random stuff about panama city
Panama City is a neat place and for my first time visiting a Latin American country I'm surprised how easy it is to get around and get things done. The people are extremely friendly and seem glad that Americans come to visit their country.
No matter where I've been, if I'm having trouble communicating and no amount of miming or trying to Spanish-ize English words has done the trick, there is an English speaker somewhere nearby that has been willing to help.
The lady barber in Bella Vista got a security guard from the nearby bank to find an American pensionado to help me locate the park, and a nice French man helped the guy at the mobile telephone store understand that I was not trying to buy a gun, but only asking why the guys on the motorcycles were wearing body armor and carrying machine guns. It turns out there are lots of banks and casinos in the area, and machine guns minimize problems with theft.
Around the Veneto Casino there are dozens of shops selling cell phones, accessories, and prepaid minutes. I was able to get a brand new Motorola C115 plus a case and a bunch of minutes for $35, but if you know Spanish you should be able to get better deals.
This area is also home to the sex clubs like Oasis and Life Girls, plus the independents in the Veneto. This is right in the middle of everything you would want to do, and there are a bunch of hotels within a few blocks for just about any budget. There was a guy standing across the street from the Veneto handing out cards offering service at the Oasis for $50, but I didn't have time to enter. I did take a stroll through the Veneto, and just like the reports said, there are many girls hanging out playing penny slots and looking around. Some of them were pretty, some not so pretty, but it's nice to know they're there if you need them.
A couple of blocks down there is a bridge over the road and underneath there are several bus stops and a bank of telephones. As I walked through this area I noticed a bunch of pretty younger women standing around and checking me out. I have had more than one expatriate tell me that every woman in Panama is probably available, so if that is the case these are good hunting grounds.