Lucky for us, given the heat wall, we had arranged the hotel we booked to pick us up at the airport. This process took approximately 35 minutes in busy traffic.
Panama city is considered to be, by some individuals, the most cosmopolitan capital in Central America. It is a hub of international banking and trade with its ´sultry´ skyline of simmering glass and steel towers reminiscent of the skyline we saw in Qatar.



Panama city contains urban chaos, with no shortage of traffic jams, yellow taxis and casino stacked sideways between chic clubs and construction sites. As Panama City has developed as a hub of trade and immigration, people come from every corner of Latin America, the Caribbean and Asia. Increasing numbers of North Americans and Europeans are adding to this mix. The result is a cultural mix that makes the capital more dynamic and fluid than its neighbours. This cultural mix makes us Canadians feel very much at home.

Our Bed and Breakfast is just outside of the central part of Panama City in an area called San Francisco because of the many hills in the area. A block from our Bed and Breakfast is the famous Parque Recreative Omar, the biggest green space in this part of the city.



Our driver notified us that he runs around the park every morning at 5.00 a.m., each time is 4 km.


Hostal Casa Margarita reminded us of many places we have stayed in the past, having a beautiful area to have breakfast overlooking a lovely garden.


breakfast on the patio





In the evening, we could hear piano playing and children ballet dancing from nearby, as we lay in our hammocks in the very warm evening. Our room was air conditioned, thank goodness and all of it tiled, i.e., the floor, the walls and very, very, clean with double sinks in the bathroom -- very luxurious, it was.

Hostal Casa Margarita


We stayed in Panama City for two days, exploring bits and pieces of the city, while getting our ´travel bearings while adjusting to the climate. We toured the Causeway which is the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal. It is a 2km palm-tree-lined calzada (causeway) which connects the four small islands of Naos, Culebra, Perico and Flamenco to the mainland.




The Causeway is a popular place to be as residents walk, jog, skate and cycle, or simply escape the city. The Causeway is a wonderful place to view the skyline and the old city. It is filled with many restaurants and bars. Our driver told us that some of the restaurants charge $7.00 for a beer versus the average $2.00 price, given the size of the yachts in the area.

Given the climate in Panama City, we decided to go to the city of Boquete in the Highlands, approximately eights hours west of Panama City and explore some of the things we wanted to in a different climate.



Boquete has population of 5000 and it is the Napa Valley of coffee. This mountain town is known throughout Panama for its cool, fresh climate and pristine natural setting. Known for its flowers, coffee, vegetables and citrus fruits, because of its rich soil, Modern Maturity magazine of the American Association for Retired Person (yes, there is such an association) chose Boquete one decade ago as one of the four top places in the world to retire. Consequently, a flock of foreign retirees started snatching up mountain plots transforming the area.

Boquete is a very popular location for travellers offering many of the things that we want to do in Panama, i.e., hike, trek, explore and experience new adventures. Boquete if one of the country´s top destinations for outdoor lovers offering rafting, soaking in hot springs, hiking, trekking. Being in a city that offers the best orange juice and coffee in the country is a bonus.

We were fortunate to find a beautiful hostel just a block off the main road of the city close to the City Centre. The Refugio del Rio is a high-end hostel with beautiful rooms featuring high ceilings and fine hardwood and large windows and beautiful grounds complete with a river running by it, offering the lovely sound, just outside our room.



Our first evening in Boquete, going out for dinner, after we had settled into our room, we found a very lively restaurant. We were astounded by all the ex-pats on the first and second floor, including the outdoor balcony, having a very good and loud time. Given, our long journey that day, we did not stay very late, but wondered 'how the partying ended´.