San Blas Islands - June 28

Mission: Get out of Panama City
Action Plan: None
Operation: Almost complete

As what is a personal first, my AirBnB hosts hate Panama City. As a host myself, I try to make Downtown Hayward sound appealing and we know that's a stretch. So here I am, trying to pick the brains of this fun cute Italian couple (who hates the French and made sure to make fun of their cheese immediately) and all they tell me to do is get out of the city. They are amazing hosts (made me breakfast, broke $10 bills, made phone calls for me, offered a ride) but just not very well versed in all/any things PC.

With their apartment booked for three nights, I knew whatever I decided to do had to be day trips. As it can be suspected, it is much more expensive to move around than it is to stay and enjoy where you are at. At this point, I've spent more in 3 days than in Asia in 10. Thailand, where are youuuuuu? (In Thailand).

Destination: San Blas Islands

I got picked up at 5:30 am in front of a local market. Eeearly! Drivers in Panama City don't do street names or house numbers. You need to find me?  I am in front of the Super99 market.

I spent the following hours in the car with three couples: Czech, Israeli and German. Isn't that how some "3 guys walk into a bar" joke starts? All the guys spoke English, none of the girls did. In the end I got some tips on Cartagena.

I will say that I feel older and older by the minute.  I'm too old to hang out at a hostel and too uncomfortable to be solo in a hotel room. So AirBnB is a great middle. I can meet people yet not have crazy music and booze during the wheeee hours of the night.

That being said, a lot of people doing these types of trips are much younger students.  When I told them that I was super stoked about my apartment for $30/night in a great location in Cartagena the silence was deafening. I know, I know, I could have done a hostel for $10. 

Note: monkeys are especially awesome if you don't expect to see them.

Upon arrival at the pier (and I use this word loosely) people were waiting to get on their respective boats. A group of Swiss and Danish (Danes?) started making fun of England since it lost to Iceland the day before. And of course, a British couple materializes from the back of room. "We are bad at everything these days" he says (#Brexit) and the Danish lady has the. Best. Response. Ever.

-Just pretend you are an American when you speak.

Well, there ya go, ladies and gents! For as long as I've been traveling Americans have been attaching Canadian patches to their backpacks (not me, I own it) and here is an Englishman being told to play an American. Ouch.

The islands are gorgeous but the tour pathetic. I hate to complain about the whitest sand and clearest water most people have only seen on the Windows wallpaper but it wasn't a tour. We were taken from one island to the next without anyone EVER saying a word to us. No history, no names of islands, no how long we had at each one, nada. Seems like an incredible opportunity completely lost. Who are the Kuna? Where did they come from? Why are they so elusive? I guess I'll google it.

Beautiful, heavenly, yes. Worth the fee? Pfffff.

On the way back to the city I was in the car with three really nice Russian girls. I may have plans for tomorrow eve's dinner! 

When you travel, you will see things that blow your mind or make you go "meh."
Some days you have the best fish ever (Isla Taboga, I'm still dreaming of you!) or a totally boring meal. 

But whenever you meet cool people it makes your day and it sticks with you. Thank you, Danish couple, for letting me have your piece of plastic to hide my day bag from the wet Caribbean Sea.