Panama City

The smell of Panama is the tropical scent: sweet and sticky. It's hot and very humid - what I presently wear as my hair style is an afro! I think it's bigger than the famous Texas afro... It took me 1,5 hours to get from the airport to the city centre. The airport is the strangest airport I have ever seen. There's no tourist information whatsoever, only car rental booths. I found one tiny "information" booth but there was no one there. Someone told me "they didn't show up to work today." I asked about the chicken buses (they look exactly like the ones in Guatemala - all are retired yellow school buses), I crisscrossed the highway a few times before I found the right direction. About a hundred taxis stopped, "No, gracias, senor. Yo prefiero bus de pollo." Taxis from airports to city centers are a rip off everywhere in the world. A very nice woman told me which bus to take, she got on it with me, took my backpack and put it on her lap. Amazing hospitality. Everyone on the bus said "Welcome to Panama!" It seems people here love their country and are proud to be its citizens. What I could see yesterday Panama City looks like Poland under communism, except gas stations look more modern. There are apartment buildings which look like the ones built in Poland in the 60s. I don't know much about Panama - I didn't have the time to do any research. I didn't even know American dollars are the currency used here. I met a person yesterday at the Internet cafe who told me a little about the history, economy and politics. I am going now to the new city centre - to see the presidential palace and the cathedral. In the evening I want to see the ruins of the old city and tomorrow I will go to San Lorenzo which is old fort an hour away from the capital. And, of course, I will go to see the canal. I will be in touch with details.