Abby Fernald (’22), Sam Bronckers (’20), & Grace Honos (’22) describe the energy of Panama City after spending the last 5 days in the rain forest.
Today we left the jungle behind and bumped along the mountainous terrain before moving into the outer-city suburbs. Upon arriving at our hotel, we had a much needed break — downtime, which consisted of hot showers and naps. When our naps were over we began a groggy walk toward the old city for dinner. As the street lights lit up so did our eyes as we gazed upon the ocean and the city. The soothing odor of the local cuisine and the vivid music made Panama City truly came to life. We experienced the vast contrast between the new part and the old part of the city as our surroundings changed from tall skyscrapers to almost European-like churches and charming squares. The joy of the people who surrounded us in the streets was infectious, and any tiredness we were experiencing quickly disappeared. The city seemed to come alive at night and energized us as well. After our long walk to and around the Old City, we stopped to eat and consumed a significant number of pizzas, followed by yummy gelato. We are looking forward to getting some rest as we have an exciting day ahead, and will be heading to the Taboga Island to snorkel tomorrow.
