Middle-aged flash packers

Why Panama?

Why not? American expats seem to like it, along with quite a few others who enjoy it for its generous tax advantages. I’ve heard the money there is unusually clean too.

In my mind, I see it as a more built up Costa Rica, all the same wildlife and geography with the added draw of islands and indigenous tribes. Oh and a massive canal.

For the first time, we are flying with AirFrance. As there are no direct flights from the UK, transiting through Paris with AF seemed a better choice than the nightmare that is Miami airport.

I have to report that, despite the downer everyone seems to have on British Airways, give me BA any day.

Air France is an airline that just can’t say no. People’s carry on “hand luggage” was insane.

A backpacker even brought his absolutely giant rucksack which wouldn’t even fit in an overhead locker on its own. The luggage was overflowing, with the stewards optimistically trying to fit huge cases into lockers that just weren’t made to hold them. After failing miserably, the staff would take the luggage off and find somewhere else to stuff them. I don’t know where they went but they appeared to be heading in the direction of business class. I have an image in my head of men in suits with their legs around their ears and reading newspapers,sitting on top of several pieces of luggage.

There was also a bit of argy-bargy with a very unpleasant man and his wife who were sitting in the exit row and took exception to the stewardess not speaking Arabic. She rather bravely told them that they were flying with a French airline. Time for me to put the eyeshade on and pretend to be asleep. The irony of this spat was that we were supposed to have those seats but for some reason we got bumped from them. Karma eh?

The travel day was long and tedious but a glass of champers and two glasses of white wine induced an uncomfortable sleep of at least an hour which only left ten more to go.

Eventually we arrived at Panama airport, only to wait yet another hour sitting on the plane until we could get off the damn thing.

We collected our car and drove to our hotel. Car fine, hotel basic. Still, the Wyndham hotel was only 70 dollars and we have a suite which means we have a bathroom each – yay!

We managed one beer before the hotel bar closed at 10.30pm. Hopefully we’ve made a good start on the jet lag.

Looking forward to what tomorrow brings.