo as it was full when I got there.It was funny...I slept in the dorm and I believe I was the only male seven other women generally Australian and German in in their twenties...Some were already sleeping when I stumbled in and later others arrived.It is a good thing I bought pajamas and the bathroom was nearby.Fortunately I slept right through he night probably snoring and annoying others.
In the morning I was able to move in my private room.A small cell ...no TV or bathroom with only a single bed and nothing but bare walls and one window looking over the street.But...what a street.The hotel is in old Panama and there are hundreds of old majestic buildings about many vacant and others in poor condition...There are however numerous old colonial style structures about intermingled with the vacant/ restoring buildings...Many of the vacant buildings are filled with squatters ...it is quite interesting.The old town has a nice sea wall and numerous parks and old churches....the church beside my hotel is the second oldest in the western hemisphere saved luckily from pirate Henry Morgan,s marauders...
I have spent today just walking about the old town and walking down a promenade...similar to the one in San Jose...Calle Central..no cars.....there are many aboriginal woman in the streets dressed in traditional costume...quite colourful...they put bands of weaving on their legs and arms...bands similar to those you could by in Costa Rican jewelry stalls....colourful printed dressed and blouses and head scarves...There are also many soldiers walking about in full military gear looking prepared for battle.Many old buildings intermingled with the new. Buses similar to the chicken buses in Guatemala .Panama is much cheaper than Costa Rica.I had a good breakfast for $3 ...coffee costs 50 cents...three oranges for 25 cents...my room costs $14.
I plan to stay here until at least Sunday...I'll go see the Panama canal and most likely a small island 20 kms off the city coast....an old colonial island ...Tobago...it will be a day trip.There are also numerous museums commemorating the canal construction ,Panamanian history and pre-colonial history not to mention many art museums...etc etc..
From old Panama I can look across the bay and see the sky line of new Panama..There are many tall glass chrome steal structures reaching into the sky reminding one of Chicago and New York...Panama is a unique place....
OK...Its getting dark so I had better get something to eat and head back to my hotel room cell...
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