Panama, here we come!
The last 2 years have been different to say the least. I had 5 family members pass away within that times, including my father, who passed away in May of this year.
This trip to Panama was not just about a birthday celebration for me or seeing if this could be “the country”, but a time to reflect and enjoy some time for myself. It had been over 2 years since my last international trip, and that’s not normal for me.
My sister-in-law, Lidia, is Panamanian and travels back about once a year. I don’t know why it took me so long to put Panama on my list of countries to visit. But we finally did it, and my cousin and her husband came along to help celebrate my birthday. Everyone needed this break.
The next several blogs will be dedicated to Panama. I didn’t want to cram everything into one long post so you can look forward to the others later.
Copa, Copa Cabana
Once I booked our tickets on Copa, I kept singing the song “Copa Copacabana”. I may be dating myself, but that’s what I replayed in my head to signify I was heading to Panama.
If you are looking for direct flights to Panama, check out Copa Airlines. It’s a direct flight from Dulles (IAD) to Panama (PTY) of about 4.5 hours.
Side note.. There is a “Panama City”, Florida. It is not the same. So if you are trying to get to Panama City, Panama, check that the airport code is PTY.
We flew business class because why not, and the airfare was less expensive than Delta or United. You can’t beat a direct flight. People spend money on what is important to them, and traveling in comfort is important to me.
Our flight was around 6:30am, which means we had a very early start. I appreciate early flights out of the country because I still get some daylight when I arrive and it has a higher probability that my flight will be on time.
The Copa flight was on time and without issues. Definitely recommend. It is the major hub in Panama and flies to many countries in Central and South America.
PTY
Tocumen Airport had a lot to offer, but we didn’t really get to check it out until the return trip. More on that later. I don’t know if it’s been a while for me, or if this is how Panama does it, but we didn’t have to fill out a form on the plane before exiting.
Immigration was straightforward. They asked us how long we were staying and where our accommodations were. After finishing through immigration, our driver was waiting for us. I recommend Sightseeing Panama for transportation tours. When we came through those doors, our driver (Carlos) had a sign for us and was ready to take us to our Airbnb on Aviendo Balboa.
Just walking out of the doors of PTY brought a smile to my face. Finally was all that I could think of. The thought of my vacation officially starting, plus being in a new country… that was the feeling I’d been waiting for.
The warm weather greeted me, and I couldn’t wait for what was in store.
Airbnb – Aviendo Balboa
I had researched where we would stay about 2-3 months prior. A few weeks after my father passed I decided it was time to book something to look forward to, knowing I had a longer journey ahead.
There are plenty of wonderful hotels and Airbnb’s and buildings that act as both in Panama City. After following several Instagrammers and YouTubers, I found one that was in a convenient area to shops and restaurants, safe, highly recommended and a nice water view. I like Airbnb’s (internationally) because I can get two bathrooms and can spread out versus in a hotel you typically get one.
The Airbnb was on the 54th floor of the Yoo Panama & Arts Building on Aviendo Balboa. It’s a residential building, but there are several owners who rent their units. We had a view of the bay and could see the hustle and bustle of Aviendo Balboa.
In order to check-in my sponsor met me and provided the access key. There is a front desk, but they work with the owners of the unit. Outside of the building were staff who kept the flow of traffic going.
The building was in a prime location. Easy for Ubers to pick us up, easy to walk to the local food market and other restaurants. There are a few restaurants in the building and we ate at Azahar Panama the day we arrived. More on that in a future post.
One thing that surprised me was that on Thursday nights, the motorcade comes out in full force. You hear them revving up their engines and driving up and down Avenida Balboa for a good two hours. Thankfully it was just that night, but something to note. On the 54th floor, you don’t hear too much road noise, but you definitely hear the bikes.
Even though we were high up, the elevators were incredibly fast. It didn’t take too long to get down to the lower levels.
From someone who doesn’t have a daily water view, waking up to this every morning was a great way to start my day. Of course we said, “I think we could live here”. But don’t we always say that when on vacation? Who knows what the future holds, but this was a great start to my trip.
Up next in Part 2: Journeying to Colon, experiencing local events and connecting with fellow expats. Check back soon!
