The Lost Paradise of Panamá

Some things never seem to change. And in Panama, one of those things is the mysterious taxi. Always negotiate the price. These are supposed to be standard, but it may not work out that way. Use only a taxi that has a sign on top of their car. Don’t hail the ones that have the word Taxi painted on their car door. These are independents and they don’t follow the same rules. If you use only the licensed taxis, they have set guidelines as far as what they are supposed to charge from one place to another. For example, from the Tocumen Airport to Panama City is twenty-five dollars. In the city it works the same way. Ask a local what the price should be, or someone in your hotel. If the driver gives you a price that is way off, then pick someone else. There are plenty of taxis and it’s very easy, and cheap, to get around. 

Even cheaper is a bus, or as the locals say, diablo rojo—red devil. And indeed they are. While out and about you’ll need to navigate through mind-boggling traffic. And when on foot, be extremely careful while crossing any road. The locals are used to it—they’re like matadors battling the big steel diablos and small, quick taxis. If you get a rental car at the airport, you need to travel down at least twenty-five kilometers of unfamiliar road, at night, and you’ll stick out. So don’t do it. However, renting a car and crossing over the Bridge of the Americas (the main bridge that spans the canal) to the interior of Panama is another matter and shouldn’t be a problem.

Your goal should be to blend in as much as possible and not draw too much attention to yourself. Unless you stay in your hotel room the whole time, at some point you are going to pass through a neighborhood that will make you feel a little uncomfortable. Keep your money and papers in your front pockets–not your back, and limit the amount of jewelry you wear, if any.

Pirates, Presidents, Dictators, Bishops and Spooks have all come and gone in Panama. But one thing that has never changed is that you can drive a kilometer in any direction and see the most beautiful, and the ugliset sights imagineable.