A Day with Our Son Whit in Panama City
February 6, 2024 Tuesday
Our trip to Panama City was wonderful! Not only did we enjoy two scenic drives across this fascinating country, but we got to see Whitson!
We were SO appreciative of him being our “mule” to bring us a new laptop, and lots of other little stuff. After few computer tutorials, we had pizza for lunch, then set off in search of cigars. The part of the city near Whitson’s hotel was very modern, and clean, with lots of people shopping and walking around. There were also police officers on every street corner, hopeful that their presence would deter any unwanted Carnival activity. The architecture of many of the buildings was stunning…lots of glass skyscrapers of varying shapes and sizes. Especially notable was “El Tornido” (The Screw).
The fascinating architecture of Panama City
After a successful cigar hunt, we returned to the hotel and relaxed by the pool.
Our time with Whitson went by so fast, and too quickly we were in the taxi and heading back to Shelter Bay.
Some highlights from the taxi rides included the prison in Colon (which we both thought was an abandoned warehouse until we noticed men leaning out the windows on the third floor). There was a lot of road construction which often brought traffic to a complete stop. The main highway across Panama ran parallel to the Canal and was busy with lots of cars and trucks. A detour off the main road was narrow and canopied by large trees 30-50 feet tall. The density of the forest not 10 feet from the road was incredible, and I couldn’t help thinking about the canal workers hacking through this stuff…such difficult work. On the outskirts of the thriving heart of the city were where the poor resided…rows of very colorful 5-story apartment buildings with bars on every window; children playing soccer in the parking lot; goats on the hillsides.
