Welcome to the Banana Republic

Panama is more than a little different than Cuba. Panama has a sky-line that puts Seattle to shame. I still haven't figured out why they need so many banks and hotels and casinos. Almost everyone speaks a little english and there's a US fast-food chain on every damn street corner.

I guess this is what you wind up with after a 100 years of US Colonialism. But I guess Panama does enjoy a relatively high standard of living compared to the rest of Latin America. But I don't know, I feel like I could just have stayed in the US and gotten this experience.

Oh well, once I get my Brazilian visa (hopefully tuesday!) I'm free to go off and explore some more of this country and get out of Panama City. The San Blas Islands off the Atlantic Coast sound like fun, and I don't head to Brazil until Feb 13, so I got a little time.