July 11th, 2023
By Amber N. Johnson
Your feet find the uneven paths, quickly circumnavigating flooding drainage spots and potholes lacking covers, as your eyes and memory guide you toward the right direction. Having glanced at your phone (equipped with a local and affordably purchased in-town, not at the airport, SIM card) and Google Maps briefly, the overall route and relevant landmarks stay fixed in your mind’s eye. You slip your phone back within a well zipped and locked purse, and check that your companions are close on your heels. Occasionally, you stop suddenly and almost cause a pile-up. The unrelenting humidity, which was already seeping into your pores back at the hotel balcony before 10am, is now a familiar friend. Having started your day out a little more chaotically than intended, you are now on your way to Casco Viejo, the old city, and tourist central. Despite the added stresses of the day, you find your eyes lighting up as you turn the corners of streets and absorb your surroundings.
(Finding paths in PC, Panama, 2023)
A small manicured square, hereinafter referred to as ‘Sunscreen Square’ by the party, turns magically into a rustic red, well-bricked road leading toward the old city. As if crossing an imaginary barrier, you abruptly glance around and find yourself mystically transported to a well-kept Spanish colonial style quarter with a smattering of French and American architectural influences. This historical district, a UNESCO world heritage site, has local protections and cultural restoration funding and is visibly improved compared to surrounding areas (1). In fact, this turns out to be the theme of your trip. Contrasts, between districts with investment and crumbling infrastructure, between affordable eats and fancy restaurants, struggling street side stalls and the abundant capitalistic fueled duty-free shopping frenzy at the 2nd largest mall in the Americas, the cultural influences of native groups, immigrants, and foreign colonizers, all affixed within the tropical climate and Caribbean-meets-Central-American cultural amalgamation in this noteworthy isthmus nation.
(Plaza Herrera, Casco Viejo, 2023)
You’re recuperating at home, having caught up on that desperately needed sleep and in deep reflection, reminiscing over your recent adventures. Oh how you planned, all the excitement and anticipation that built up over the previous weeks and months had culminated in a wild and adventurous trip. Oh how different yet worthwhile it was! Now, you finally have time to appreciate it in hindsight, and let the lessons soak in.
It’s officially one week following our return from Panama [written July 1st, 2023]. I can hardly believe it’s been that long. A 10-day trip (with travel days included) felt like a month! And the process of returning home, with an overnight stay on the Houston airport floor, definitely was chock-full of twists and turns! Now it’s time to share the lessons that come into light during trip mode. While it’s all fun and games, with dreaming and hypothetical scenarios during the trip planning stages of travel, reality hits you hard when actually on the trip!
(Pre-trip excitement, 2023)
Flexibility & Itinerary Changes
As you’ve seen in the previous article, Trip Planning 101: How to Plan an International Adventure, I enjoy a good travel planning process. However, here’s where I face the music. No matter how much you anticipate challenges, you’re always going to be introduced to a few more. And that is exactly why you need to always carry with you a sense of ‘go with the flow.’ Thinking about our trip, I’d say we kept relatively to the itinerary until Day 4. Day 1, which had been packed with activities, ended up taking on more logistics, time, and energy than anticipated. In this case, several activities were pushed to Day 2. In the end, several activities planned for were shifted to different days, and others were left off. When in a new destination, you usually have a bit of a learning curve. The reasons for making changes included energy and health, logistics of distance/costs/weather/climate, and the shifting needs/desires of the group. As an example of vision vs reality, I’ll share about our arrival at the end of our travel day and Day 1. This was the first day of the trip, following the travel day which involved two flights, a 6 hour layover in the Houston TX, USA airport, and landed us in Panama City, Panama in the early evening of June 13th, 2023.
The original itinerary for DAY 1: Hotel Brekky (included meal), ATM, Casco Viejo, Mola Museo, Cinta Costera, Mercado de Mariscos for lunch, Dinner
The actual activities on DAY 1: Hotel Brekky; stuck in the Metro; buying supplies; finding Casco Viejo on foot, SISU coffee studio, Mola Museo, lunch at Coca Cola Cafe, local mercado, views of Cinta Costera, Coffee Tiempos, Snacks/Subway
(Enjoying the old quarter, 2023)
(Surprises at the coast, 2023)
Travel Day 1
The itinerary, which had included stops to Casco Viejo, Cinta Costera, the Fish Market, the Mola Museo, as well as stops for meals and the ATM, did not reflect the day’s activities in reality. First off, the night before, our party decided not to purchase the $30 local SIM card at the airport, despite then having to navigate to the city and hotel without phone data. Alas, an Uber purchase, utilizing the oh-so-limited 30 minute free airport WIFI, worked out. Having been dropped at our hotel, we then grabbed ahold of their precious WIFI to complete the ride and still struggled with our cards not going through as we paid for our lodging. Not because of lack of funds, but because our bank decided it was not us. I again berate the fact in my head that our lifelong bank went out of business and was absorbed by a bank that feels rather incompetent when it comes to international travel. We had visited our local bank in person before the trip, providing dates, destination, and more. And yet, it still took a family member back home helping us out over two days to smooth everything out. It was, to be fair, my biggest anxiety before taking the trip. Why? Because we’d already seen its failure in Barcelona last year when my family visited for my master’s program graduation, and the only thing that saved us then was the fact that I was living in Spain and had local bank cards. But did it happen, and did we survive it? Yes! That’s a good way to start in a way. Knowing you will prevail against these anticipated and unpredictable obstacles.
These experiences give me the space to share that you should always prepare in advance, for all potential pitfalls. We had done this by A) bringing some cash ahead of time, B) locating a back-up cheap hostel for one night in case it fell through, and C) informing our families back home that it was a potential issue. Thankfully, it worked out for us. But it was still frustrating. We were also eased into everything because Panama uses USD so we never had to exchange currency at any loss to us in conversion. All in all, our arrival worked out. We shared a local Balboa beer and basic meal at our hotel before falling into a deep slumber.
(Our first hotel brekky, 2023)
Day 1
The first official day of the trip had started smoothly enough. Day 1 had us dewy eyed, with fresh excitement and energy. On our hotel’s terrace, we delighted in a more traditional style Panamanian breakfast and took in the tropical urban city views. It reminded me of Taiwan or Malaysia a bit, also Malta. The tropical plants, styles of buildings, distant ocean views, and ongoing construction projects accounted for these impressions.
(Views of PC, Panama, 2023)
When our feet hit the ground, the first obstacle presented itself. We needed a metro card. Fortunately for us, and due to strategic planning on my part, our hotel was only 2 blocks away from a metro stop. This would be a blessing throughout the trip! On Day 1, however, we were unaware that in order to buy one of these city transportation cards, we had to do so at exactly one station, located next to Albrook Mall. What occurred was a hilarious comedy of errors in which a kind woman scanned her card for all 3 of us (and refused to let us pay her back, such a sweet lady), and we found ourselves first attempting to visit our intended station. When we got there, we couldn’t exit! We also didn’t have anywhere to buy a card. Every metro I’ve encountered in the past is slightly different, some require an entry/exit swipe while others just at the get-go. And in most cases, you can purchase a new card and load it at more than one station. Not the case in Panama City (just re-loading)! So one of our party asked several folks in Spanish what to do. Ultimately, we were advised to get back on the metro and go toward Albrook Station. When we got there, we couldn’t exit, but eventually got the attention of some finally present transportation staff (we hadn’t seen them anywhere) and were kindly scanned through. Then we purchased our official card. It was great because we could use one transportation card for all 3 of us on the metro and bus systems of the city. And each trip only cost $0.35 per person/per ride! This saved us a lot of money during our travels after we finally figured out where to get the card. It also gave us the opportunity to navigate the city more like slocals (“semi-locals,” adapted from Mikhaylenko, 2021; 7, 8 for Urban Bitch Tourism [UBT] Podcast) and encounter less tourists and more residents during our stay in Panama. So, after a topsy-turvy morning, we finally were done being ‘stuck in the metro’!
(Wandering the city streets in PC, Panama, 2023)
Having spent more time than expected on the metro, and having brought enough cash with us from home, we could skip the ATM and head toward the city. But along the way, we had to purchase local SIM cards. While we had successfully navigated the metro system without phone data, we felt it would be useful during the trip. As previous research had informed me, the cost of buying a SIM card in the city was $6 for a week of unlimited data. This was way better than the airport’s $30 cost for the same thing. Another deal because we had researched and were patient! [It helps that I’m a seasoned traveler and have lived abroad extensively. In comparison to U.S. prices, for instance, the world typically has very affordable phone plans. I would almost never recommend a U.S. based ‘international data plan’ as it is costly in comparison to what you’d pay in-country for your trip. However, you should be sure that your phone is ‘unlocked’ and can accept an international SIM card. It only takes a simple request at your phone service provider before traveling. In all the countries I’ve lived and traveled to in Europe, Asia, and Africa, it was usually less than $15/month for all the phone data I’d need.]
We fitted two of our phones and were on our way! We decided to buy bottled water, sunscreen, and aloe which of course was another mini adventure. Finally, our stop at Cinco de Mayo metro station still required a 15-20 minute walk into Casco Viejo. The paths were in great contrast to the well preserved and gentrified old quarter, but it gave us a much better picture of how locals live all throughout the city.
(UNESCO WHS, Cafe Coca Cola, 2023)
(Interior of Cafe Coca Cola, 2023)
On Day 1, we spent a lot of time walking, getting lost, and eventually gaining an understanding of where and where not to go. We purchased one of the only sunscreens we could find which was a ‘whiting cream’ and the worst type of sunscreen I’ve ever encountered. Putting it on at ‘Sunscreen Square’ had me on full display to the locals in uber-pale Geisha style, just in time to try the famous Panama style Geisha coffee. It looked a bit ridiculous and it felt awful on the skin (more on this later). We managed to visit the amazing Mola Museo, SISU coffee studio, Cafe Coca Cola, and wander around Casco Viejo before heading back to our hotel. The day, and trip, unfolded slightly differently than imagined but due to our willingness to be flexible and enjoy the ride, we found a better, more reality-informed trip. The time and energy it took to walk to and from metro stops and across the city in a humid, rough-around-the-edges cityscape became more real to us. Our limited Ubers (airport and hiking trip only) saved us money and allowed our daily step count to reach 16,000-24,000 steps throughout the trip. Our adjustments for sites due to cost/distance/desire were made. Have we already exerted more than enough energy on Day 3? Fine, let’s take it easy on Day 4. Did we now understand the logistics it takes to reach an island? Okay, let’s be happy with the one we visited and switch up the schedule on Day 6 for something more realistic and enjoyable. While it doesn’t always go to plan, your travels can still both surprise and satisfy you, if you let your itinerary be flexible.
(Delicious local eats, Ropa Vieja, 2023)
(Cool spots in Casco Viejo we didn't see on schedule, 2023)
(Cinta Costera, one of the spots we saw a day late, 2023)
Elements of a Destination
When thinking about any given destination, several elements come to mind when visiting for tourism. These include: logistics, accessibility, transit, accommodations, weather/climate, activities/tourism places, local communities. Understanding what these are before visiting is helpful, but the full force of these elements meets you during the trip. You begin to understand how long it would take to reach a city across the country, especially when it requires several forms of consecutive transit that aren’t necessarily reliable or accurate according to their schedules. The costs can also be a factor. Maybe it’s very expensive for a relatively short visit or experience at one museo, but free and worthwhile at the other one. Perhaps it takes a long round-trip Uber ride, a high ticket cost for a closed exhibit and limited and crowded view to experience the Canal versus the wonderful free view from above after a beautiful nature hike uphill that shows the entire path of the Canal.
(Panama Canal, 2023)
(Our group viewing the Canal from Ancon Hill, 2023)
(The best museo in Panama City, in my opinion, 2023)
As previously shared, a lot of lessons were learned during the trip regarding city-specific logistics, transportation, and climate. We attempted to visit activities/places that were clustered nearby, experienced wild transportation journeys on occasion, and allowed some touristic sites to fall off our itinerary. At our accommodation, we mercifully experienced the blessings of our room’s AC unit (non-existent in the hallways), cold showers, unpredictable breakfasts, kind staff, a variety of regional tourists, and comfortable beds where we consumed childhood favorites via the TV during recovery evenings. While our bodies slowly adjusted, we experienced swings in stomach problems, more sweat than I’ve sweated in ages, and the fruits of excessive exercise. We collected a variety of U.S. and Panama coins, tried new foods and drinks, and soaked in the varied natural elements at our disposal, whether beach, urban hub, jungle, or AC-dominated mall. We also engaged local communities throughout our travels, most often through public transportation, local businesses, cultural museums, and on the streets. No matter the prior research, the experiences earned shaded in the unknowns and helped us better understand our destination.
(Jungle views in the city, 2023)
(We found the dino @ Albrook Mall
+ some much needed AC, 2023)
(Inside the dino, our surprising touristic activities, 2023)
A recurring theme throughout our trip was the kindness of locals. While globally speaking, I’ve experienced the most active warmth from locals in Taiwan and Vietnam and the most reserved but respectful treatment from locals in Estonia, I didn’t know what to expect in Panama. We often had individuals give us advice or assistance and it was very much appreciated. One thing we recognized, first in our travels around the city, and then through history and cultural museums, was the multiculturalism of Panama. For me, it is always an amazing thing to be living in spaces that are diverse and intercultural, but learning about the history of this country and my own country’s role in many of the challenges was eye-opening. While I’d read up on it prior to the trip, the museums were a great way to engage that history in-country. It was moving.
Unfortunately, elements of the museum exhibits and the earlier incident ‘use of ‘lightening sunscreen’ in Panama reminded me of the trends that occur in many countries around the world related to colorism. This is when individuals receive preferential treatment due to having lighter skin tones in relation to others. In some countries, individuals want to darken or tan their skin, and in others, they want to lighten it. As a tourist, no matter where you travel, how you look, speak, and behave will be on the receiving end of different treatment from locals, depending. And unfortunately, many tourists of color and varying identities (sexual orientation, gender, ethnicity, religion, etc.) receive poor treatment while abroad. As many individuals also struggle with discrimination in their home countries, it can be equally devastating to experience harassment or discrimination while abroad. These aspects can be challenging as a tourist, no matter your skin tone, but it’s important to remember that you may receive preferential treatment in some countries based on your appearance alone. Understanding this, and being respectful of all those you encounter, whether local or tourist, is key in being a responsible and equality-minded tourist. Several resources to look into include the Cape Town Declaration on Responsible Tourism, The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association, and World Tourism Market resources combating racism in tourism (2; 3; 4).
(Urban elements in Panama City, 2023)
Expectations vs Reality
Destination Image is a huge concept I’ve touched on in the past. This relates to both how we perceive a tourism destination without ever having visited, the lived experiences, and the always shifting perceptions during and after, even with repeat visits (5). Emotions, ideas, and shared knowledge help shape how we perceive a destination and it’s also how destination management organizations and tourism operators/providers choose to market to potential tourists. For instance, if you think of the destination of Bali, Indonesia, what comes to mind? Beaches, clear water, fresh fruits, yoga? How about Spain? Maybe: bulls, sangria, beaches, and flamenco. Again, these are all elements of a destination that may not even be the actual reality you encounter. Or maybe, you can find these elements in one place at the destination but not others. For instance, a lot of the elements you’d picture for Spain might come from the Andalucían region of Spain. So if you visit Tarragona or San Sebastian, it might feel different than anticipated. This is why research can come in handy before traveling. However, nothing can fully prepare you for reality and what you encounter.
In our trip, I had of course built up a fluid concept of the destination image through research of blogs, articles, stories, and more. I had tried to prepare myself and our group the most we could. And yet, there were still many surprises!
(Beautiful cultural elements in the city, 2023)
(Urban hub in Central America, 2023)
(One of my favorite areas in PC, 2023)
I often find that when you travel to a new place, you immediately find yourself associating it with previous destinations visited. It doesn’t mean that Destination X is really more like Destination Y than any other, just that it pushes you to visualize things and places you’ve previously encountered. For me, Panama did the same. I immediately thought of Malaysia, China, Malta, and Taiwan when getting my first visuals of the city, both at night and the next morning. The expansiveness of the urban city, along with the skyscrapers and tropical nature interwoven, reminded me of Kuala Lumpur on our night drive via Uber from the airport. In the morning, some of the views outside our hotel’s terrace over breakfast reminded me of university buildings I’d seen in southern Taiwan. The never-ending construction projects shouted Malta. The overall large urban vibes and humidity reminded me of southern China, and yet, most often it was contrasts to my imagined concept that struck me.
(Walking the unpredictable streets in a nicer area of town, 2023)
Having learned that Panama City was a well-developed urban hub in Central America, I envisioned it being a bit more solid in public infrastructure than it was. On the one hand, the metro was nice and shiny (and cheap!). The old city had been through the process of gentrification and was visually beautiful but rough around the edges, the business district was extensive and looming, and the views along Cinta Costera and the coast were stunning! People often say it reminds them of Miami. But on the flip side, the regular sidewalks, streets, and drainage were in poor condition in most areas of the city, often requiring you to pay more attention to the ground than to what was above [these places weren't usually somewhere I'd take pictures]. In contrast, my experiences living in similar urban hubs (often larger) in East Asia and traveling in SE Asia included much higher quality investment and development of sidewalks, streets, and more. Had I gone into the country without these expectations or comparisons, or perhaps visited from another regional country’s capital city that was less urban, I might have felt differently. Again, this is how fascinating travel can be. While my destination image has shifted, I still find Panama City a beautiful and layered tourism destination that I’d recommend visiting.
(Views above the city as a trio, 2023)
(A dad & his two sons on vacay aka our group, 2023)
Favorites & Takeaways
When I consider my favorite parts of the trip, I immediately think of those I traveled with. I am grateful that my brother and good friend jumped on board so willingly, trusting my occasional ‘executive decisions’ and travel planning skills. It was honestly a fun adventure with my travel companions, whether we met with obstacles or positive surprises. The experiences that I most enjoyed include: experiencing the city in all of its details, the tropical nature/wildlife encounters, Isla Taboga, the amazing Museo del Canal Casco Antiguo Panamá, our Panamanian chocolate making experience, Panama coffee tastings, traditional dance/food, our relaxing hotel evenings including a spa night, and the surprise of shopping tourism. These experiences are all full of stories and I intend to share them later on. But the biggest takeaway is the focus on experience tourism. Instead of focusing on things or landmarks alone when playing tourist, paying for and seeking out experiences, especially those related to niche interests of yours can be a worthwhile investment (6). It will inform your memories of the trip. While souvenirs are also fun, and we did collectively bring home a Panama hat, tagua nut carvings, a couple of postcards, and local snacks, the biggest memories will come from the activities we took on. Whether through hiking Ancon Hill, swimming at Isla Taboga, devouring ceviche at the local fish market, or engaging the complicated cultural and historical nuances of Zonian lifestyles at the Canal museum, my memories of Panama will continue to inspire reflection for years to come.
(Wild Beach day at Isla Nublar
aka Isla Taboga, 2023)
(Enjoying our Panamanian chocolate making experience, 2023)
Thank you for following along & digging into the differences we encounter when we travel, following our extended trip planning. Let’s embrace the realities of travel while doing our best to engage in responsible tourism!
Happy travels!
~Amber
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#ambrosiaelsewhere #sustainabletourism #travel #centralamerica #panama #traveltips #destinationimage #tourism #responsibletourism #trip #international
References:
Casco Viejo UNESCO WHS https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/790/
Cape Town Declaration on Responsible Tourism https://responsibletourismpartnership.org/cape-town-declaration-on-responsible-tourism/
The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association https://www.iglta.org/
Racism in Tourism https://responsibletourismpartnership.org/racism-in-tourism/
Destination Image https://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/clustering-tourists-based-on-reason-for-destination-choice/61906
Experience Tourism https://pro.regiondo.com/blog/experience-tourism/
Urban Bitch Tourism Podcast https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/amber-johnson9/episodes/Graduation-Episode-e1na2g4
Urban Bitch Tourism IG https://www.instagram.com/urbanbitchtourism/
Loved reading this Amber! My conclusion is that I'm glad it was young you rather than 80 year old me!!! But it certainly was an adventure worth adding to your great collection of memories!
😍