Travel Journal:

Panamaniac - Arrival


Arrival 2-14-06
 
Anna and I arrived to Tocumen airport in Panama City without incident on the night of Feb 14. Caleb and his firned Alex, also in town visiting, met us at the airport and we spent the evening in taxis (Caleb drives a hard bargain) and hanging out at this girl Belsy's lovely apartment near Calle Argentina, struggling to understand the Spanish she and her roommates were speaking. Caleb is practically fluent. Belsy is a Panamanian student in architecture, Caleb's maybe-girlfriend, and very nice.

Caleb gave us a crash course in Panamanian body language as soon as we stepped off the plane:
1. When flagging down a taxi or bus, don't raise your hand like you do in New York.  Keep your hand at your side and casually curl your fingers in towards your palm a few times (kind of like how a baby waves).  This definitely works.  Taxis are always easger to stop for you, so the slightest indication is all they need.
2. Don't point to things.  Panamanians purse their lips and point their head/lips in the direction of what they want to point at.
3. When something is so hilarious that laughing alone will not sufficiently express your mirth, repeatedly snap your fingers while raising and lowering your hand.  (Americans do this too, just not as frequently)
4.  This one is tough ... When you're talking to a Panamanian and he doesn't understand you, or doesn't understand what you're trying to ask, or needs more information, he will just stare at you and his nose will twitch ever so slightly.  It's really subtle, but if you watch closely you'll catch it happening a lot (especially when you tell the taxi driver where to go and he doesn't understand your Spanish).  The nose twitch translates to, "Please elaborate, I need more information."  It can be really frustrating if you don't catch the twitch, because you'll ask a question and he will just stare at you, and you're like "Well ... what?!?" while actually he is waiting for you to go on. 

We stayed at Hotel Costa Azul - down the street from and slightly less expensive that Hotel California.  I like that it is half a block away from Via Espana, a major thoroughfare, so it's not quite so loud as Hotel California.

Day 2 we went to the smaller artisan market in Panama City.  A great place to haggle.  Alex got a hammock for $10.  We ate some delicious empenadas (30 cents each), then headed to the bus terminal for our first trip out of the city.
 
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