Panama

Made it!

Panama is really unique!

The city itself is pretty big with lots and lots of skyscrapers and highways and even street signs!

I'm staying in Casco Viejo (or Casco Antiguo) which is the old part of town. I spent a little time tonight wandering the streets. There were lots of people out tonight! Casco Viejo reminds me of a run down Caribbean version of New Orleans. It's very hot - which makes sense cause it's right on the Pacific. I'm thinking that tomorrow I may head north into the mountains and then return here a few days before I fly out. We'll see.

As I wandered around tonight, I came across a McDonalds. Whenever I'm in a foreign country I like to peek in and see what, if anything, is different about the menu. They have a Pitufo sundae! Pitufo means Smurf! It's a promotion for the new movie. The movie looks bad, but I think I'll try the sundae :)

For some reason, I'm unable to sign into my blogger account ... Evidently the internet here in Panama city uses US IP address? My computer thinks I'm back in the States - I can even get on Hulu. But blogger is saying "hey, you don't usually sign in from this location - answer these security questions." I have, of course, forgotten the answers to all these questions. So I'm reduced to emailing posts to the blog until I get this straightened.

Good news! I can log in again! As you can see, I've added pictures. Also, I'm definitely heading to Boquete tomorrow. I'll probably spend two days to get there and back and then a day just chilling. The bus ride is eight or nine hours, but I need to kill some time, and I don't really want to stay in the capital the whole week. I spoke with an Australian couple tonight, and they confirmed my suspicions - Panama City is mostly just a big, expensive western city.