Tramps in Trump´s

---

After being forced to stay a night longer in Bocas del Toro we decided to make it a good night out. We still planned to get up at 5am the next morning and, together with our Norwegian co-travellers, catch the bus to Panama City. We made it a really great night out at Barco Hondido- a popular open air bar/club in Bocas with a "swimming pool". There we ran into a few people we met while travelling. After the bar closed we bought a few beer and sat down in the main square where some locals gathered to organise a spontanious live-concert, which unfortunatly got cut by the police. By that time it was 3am so we grabbed a quick bite and made a bet with the Norwegians, as we were convinced they wouldnt manage to get up at 5am to catch the bus together... at 8am we woke up being shuttered by the thought of losing the bet: They made it. We didnt. Feeling a bit dizzy from the night before we had a breakfast and slowly made our way to Panama City. The bus connections were good and we arrived at 1am in Panama City and as it turned out our Norwegian friends only managed to get there a few minutes before us... haha.

Upon arrival we were very surprised not to be "attacked" by cab drivers trying to force us to use their services. Instead we were left outside the deserted bus terminal. Only one taxi-driver was to be found who took us to a close-by hotel. The next morning our couchsurfing hosts Christian and Jimmy picked us up from there and took us to their modest apartment -the Trump Tower a 5 star hotel right by the Pacific Ocean in the middle of the business district. At the entrance our luggage was picked up by the concierge and brought up to our room. We were excited to stay at such a beautiful place but on the other hand we felt like we didnt fit in -looking like tramps. We planned on staying for two nights but after falling in love with the city and enjoying the company of our hosts they convinced us to stay longer -so we stayed three extra nights. During the 5 days we were cooking everyday, using the rooftop- swimming pool, exploring the city and meeting some amazing people. We visited the Panama Canal, which was impressive but we thought the city itself had more to offer. The old part of the city ´Casco Viejo´has many hidden bars, beautiful colonial architecture, a great fishmarket and an incredible charm. Christian and Jimmy took us to some cool places and parties which often resulted in after-parties at their apartment until early hours of the morning. Of course we ran into the Norwegians on a night out at the Londoner, where they demanded their winning bet: 2 beers 😊 we wonder if the 2 beer made up for the sleepless night and the 18 hour journey they had.

Many people wouldnt agree with us but we liked Panama City so much that we even considered staying there for longer and finding a job: Tatiana- dog walker and Diana- grocery shopping packer 😊

However the drive to explore further places was stronger, so we left to Portobelo from where we hoped to find a boat to Colombia...

---