Days OOO: 1? I guess?

Budget Style: When in Rome… (not too expensive, but not cheap)

It was surprisingly perfect to miss my connecting flight and find myself with a day in Panama City.

After ensuring I had a boarding pass for my return flight, my brother and I decided to venture out into Panama. We hired a driver at the airport for $100 for the day to drive us around to what he thought were the best sites in the city.

I recognize that this was probably a steep fee, but we had no idea what we were doing! Remember this was my first time abroad without an organized group or my parents and before I trusted myself enough to take public transportation. Private tour for a few hours seemed worth it at the time, and big bro was paying. The big downside was that he didn’t speak English, so I had to translate everything he said for my brother.

First, we went to the Panama Canal museum. This is a MUST SEE. We were lucky enough to see a cargo ship from Hong Kong go through the first main lock, and it was cool to see a feat of engineering in action.

Next, he took us to the historical center. I really enjoyed seeing a Caribbean take on Spanish architecture, and the street art was really nice. Walked through a small market and decided I needed to make my way back to those bars some day.

Last, we went to an overlook of the city right on the water. I was amazed at how built up and resort like the city was. It reminded me a bit of Miami in certain ways.

So yes, it is possible to see Panama City in a few hours, though it definitely left me wanting more.