Panama – The Arrival

My first thought yesterday morning getting on the plane was more of a feeling. Pure relief. The day had finally arrived. It’s been a whirlwind the last month or so dealing with getting my house ready to rent, a cross country move, and last minute details for this trip. As soon as I sat on the plane, I felt this huge weight being lifted off of my shoulders. As I got off the plane, I thought “OMG, this is actually happening.” I’m in a different country and not for just a couple of weeks.

After waking up at 3 am, driving over an hour to the airport, and three plane rides, I arrived in Bocas del Toro. I’ll be here for a month taking a Spanish class at Habla Ya Panama. They have three locations, in Bocas, Panama City, and Boquete. I’ve visited Panama City before, so I wanted to pick a location that I hadn’t experienced. I also love the beach, so Bocas was the logical choice. The Habla Ya team has been super helpful thus far and I have no complaints. Class starts tomorrow, so wish me luck!

I’ve settled into my accomodations which have a strong Caribbean island feel. The first thing I noticed walking around are all the different colors that the houses and buildings are painted. It’s quite common in the Caribbean and Latin America and I have always thought the colors are so beautiful. The town is super walkable and as far as I can tell the people are laid back and friendly. The only negative I’ve noticed thus far is the fact that there are roosters nearby. They were crowing their hearts out as I arrived yesterday. I hoped that their internal clocks were off and they only crow in the afternoon. At 5 am this morning, I realized that their clocks worked just fine. No need to set my alarm I guess 🙂

After settling in, I ventured out for a bite to eat. I learned my first lesson regarding island life, just because a restaurant has posted hours, don’t expect them to be open. After extensive research, I wandered to a restaurant that had rave reviews only to find that they decided that they weren’t going to be open yesterday. How convenient. Hopefully I’ll catch them during the week because their food does sound quite delightful. I found an alternative next door and had some sushi which I have to say hit the proverbial spot. It was a bit more than I wanted to spend, but I figured last night was my hello to the island and that I could start being frugal today 😉 I already got a recommendation for a place that I think is going to be my go to spot for a value meal. Restaurant Chitre. Chicken, rice and beans for $5 or less. Can’t beat that. So far Bocas is great! I can’t wait to see more!