Panama

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The second solo trip came relatively quickly after my first trip to Singapore. If you have not seen that post, please check it out. This will help you form a picture and allow you to better understand my thought process in choosing some of the initial countries I chose to visit alone. As the title of the post suggests, I took my second solo trip to Panama in the last week of December in 2019. The company I worked for at that time had a winter shutdown so all employees got one week off. I took this opportunity to find a last-minute flight and the country ended up booking a trip to was the Central American country of Panama – land of the famous Panama Canal.

Why Panama?

One of the professors at my graduate school used to take his Operations Management students to Panama. I did not take the professor’s class but Panama ended up on the radar based on hearing about this class featuring a field trip to Panama City. I had a ready-to-go itinerary for this trip based on the experiences of other students who had visited so that was a selling point for me. In the winter months of northeast US, a warm destination is always preferred as one yearns for hot weather – Panama has its dry season with favorable weather conditions in late December. Lastly, I did not want to break my piggybank on flights during the holiday season and found a semi-decent fare for a round trip to Panama City. With that, Panama was all set to be the second country I visited by myself.

Where did I stay?

After such a positive experience at the Dream Lodge in Singapore, I followed a similar search process on Hostelworld and booked a hostel with rave reviews called El Machico Hostel in Panama City. My lodging would be $15/night for a dorm room bed in a six person mixed dorm room and there was breakfast included in the price. The hostel was located in a relatively safe residential neighborhood. Uber was cheap in Panama City and I would not have any difficulty reaching tourist attractions from the hostel. I got in quite late to the hostel on the day of check-in when I landed in Panama and remember the clerk on duty was half asleep at his desk when I reached. As he showed me around, I noticed there were tiny roaches on the kitchen floor probably due to the hot weather. I stuck to a diet of 3 bananas every day for my breakfast during my entire stay as a result.

Another interesting thing that happened is there was a European couple staying in the dorms and they decided to move into the same bunk bed in the middle of the second night and began humping in the dark – certain sounds are unmistakable, no matter how discreet or brief. The next morning, I noticed them leaving from the bathroom together. If you stay in a hostel, you have to be prepared to see and ignore such sights. I learned through future hostel experiences that I should have reported that couple and I could have been moved to a different room. The rest of my stay at the hostel was uneventful. This time around, the vibe of the hostel was different and I did not make any new friends there.

What did I do there?

• Panama Canal (must do if you are in Panama City, especially if you are an economist at heart!)
• Kotowa Coffee (Panamanian version of Starbucks – sells coffee from Boquete coffee region)
• Multiplaza Mall (High end mall if you want to get some AC and steps in the heat of Panama City)
• Bicycle Tour of the City (3-4 hour tour that I booked through the hostel I stayed at – cost US$15)
• Panama Viejo (more than 500 year old archeological complex)
• Fish Market (their ceviche is famous!)
• Casco Viejo (younger crowd with bars and restaurants – also featured in Money Heist!)
• El Trapiche (best restaurant I ate at while I was there!)
• El Tornillo (Building shaped like a corkscrew – prominent in the skyline of Panama City)
• Biomuseo (the museum is very interesting – building designed by Frank Gehry, who is also famous for designing the Dancing House in Prague, Czech Republic)

A significant volume of goods pass through the Panama Canal in containers on large cargo ships. It was interesting to see them pass through at a glacial pace one after the other during my visit to the canal. The Kotowa Coffee was nice and I remember having it a few times during my stay in Panama City – they had a location in the Panama Canal visitor area. In my early days of traveling alone, I used to visit popular malls to get a very quick feel for the social behavior of people and of everyday life. Multiplaza Mall was one such mall I visited. There, I went and had my very first gastronomical experience at Benihana, a Japanese global chain restaurant (Shocking, I know!). The chef/cook in the center of the grill preparing the table’s hibachi meats made a map of Panama out of rice and chicken. Then he cut it along the middle to represent the Panama Canal and passed a ship (piece of chicken) thorough the canal. Overall, the chef/cook had a lot of flair and showmanship.

I learned about the Bike Tour through the hostel. Sometimes, hostels organize social events and other activities for travelers. This was one that caught my eye. I am a more active traveler so bicycling was a perfect morning activity. On the bike tour, we covered some of the top attractions and soaked in scenic views of the Panama City coastline. There was also an opportunity to stop for shaved ice with flavored syrups of your choice (called “raspado”) on the way, which was the perfect dessert as the day got warmer and more humid. During the Bike Tour, I met other travelers (some traveling with their family, some solo) who gave recommendations for other things to do and eat. El Trapiche came highly recommended to me. It gave me a sense of authentic Panamanian cuisine. Would I eat there again? The food was nice but I did not end up going after my first and only visit. I will leave my review at that. 🙂

Casco Viejo was the main restaurant/bar area I visited during my stay. I drank and took in the views of the skyline from Tantalo Rooftop bar on one of the nights. I also recall Relic Bar (now permanently closed) in Casco Viejo as a nice bar and met a very friendly English-speaking bartender named Josie. She happened to be wearing a Panama Hat when I met her at the Relic Bar and even let me try it on. Only later in my travels did I discover that the Panama Hat is not actually from Panama but rather from Ecuador! Who would have guessed?!

Tips for Solo Travelers?

Brush up on your Spanish. It will certainly come in handy. Compared to Singapore, Panama City was a little more raw so I would not suggest it as a first solo trip for the uninitiated traveler. I felt largely safe during my trip but you want to have your wits about you and avoid certain areas of the city after dark. Your accommodation would be able to guide you on this aspect. If you stay at a hostel like me this one applies to you: If you find something or someone offensive in a hostel room, speak up about it to the hostel staff on duty or to the owner/supervisor!

Would I go back to Panama?

Yes! However, I would limit my time in Panama City. I had a nice experience when I went but did not get a chance to go to Boquete, Bocas del Toro or San Blas. There are many diverse landscapes in Panama. If I get a chance to go back, I would certainly want to explore other landscapes I missed in my first trip.

See you in the next post. Thank you for reading if you made it to the end!