Our next stop was Panama City. Why Panama, you ask? Simple: we had a week off before leaving the continent, and we wanted somewhere we’d never been that was on the way between Quito and L.A. (where our flight was leaving). Bonus points if it had direct flights both ways, a mix of nature and city comforts, and ideally no seven-hour bus rides through mountains. Panama City checked all the boxes — and it did not disappoint.
We knew things were different the moment we left the airport: the taxi had working seatbelts! (South America, take notes — we survived many rides with “decorative” seatbelts.) On the drive to our apartment, the kids kept pointing out the smooth roads, shiny new cars, and the fact that the city was… clean. The neighborhood felt lively but safe, and for once we could all relax a little.
Compared to Mexico City and much of South America, Panama City came with some pleasant surprises:
Stray animals: Almost no dogs in sight. A few cats, but no barking packs chasing us down the street — which meant our kids’ blood pressure dropped significantly. (Though they still jumped every time a random bark echoed in the distance.)
Bathrooms: Toilet paper provided! After months of carrying emergency rolls like survivalists, this was luxury.
Fashion: Shorts were back in business! In Mexico City and Quito, only tourists dared bare their knees. In Panama, people dressed like they were auditioning for a sunscreen commercial.
Weather: Flat, humid, and HOT. Think “Ottawa in July”
Friendliness: Unchanged. Latin America is consistently full of some of the warmest, kindest people you’ll ever meet.
We based ourselves in Casco Viejo, the old quarter with cobblestone streets, pastel buildings. Our main goal: chill after the Galápagos whirlwind. That lasted… two days.
We booked a Monkey Islands tour, originally set for 2 p.m., but Panama had other plans. Cue a dramatic thunderstorm that cancelled everything. Rescheduled? Yes — for 6 a.m. Not exactly “relaxed vacation mode,” but apparently early mornings = better wildlife sightings.
In the meantime, we visited the Panama Canal Museum. Despite the name, it was more about Panama’s history in general than the Canal itself. Still fascinating: a story that begins with colonization and invasions but ends with independence and pride.
While in Panama, I was on a mission to try Gesha (or Geisha) coffee — one of the world’s rarest (and priciest) beans, famous for its delicate, floral flavors. Normally I need at least a splash of milk to survive black coffee, but this one? Smooth, fragrant, and so good it felt like my taste buds had upgraded to first class. Easily the best black coffee I’ve ever had.
The next morning, coffee in hand and sleep in short supply, we were on the Canal before 7 a.m. and yes, early was worth it. We saw three monkey species (white-faced capuchins, tamarins, and howlers), turtles, a sloth, capybaras, crocodiles, and a coati. But then things got a little… sketchy. Our guide lured monkeys onto our boat with food and casually tossed chicken empanadas to crocodiles. Uhh… pretty sure that’s not in the safety manual. (“In Galápagos we’d be in jail by now,” Joey muttered.)
We also squeezed in a short hike in Soberanía National Park, capped off with the kids cannonballing into a murky jungle pool. Joey bravely opted out — because if you can’t see the bottom, who knows what’s lurking down there?
On the way back, our driver kindly dropped us at the Miraflores Locks, one of the best spots to watch the Panama Canal in action. No ships were due for hours, so we killed time with the surprisingly great 3D movie. The kids swatted at imaginary mosquitoes the whole time, then immediately ditched the locks for the industrial-sized cooling fans outside. (Brand name: “BIG ASS FANS.” Accurate. They didn’t care about the boats, just the sweet, sweet breeze.)
For our last day, the kids voted for the Biomuseo, a Frank Gehry–designed museum about Panama’s natural history and the formation of its isthmus. The best part: models of extinct mega-animals — including a giant sloth the size of a car.
The museum sits on the Amador Causeway, a strip of land linking a chain of islands, perfect for biking. Except… it was brutally hot, and we weren’t convinced Teddy could manage 10 km in the sun. Solution: tandem bikes. Except Teddy was too short to reach the pedals. Solution #2: Teddy sat in a bike seat behind Joey, getting chauffeured like royalty, while Joey sweated bullets up front. Parenting at its finest.
Despite the heat, the ride was gorgeous — ocean views, breezes (finally), and a great way to wrap up our Panama adventure.
Final Night: Trigger Warning — Poop
Our last evening in Casco Viejo, we decided to go out for dessert in the plaza. Picture it: cozy tables, warm night air, happy kids with churros. Then… SPLAT. Noise, smell, chaos.
We’d been bombed. Not by a pigeon. Not even by a seagull. No — by a vulture. (Yes, they apparently live in the city.) The kids got hit the worst — a cupful of foul-smelling, tar-like poop all over their legs. Mercifully, no one took a direct hit to the head. Silver linings.
And that, my friends, is how Panama City gave us monkeys, canals, mega-sloths… and the most unforgettable goodbye gift of all.
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