Three Days in Panama

I'd had Panama on my list for two decades. A bridge between two continents and oceans, home to one of humankind's most impressive engineering achievements, incredible biodiversity right in the heart of the city, holiday parades and a festival of lights, amazing food - Panama holds a special appeal to me. It's the town square of the Western Hemisphere and it shows through it's multicultural character, it's bustling commerce, and it's stunning diversity of landscapes.

Getting oriented

Panama is all about 3 things: water, lights, and commerce.
Water permeates the city - the Pacific, the Canal, and the copious daily rainfall (in December). Plan accordingly or get soaked - which is often just fine with people - parades and bar crawls go on regardless!
Lights - they emanate from the many hotels and buildings, the Cinta Costera promenade, the thoroughfares, even from the Pacific itself - in the contours of the ships entering and exiting the Canal and the city lights reflecting in the water. You'd be forgiven for thinking you were in Vegas.
Commerce - the massive shopping malls, the street markets, and the everpresent foodstalls - it's all there. 5-6% of the global commerce traverses the Canal - even with recent expansions a surprisingly narrow channel, seemingly no wider than your typical 4 lane interstate highway. So yeah, if you can find it in the stores of NYC, Shanghai, or London - you'll probably find it in Panama City.

What I ate

Fonda Lo Que Hay (in the Casco Anutiguo neighborhood) — world-class food, deep smoky flavors, in a setting surrounded by various artifacts of Panamanian history.

Mercado de Mariscos — Unpretentious, open-air market with ceviche vendors competing for attention. As fresh as it gets with minimal heat treatment - the ultimate in the sea riches.

Street-stand chorizo — There's an argument that the original is overrated. It isn't. The custard is richer and the pastry is flakier than any I had elsewhere. Worth the queue.

What surprised me

Seeing a sloth within an arm's reach in the Metropolitan Park smack in the middle of the city. These are not city creatures. They prefer to keep their distance from humans and other mammals that could do them harm. The park is maintained like a true sanctuary, where you will see a variety of birds, long lines of leaf-cutter ants, and yes - the occasional sloth - that I doubt you would see in any other major city.

What I'd skip next time

The hotel food. Any neighborhood with allow you find plenty of options - be it street food, local eateries, or markets. Get out and enjoy a taste of Panama, you won't regret it.

Practical notes

• Three days is the right amount. Four starts to feel stretched.
• Carry a poncho. You WILL get rained on, like clockwork (at least in December).
• Uber is an easy and inexpensive way to get around. I also recommend walking the entire length of the Cinta Costera (about 2.5mi or 4km). You will enjoy the views of the Pacific on one side than the impressive skyline on the other.