Things we learned while in Panama City

Things we learned while in Panama City:

* It’s illegal to talk on the phone and drive. You will get pulled over and get a ticket. Even if you can’t understand what the officer is saying.

* Ella’s Guest House was great for us. If you’re ever in the City and need a place to stay where you can use the kitchen, laundry and have secure parking, I know just the place! And she's a tour guide!

* The Panama Canal is really interesting! I can’t believe it has been around for 100 years and is still in great working shape. Maybe someday we will get to ride through it. If you’re a resident, it’s $3 for adults and $2 for kids. If you’re a tourist, it’s $15 per adult. Our whole family got to see the museum and canal for $10!

* Panama City has everything. Dr Pepper, Chuck E. Cheese, Little Caesar’s Pizza, Wendy’s, huge malls, nice people, play dates, fun parks. Everything. Traffic and hot temperatures are also a given.

* Ben learned how to install a Panamanian hot water heater. He was helping Ella out right before we left!

* Even in such a huge city, you still run into people you’ve seen before. We received help at the bank from a really nice guy and then saw him the next day at the Canal. We then learned he’s a tour guide and knows some of our friends in Volcan. Then we saw another guy twice that we had just met. The connections we had with Ella also helped us see what a small world it is!

* You haven't seen traffic or construction until you've been in Panama City. Constant. Everywhere. If it's a 2 lane road and there's traffic, make a third lane.

* Having 5 blonde, curly headed children makes everyone stare, smile and ask questions. We constantly get asked if they’re all ours and if they’re all siblings. I thought this would stop in the US, but apparently having 5 children is considered a large family here as well.

* 7 people, 2 double strollers, 3 suitcases, 7 backpacks, groceries, a dog crate, a large dog, 2 booster seats, and 2 car seats will not all fit in a 7 passenger vehicle. You will have to strap 2 bags, a dog crate and a stroller to the roof. Then the dog will have to sit in your lap for the entire trip. Brutal.

We got to do a lot of fun stuff in Panama City. It’s a great place to visit and Spirit can get you there pretty cheaply. I highly recommend both! We went to the Old Down Town part which was interesting to see how they’re trying to fix it up. We attended church on Sunday morning at Iglesia Bautista El Dorado before heading toward Santiago to spend the night.

On our way to Santiago, we stopped at a beach called Farallon to let the kids play for a little while. We were running a little later than we wanted to be, so it was a quick stop but they still got to get in the water and look for shells. Then we had Pio Pio chicken before heading to our AirBNB stop for the night. It was a nice little place and the lady said we were their last customers because they’re moving to Germany.