Day: April 8, 2009

So, it’s only fair that I learn some Spanish along the way – actually, in retrospect, Spanish would have been most useful. Irregardless, some things culturally specific to Panama just gets lost in translation altogether: e.g., the “Chicken Buses”, which are basically yellow U.S. school buses sold and repurposed to the third world. What’s unique is that they’re graffitied all over in spray paint a la urban “art”. Yesterday I saw one bus named the “Ghetto Life”, on the front of the bus was spray painted in big words “Pussy Hound” (I can’t make that up). I find them grotesque but some how it just blends so harmoniously to scene.

Other cultural oddities strike me as well; for example, having wander a long way on foot down Avenida Central today, I noticed that the street vendors sold Chinese incense along with their candles for Roman Catholic worship. Now, this is decidedly odd… it’s not being sold to Chinese but to the local Panamanians in general. I have no clue what they do with it.

Back to Spanish, I’m heading off to the main bus terminal to try to buy a night ticket to David City with my limited Spanish. The plan is then to Boquette; perhaps I’ll ascend the volcano, or else head to Costa Rica after a couple days.

In the late afternoon I decided to take one last round down the corridors of the old colonial part of the city. Through the crumbling facades of many of the buildings, one can imagine the faded glory of things past. The halcyon of Casco Viejo was long gone until recent urban planning started a revival project. As it is now, most of the buildings are still in ruins and occupied by poor residents, but gentrification is coming and quick. Many have been bought and renovated to the old Spanish colonial architecture.

Such urban decay is juxtapose with spectacular views of modern Panama City, which is by far the most cosmopolitan of all of Central America.

Where ever we go, it seems we tend to absorb a bit of the local flavor, but also leave a trace of ourselves behind. Where we are is where we are, the question is how to make do with what is presented. What use pining for things lost when there is yet life to live and a thousand paths untried? Besides, what is pleasant now can be a pain come the morrow. Every step one ventures leads to it’s own beauty.

Such like today, having taxied all the way down the Causeway, I discovered the boat to Isla Tobagos was sold out. Plans never work out much anyway, so I ended up on a local bus for 2 hours to some Coranado Beach with a couple travelers I met along the way. Unfortunately, as it turns out, the beach is private. We snuck in from an adjacent beach and walked back. As it were, wondera lead to wondera and I’m now sitting at a resort pool near some nice hotel, under a cabana and enjoying the nice breeze and the expensive facilities for free. Let the world be as the world is.