Roaming Panama City on Foot

We dropped our backpacks in our room at Hotel Marparaiso and stepped out into the heat of the city streets. Even with the humidity, it wasn’t all that oppressive considering it was overcast as the afternoon rains were slowly making their way in. Plus, being from Florida, 90 degrees and 100% humidity are nothing new.
I left my camera in the hotel room only because it is the city and I didn’t want to draw any more attention to ourselves than my blond-haired, pale-skinned self already would.
We decided to head down to the waterfront, which we could see from our hotel. Along the way, we passed by the hospital where many people stood outside on the cracked cement assumingly waiting for some medical treatment.
There was also a small market selling plates of food with names I did not recognize. The smells weren’t inviting enough to tempt me to stop.
We walked along the waterfront for a bit but our attention was more on the busy road that runs parallel with the water. Its three lanes of traffic in each direction were full of public buses crammed with bodies, little cars going crazy speeds, and lots of horn honking. And the smell of diesel was overpowering. It made me crave fresh air.
We left the waterfront and headed up past the hotel where we stopped in a small, dimly lit grocery and purchased a Pepsi for 30 cents. Most, if not all, of the colas come in glass bottles which the clerk will open for you.
We were both surprised to find that the Pepsi did not taste like Pepsi at home. There was definitely a different sweetener added.
We did find a Domino’s Pizza and a McDonald’s, and each had small motorbikes parked outside with huge metal boxes on the back for delivery. How funny that you can order a Big Mac and have it delivered to your home.
It was 3 or 4 in the afternoon and a lot of places were closed, maybe because it was Saturday. Although later that night from our hotel window, I did notice that some businesses that posted closed signs during the day, opened in the evening. Maybe they take an afternoon siesta.
If that’s the case, America can take a lesson from Panama.