We plan to travel in Panama for 6 weeks. We have no defined itinerary other than spending some amount of time in Panama City. We have rented 3 different Airbnb apartments mostly confined to neighborhoods close to Casco Viejo (Old Quarter). So far, our stay here has been very challenging.

This time of year, temperatures are in the upper 80’s to low 90’s. The humidity hovers around 60-70 percent. In short, the weather is very similar to Florida weather in the summer. Needless to say, we have been struggling in these conditions to see the sights.

Three days after our arrival, Kathy came down with an illness. She was coughing, feeling nauseous and was very weak. She even fainted in the elevator as we were returning to our apartment. She was pretty much confined to the apartment for 5 days and is only now starting to feel better and getting her strength back. Because of the illness, Kathy has also been struggling with the hot, humid weather.

It feels like we just have not connected with the city yet. We typically go out early in the morning to explore the city and tour sites and then return early afternoon to our air-conditioned apartment until evening when it cools down. We have moved every week to a different Airbnb which prevents us from feeling like we are at home here in Panama City. There aren’t many long-term apartments available.

We just do not feel the excitement here as we have in other cities in Central and South America. Casco Viejo, a UNESCO site, offers a lot of fine dining, good coffee, rooftop bars and restaurants that provide a nice view of the city, and lots of shops and museums but the old square in the heart of Casco Viejo is not the center of culture and community like in other cities in Central and South America.

Our First Day

We took a city tour on our first full day in Panama City. We do this type of tour everywhere we visit to get the lay of the land, find interesting sites that we will come back later to explore, and get tips on good restaurants, coffee shops, and hidden gems.

This time we took a bicycle tour. The tour covered the highlights of the city and Casco Viejo. Parts of the city have very good routes for both biking and walking. The city closes Balboa Avenue on Sunday mornings, a major street parallel to the ocean.

One day, I rented a bike and rode along the ocean path. The day was hot and humid, but the ride kept me cool enough to enjoy the experience.

Food Tasting

Before Kathy became ill, we took a food-tasting class. We met the chef at her home along with three other people. Over the next 3 hours, she presented us with various foods and drinks from Panama. We shared typical foods such as tamales, ceviche, hojaldra, and empanadas. We also sampled some typical desserts, drinks, and candy. The chef gave us tips on good restaurants to try during our stay in Panama City.

Afro Panamanian Cooking Class

We met Chef David at his apartment in the Casco Viejo district. David is from Kenya, Africa and has created some amazing Afro Panamanian dishes. After a full 5 hours, we made three different jollof rice dishes-Fish, Ox Tail and Vegan. We also prepared and cooked Yuca Fritas (Fried Yucas) and Patacones (Fired Green Plantains). We prepared a couple of dipping sauces to accompany the Yuca Fridas and Patacones. By the end of the class, we were tired and full.

In addition to the tasting and cooking classes, we found some amazing food at one of the many restaurants. One of our favorite restaurants so far is Fonda Lo Que Hay in Casco Viejo. It was recommended to us by almost everybody. We had a nice meal of Medio Pulpo Zarandeado (Octopus in a curry sauce) and Almejitas Sexy (a Clam Dish). We also had some wonderful food close to our apartment.

We still have more restaurants and sites to explore in the next few weeks. There is an international selection of fine dining. To be honest, the prices are higher than we expected (similar to the U.S. prices) and so we are cooking some meals in our apartment.

Coffee in the international or local chain coffee shops is priced the same as in the U.S. The price of coffee at local/independent coffee shops is about half the price. The local coffee shops have charm and a nice atmosphere which sometimes makes the coffee taste better.