panama, still una persona

Panama day 2
My friend Jim had to get some things done so he sent me off on a journey around the city. I had to get a cab to take me to the Canal de Panama. I was instructed to say the full name as they may not know what I was referring to if I just said canal. I was also given a figure to pay as well as instructions to figure out if the cab driver was legit or wanted to rob me. (the license plate number should match the number on the side of the door) After an hour in traffic and weaving in and out of neighborhoods while I watched cautiously we made it to the canal. I made it just in time to watch the last ship passing through for the morning. It is a pretty awesome thing to think about. I was standing in South America watching a huge tanker pass through two continents in this man made canal. The logistics of it as learned bilingually as well as with a short film are pretty damn intriguing.
After my millions of pictures I headed over to Casa Vallejo to wander about. Again I had to haggle with my cabbie and the area to get to where I was supposed to be was super sketchy. I kept murmuring, "please don't' let me out here, please don't' let me out here". There area was nice and I wondered around and snapped some photos before I realized I needed to head back to meet Jim.
Our evening in short:
picked up his friend and his Colombian girlfriend
took them to the airport and discussed his next girlfriend's visit
ate dinner at a nice Italian restaurant
we were served last because we were white, I didn't' mind because I ordered a 1/2 liter of wine
headed to a cigar bar
smoked Cuban cigars and drank Cuban beer
watched prostitutes pick up old white men
headed home with no prostitute

Day 3
Jim had to go back to the states and I decided to take a bus out to the beach. Sounds simple enough right? This is Panama were talking about though. My hour bus ride turned into eternity. At hour two we stopped at a road side cafe. I was not only the only English speaker on the bus but also the only person by myself. The bus driver stood up and said something about "an hour". Others got off the bus and wandered in. I looked around and decided to join the crowd towards the bathroom. When I get out I find everyone hoovering around a counter getting soda and pringles. I stand back to watch the scene. As everyone settles down to their individual table I walk up to the counter to see what the deal was.
Options:
6 different kinds of soda (these people live for sugar)
2 types of Gatorade
coffee (it is 100 degrees out)
beer
large cans of pringles...two flavors red or green.
Everyone in the room is eating chips and I all I could think about is my distaste for pringles and why the bus driver thinks it will take an hour to do this activity.
Luckily I am sitting next to the bus at my table for one when everyone gets up and gets back on the bus. Another hour in our drive (makes much more sense) and we arrive at the resort. Not the resort I am staying at, no I have to take a taxi ten minutes away to get to mine.

Playa Blanca is a nice little place. It reminds me of the inclusive resort I stayed in PV with Nichole and Janene. It was nice to catch up on my reading and lay in the sun. What wasn't so nice is to have to answer all the questions posed to me with,
"una persona, si".