Panama City
There are few places in the world where I could be so certain that I would not return. Panama City, however, is one.
The climate is sub-tropical which means that the heat can be never escaped. Walking around for any longer than half an hour is testing, which means exploring the city is given a miss.
The City itself is in the middle of huge developement all over the city, with hotels and big businesses setting up large branches here. Walking down the street, you see all the famillar brands of McDonalds, KFC, Wendy's, Hot Rock Cafe and Burger King. This, mixed with huge shopping complexes leaves much to be questioned by travellers when they come here.
It takes the worst parts of Western cutures and the worst part of developing cultures and mixes them together in a humid sweat mix. Things are expensive and unaffordable, and the surroundings are unsafe.
If you do wish to explore the city you are hustled and bustled for money by every next person. As a traveller it is extreamly disconcerting.
One such person said: "I didn't like it there. You just felt you were going to get mugged all the time. I felt racist when I left. I didn't want to speak to any black people."
Two travellers, who I shared a room with had both been robbed and mugged respectivly within the past 48 hours.
Tom Clegg, a 27 year old from Newcastle was sitting in an Internet cafe when he was robbed. "Some guy came and sat next to me yapping off in Spanish. I couldn't understand a word he was saying but politely tried to send him on his way. Turing back to by desk, I noticed something had dissapeard. It was my wallet I looked towrads the door and clocked a boy making a fast exit. With not a second's thought I ran after him. He made it around the corner and was out of sight. It was obvious to me that the two had worked together to tri
The other, Michael, 22, from the US had a far more grusome ordeal. Met by four guys in the middle of the day, he was attacked.
"They just jumped me from behind," says Michael. "I tried to fight them off for a while until one of them pulled a gun on me. Then pinned me down and pointed a knife towards my cock. They took everything including my passport before punching me and breaking my tooth."
Michael is still stuck in Panama City having been to the US Embassy several times to try and get his passport replaced.
Like the other travellers, I too have been mugged and suffer the same fatigue of just wanting to go home.
Painfully hot and expensive, to the point where the only activity during the afternoons is to sleep, I cannot wait to return to my own country, where the most dangerous thing to do is crossing the road.
The climate is sub-tropical which means that the heat can be never escaped. Walking around for any longer than half an hour is testing, which means exploring the city is given a miss.
The City itself is in the middle of huge developement all over the city, with hotels and big businesses setting up large branches here. Walking down the street, you see all the famillar brands of McDonalds, KFC, Wendy's, Hot Rock Cafe and Burger King. This, mixed with huge shopping complexes leaves much to be questioned by travellers when they come here.
It takes the worst parts of Western cutures and the worst part of developing cultures and mixes them together in a humid sweat mix. Things are expensive and unaffordable, and the surroundings are unsafe.
If you do wish to explore the city you are hustled and bustled for money by every next person. As a traveller it is extreamly disconcerting.
One such person said: "I didn't like it there. You just felt you were going to get mugged all the time. I felt racist when I left. I didn't want to speak to any black people."
Two travellers, who I shared a room with had both been robbed and mugged respectivly within the past 48 hours.
Tom Clegg, a 27 year old from Newcastle was sitting in an Internet cafe when he was robbed. "Some guy came and sat next to me yapping off in Spanish. I couldn't understand a word he was saying but politely tried to send him on his way. Turing back to by desk, I noticed something had dissapeard. It was my wallet I looked towrads the door and clocked a boy making a fast exit. With not a second's thought I ran after him. He made it around the corner and was out of sight. It was obvious to me that the two had worked together to tri
The other, Michael, 22, from the US had a far more grusome ordeal. Met by four guys in the middle of the day, he was attacked.
"They just jumped me from behind," says Michael. "I tried to fight them off for a while until one of them pulled a gun on me. Then pinned me down and pointed a knife towards my cock. They took everything including my passport before punching me and breaking my tooth."
Michael is still stuck in Panama City having been to the US Embassy several times to try and get his passport replaced.
Like the other travellers, I too have been mugged and suffer the same fatigue of just wanting to go home.
Painfully hot and expensive, to the point where the only activity during the afternoons is to sleep, I cannot wait to return to my own country, where the most dangerous thing to do is crossing the road.
posted by Tom Nicolson at 11:34 AM
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