3/22 Panama City

The taxi that picked us up from the ferry in Gamboa dropped us at the bus station where we originally arrived in Panama City. Half of the group is getting back on a Tica Bus to San Jose at 11 pm. I'm glad to not be one of them, I don't fancy another 18-hour bus ride just yet.

We all said our goodbyes and the Margaret, Becky and I took a cab to the hostel (Hostal Panama) where Becky and I will be staying tonight. Margaret has to catch the bus, but decided to spend the day with us. After dropping our bags, we stopped by the grocery store for breakfast and stocking up, and then caught a cab to Casco Viejo, the picturesque old city. It's full of buildings that are 2 or 3 centuries old, in various states of repair. People are interested in restoration, but there's only so much money, so immaculately repaired and finished buildings sit right next to derelict houses and ones that are halfway in between, gutted and surrounded by scaffolding. It's hopeful, but you can tell it's also slow-moving. A fun place to spend a couple of hours walking around. We ran into another group of OTSers, had a sandwich, and then headed back to the hostel for much-needed naps.

Becky got me up at 4:30 so we could head out for an early dinner. We went to a stupendous italian place and had pizza with garlic bread and sangria. Becky left early to pick her husband Peter up at the airport (they're spending a vacation together in Panama), and Margaret and I lingered over our food and drink until it was dark outside. Then we caught a cab back to the hostel, Margaret got her back, and we said goodbye. She headed back to the bus station.

I unpacked and repacked by bags one last time, keeping the fragiles in my carry-on and the liquids out of it, and wondered what it would be like to not be in the tropics any more. The hostel owner is taking me to the airport tomorrow morning at 5 am.