#92 PANAMA

Panama is another country I ended up in by accident. I was heading to Nicaragua with my dad for a beach holiday, but the flight from Albuquerque was delayed, so we were rerouted to Panama City for one night instead. The airline compensated us with a free hotel, meals, drinks, and taxis to and from the airport, so at least that was nice even if we were mildly inconvenienced.

That evening we relaxed downtown and enjoyed some fresh seafood, and then in the morning, I woke up early to go for a run through the city. It was hot and sticky but pleasant enough for a 24-hour visit to a new country. My dad was surprised by how big the city was, with many tall buildings and skyscrapers, and it was certainly different from other Central American cities I'd visited up to that point.

Years later, in 2024, I had yet another long layover in Panama City, but this time I was travelling with my husband and baby! With just one day to enjoy the city and navigate the sleeping and eating schedule of a one-year-old, we headed straight to Casco Viejo where we indulged in a breakfast of tropical fruits and juices. Then, after some light sightseeing and a nap, we were ready for the main meal of the day and headed to Diablicos for some traditional Panamanian cuisine. As we indulged in large portions of lechona salteña, maduros fritos, chicharrones, and patacones, I was delighted to watch our daughter devour a plate of tamales de olla all by herself! This was also a good sign that she'd be enjoying the food as we continued onwards with our trip to Paraguay and Peru for the next two weeks :)