Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Panama city

by far the most westernized area in all of central america and not suprising as there has been huge Americn presence here since the canal was built. it feels like miami in some parts and africa in others.
This place is alive and well but its bizarrrro world. While other economies seem to be on the down,this one appears up and booming. A true melting pot and land of contrast is a weak description but its all I got. Walk into any bar and youre liable to meet someone from every continent all with a story that ads up to nothing? Tour the city and on one side of the street you have neat old restored buildings with cafes serving up yuppies and not 10 ft away on the other side of the street lives a family of 7 in a no electricity, no water 1 room place.
Met a family at a hotel in the town where I stayed after the border. Nicest people in the world, late 30’s early 40 , 3 kids with them door next door/ town favorite genuinely good people who live in panama city half the time.. talking for a few hours about insight to the city…what to do…where to stay… safe, etc. oh we know a great hotel place to stay go here…ok. Get there and lady behind the counter says yea we have rooms but we don’t want to give you one. ?? I got money? Ya but we don’t want. Wtf? Why….well its just more economical not to. What? Language barrier and all. So I start looking at the people hanging around come in and out….ya it’s a knocking hotel by the hour and it was Saturday night, recommended by the beavers.
Drugs… night… there are more sweatbead cokeheads talking to anyone or anything they think listening or has ears than a keith Richards new years party. And of course the big money drug lords are $high-rolling$ around everywhere.
Women have only one size of clothing …XS that’s if 150+, if under 150...they‘re shopping in the toddler section (no complaints).
Men individually wear enough cologne for a small town.
Tons of skyscraping condos, in fact almost EVERY SINGLE SKYSCRAPER in the city is a condo building and there are a ton under construction , only about 3 are office building or something else covering a chunk of futura panama…. all directly across from exact oppossite ....old school architecture. at base of alot of the condos...pure slums. look left new city, right old town
157 banks and majority of people without a penny to put in one.
Wave a taxi and two guys who look like they just robbed a bank or have someone gagged and tied in the trunk pull up…no f’n way am I getting in there….lo siento, no neccessito, lo siento. Hail another and mr rogers pulls up insisting on opening the door and mas or menos about the fare, all the while telling you everything you could want to know about the city.
Seeing the buses is reason enough to come here…privately owned by pimp my ride fanatics…all of them … mag wheels, glass packs, custom airbrush paint, 2 inch strip of glass that isnt jet black tint with dangling ceiling pink fuzz, mirrors, d-y-n-o-m-i-t-e!
Panama canal…absolute transportation modern marvel..… same time 6 out of every 10 sewer lids on the roads are outright missing. (no way ride bike in this city)
Old military neighborhoods and barracks turned into best family housing option around the city…military barracks. refurbished mlitary base. dell has a call center in one
Panama city is in its own world and fascinating but…. in-look-around-and-out few days is my preferred visit.... during those few days there is a lot to take in
the harbors are full of fish

elections are coming up....could be worse this guy could be running

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