Panama City, Panama

I live part of every year in Miami, so I was ready for the heat and humidity—or so I thought. Panama’s rainy season has temps in the mid-80s and humidity in the 80s. If you go, be prepared. What I missed most was the breeze. My neighborhood in Miami has wind all the time, and even when it is very hot, in the shade, you can quickly cool off.

Not so in Panama. Sitting in the shade does stop the heat, but not the humidity. Then it rains. Not just a little, but a torrent. Then it’s back to full humidity again.

Our first impression was that Panama City was similar to Miami. Once my feet were on the ground, I revised my opinion. This city is an overgrown Key West. Everything is a little messy, a little dirty, with a large dose of island time.

We need more time to explore the neighborhoods, so another trip has already been planned. I did not see the Panama Canal or the jungle, nor did I get to take a bike tour that I wanted. I needed a week, not two days.

This city is a juxtaposition of the new and old. We stayed in the Waldorf Astoria, an older hotel near the financial district, with a loud pump you could hear through the wall to bring our water up eighteen floors and the obvious (to me) retrofit when the air condition was added. But the floors were marble, the rooms were large, and the bathtub was huge. I cannot complain.

The photo below is the area near our subway station. In the heat, we decided we needed Panama hats, and this street had five shops just for hats. I find it hilarious that the hats are not made in Panama. See Emily’s post at The Wondering Wanderer for more details. Her trip was ahead of ours, and she has some great information.

The city's metro system is top-notch. It will take your Visa or Mastercard without requiring you to purchase a transit card, although you can do that also. It is very clean and heavily air-conditioned, and the station was only a ten-minute walk, with most of that in the leafy shade.

I cannot understand how the residents of this country stay so clean and dry in this humidity. I felt very uncomfortable having my sweaty self planted on a subway seat next to two nicely dressed ladies.

We stopped by the market, which is always one of our favorite things to do. We purchased passion fruit and pineapple juices while we looked at the fruit and meat markets. Once I saw these guys, I headed back to the street. I don’t like my food watching me.

We walked to Panama City's old historical section and found the same level of car pollution as in the other two cities we visited. We need electric cars as quickly as possible worldwide. While I see a layer of pollution over Miami some days, it slaps you in the face when you come to Central and South America.

Here’s some of what we saw walking through the historic district.

One of the most significant differences between Miami and Panama City is the nightlife. Everywhere seemed to close early, and the city was relatively quiet at night compared to Miami or New York. I feel some places were open late, possibly in a different city section. If you know, let me know.

When you are tired, need a cold place to take a break, and want delicious food, try this tiny restaurant below. Tell the resident Pomeranian dog we said hello.

Panama City was one of the places we considered moving to before Miami. It was on the list with San Juan, Puerto Rico, and St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. I’m glad Miami won. One day, I’ll take you down memory lane from when we lived in Key West, Florida, and you can see why I rejected all three places above. My husband can easily hop on a plane if he wants to dive or fish.

I’m in the airport, ready for our Copa flight to Miami. The next time we talk, I’ll be home in Türkiye.

Ready to be home.