2013-05-29

Day 8

Lonely stroll through Panama City

Well, now I have fully acclimatized and adapted. It's time to be a real tourist. I armed myself with my point-and-shoot phone and went for a walk.

First, however, as usual, I had ended up in some kind of industrial area. I was trying hard to pretend that this was planned. I had been taking pictures of everything with the secret hope of seeing the sign "Center this way".

Just like that, searching for the way home, the whole day passed. The light was fading. My legs were frantically carrying me towards the hotel, accelerating accordingly to the decrease in lumens in the environment.

When it was already completely dark, I finally got to the avenue, well-lit and crowded. Somehow it seemed safer here than on the dark narrow streets where groups of young guys had been already flocking. Perhaps, they were just hanging out, but I had no desire to test this theory yet :)

The day enriched me with a terrain orientation experience and lots of photos.

The next morning (May 30), tired of the meaningless and idle wandering around Panama City, I finally decided to plan my trip. I decided on the next country a few days ago, so it was time to get a visa to carry out my bold plan. I Googled the office of the Colombian embassy and set off relatively early in the morning, naturally on foot (there was no extra money for a taxi, and I've never learned how to use the local bus).

In less than 10 minutes, I got caught in tropical rain, more precisely, a heavy shower. Fortunately for me, I was picked up by a pitying black Panamanian (sometimes it's good to be a young white girl in short shorts :) Behind the wheel was an intelligent man in a decent suit, fluent in English and, of course, admiring me. He happily had driven me to Columbia's office and, to my delight, didn't try to ask me out. When I got out of the car, I realized that I could not distinguish blacks by their faces. Such an almost racist thought dawned on me that day. But that was not my fault! "They all look the same" is a scientifically based manner of perception common for representatives of a certain race towards a different one. I honestly have read about it somewhere.

At the embassy office, lovely girls in broken English signed me up for “apoyment” - a week later. There was no point in staying in Panama City, so I booked the first hostel in my life in the city of David and began to prepare for the road. Tomorrow was going to be a big day because as soon as I left the capital of Panama, it would mean that the journey had begun in earnest. In other words, escaping to Tocumen International Airport would now be more problematic :)

TAGS: results of the day, panama city, black men, money

MOOD: calm-restless, contented, thoughtful, strategic

The horizon, of course, is tilted, but still, I wanted to share such an unusual for my eyes temple in Panama City.

The front view shows that the building dates back to 1815. It is excellently preserved, in my opinion, in Panama City.

These are the slum houses I've found while walking around Panama City. It looked like a dorm, but I didn't want to linger and examine it closely.

Some kind of military memorial. Judging by the wilted wreath, this place is not very popular in Panama City.

I saw a sign with the inviting word "central", but I could not find a way to cross to the other side. Crossing the road on a busy street in Panama City was scary for me.

This is what the school stadium looks like. Not so different from our schools. In Panama City, teachers are similarly annoyed by lazy students :)

On the bridge over the road to the center of Panama City. Or not to the center. I got lost already :D

These are the usual public transport stops in Panama City. Ordinary people, everyday life.

Coconuts on the street in Panama City! Ownerless and still green. At hand's reach :)

The new esplanade of Panama City and the happy youth and friendly Panamanian families resting there.

View of the ocean from the coast of Panama City.

As we call it, a "private" residential area in Panama City.

At the sight of such houses and liquids of unknown origin pouring from them (straight into the street from a pipe that sticks out from the balcony), I suddenly wanted to return to the center of Panama City.

The local university in Panama City looks pretty good, and student life is in full swing, like in any other country.

You can always find something in common in any country and city, even in Panama City.

Non-commercial real photo of the city life of Panama City on the most ordinary day outside the tourist center of the city.

Never before have I seen such a huge construction crane specifically for the creation of skyscrapers, Panama City.

Not only the stone jungle is characteristic of Panama City, there are enough parks and squares.

A whimsical statue of local art in a residential area of Panama City.

Unexpected oriental motifs in the center of Panama City.

Never before have I seen such marvelous architecture and sculpture. Unfortunately, the gates were locked, keeping this secret in my memory of Panama City.

It was in Panama City that I've first seen how various kinds of artists perform at traffic lights.

Incredibly beautiful church in the newest center of Panama City.

Sometimes even a panoramic photo cannot convey the grandeur of the church. As, for example, in the case of this church in Panama City.

I don't know why but I photograph almost every monument in Panama City.

Photographing a man significant for his country, whose bust stands in the central park of Panama City, I kind of pay tribute to his achievements.

Perhaps someone will be so interested that they will find information about this person only by name, which I photographed along with a monument in Panama City.