Panama City

I just returned from a week spent in Panama City, and my almost-finished spring break feels like a hazy summer dream. I taught dance in two different Panamanian orphanages with the non-profit organization Movement Exchange. Six other dancers from LMU and I packed our bags and flew a red eye to Panama city.

I instantly fell in love with the colors of the city (see my photo below from the first day when I found a building in my favorite hue of yellow).  The buildings fade from bright shades of yellow, blue, purple, and orange to pastel pinks and periwinkles.

 The streets are incredibly narrow, and navigation throughout the city requires a blend of jaywalking, sidewalk jumping, and yelling at cars.

        

Panama just hosted World Youth Day in January, so the Cathedral was refinished just in time for Pope Francis to say Mass. The basilica is stunning and yet simple all at once, with an ornate altar and clean white walls.

During my few free moments, I explored our neighborhood, Casco Viejo. Compared to the more cosmopolitan downtown area of Panama, Casco has quaint houses interrupted by ruins of former Panama. In fact, 2019 is the 500th anniversary of the original Panama City, founded in 1519 by the Spanish conquistadors.

Even though the heat was sweltering (90+ degrees plus humidity), I loved sitting outside in the early morning to write and reflect on my experiences. I popped in a local coffee shop one morning to escape the heat for a few brief moments in air conditioning.

We spent our days in a busito (little bus) driven by René, a Panamanian man who shared with us his love, donuts, and fun facts about the city. His little yellow bus was beautiful and a welcome respite from the Panamanian heat. Everywhere we drove, people waved at him and shouted his name.

I caught one of the Panamanian sunsets in the bus just after we had crossed the canal on a bridge. Time in Panama is elusive; one moment slips quietly into the next. The city is a bit lazy and slow in the best way, and it made me reconsider how obsessed I can be with time.

On our last day, we took a ferry to Taboga, an island off the coast of Panama in the Pacific Ocean. The sweltering heat and cold water were the perfect combination, and my muscles were so happy to be in the water after a week of dancing every day.

    

I will be sure to share more about my experience with the dancers, but I am busy reflecting and cramming all the school work I avoided for the past week. Stay tuned for more thoughts on Panama.