An Inauspicious Start

By the time we landed yesterday, and I made my way through the jumble that is Tocumen International Airport, I thought for sure they'd throw me in quarantine--I felt more than a little coronavirus-y.  And I've never experienced my ears not popping before.  And the lengthy forms I had to fill out--does anyone even read them?--were entirely in Spanish.  I was so thankful to finally get to my hotel and to my room.

I had a walking tour scheduled for this afternoon but last night I postponed it until Friday.  My condition improved enough overnight that this morning I went for a short walk along the waterfront just to get outside.

Panama City is loud, it's crowded, it's dirty--like so many other cities in the world.  But there's beauty, too, if you look for it.  One of the things I like about tropical places is the color:

click to enlarge

There are glass-and-steel high-rises everywhere, so I'm especially looking forward to the Skyline tour.  If I remember correctly, we'll walk up that hill in the last picture--can you see the huge Panamanian flag at the top?--and look over the city and the Pacific side of the canal.

But for now, it's time for a rest.