What to expect in... Panama City
18. Bachata
You'll hear bachata and other island-styled music on the bus and on the streets. The bus might even blast the music through a huge sound system.
17. Lockers in stores
To go into most stores, you have to leave your bags in a locker.
The grocery stores have a surprisingly large selection of food from the US, but everything's more expensive.
Also, isn't this the coolest store name?
People are glued to their TVs in the evening, watching either soap operas or soccer.
The soaps are oh, so dramatic.
Panama has a number of historical landmarks from its European colonizers. I guess that's not really a rarity since Europe colonized most of the world.
14. Metropolitan Park
There's a huge rainforest in the middle of the city!
13. Mangos, pineapple, and avocados
Tropical fruits are fresh, delicious, and cheap.
12. Growth
The economy is hot and full of jobs. In addition, the Panama Canal's capacity was just doubled and a new subway system was just opened.
11. Fried Chicken
They love arroz con pollo (rice with chicken) and they eat it all the time.
Fried chicken's popular, and you'll even find KFCs and Popeyes.
Panama has hundreds of islands. That means there's lot of exploring to do.
Panamanians like to paint everything really bright colors. I've even seen painted trees and rocks.
The visible colors reflect the people's colorful personalities.
This is one of the world's top retirement destinations, especially for wealthy Americans. The Panamanians have low wages, but are much better off than other Central Americans. They are also proud of their relatively good infrastructure.
Be prepared for sweat and mold. It storms most days in the afternoon.
The people talk fast and slur their words.
5. Skyscrapers
The skyline is impressive and goes on as far as you can see.
Take a bike ride on the Causeway to get a nice view.
4. Diversity
Panama City has a very ethnically diverse population. It's a mix of indigenous tribes Europeans, Africans, and Chinese people, which all have a strong presence.
3. Diablos
They like to decorate buses as imaginatively as possible and make them as loud as possible. There's usually huge speakers and flashing lights inside.
The government is trying to phase the diablos out tho.
The U.S had a big impact on the country from its occupation of the Canal Zone in the 1900's.
Get outside the city and you'll find the culture is much less Americanized (and that people are friendlier too.)
1. Kunas
Panama's most visible indigenous group (because of their really cool clothes.) In recent years, the government has treated the various indigenous groups with respect and has given them autonomy within their own territories.
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