From Jamaica To Panama Via A Drama
Our money policies when it comes to travel include never carrying too much hard cash, using a bank card wherever we can and keeping amounts in that “live” account relatively modest. And above all, checking the account at least once daily. It’s a good job we stick to our policies, as you will see.
With the Jamaica roads as they are and journey times unpredictable (and significantly longer than Google tells you), we opt to spend our last night on the island in Montego Bay to ensure we are close to the airport. Making our way first along the south coast from Treasure Beach and then across country, the views on the drive are consistently stunning.
Montego Bay is as welcoming today as it was on our day trips here from Falmouth, though we were right about the noise after dark – the “hip strip” is a place which parties long into the night and never really falls silent. Our own night out is good too, once our drama has subsided a little: we enjoy an excellent curry goat and have one last session on the Wray & Nephew rum, taking it as the locals do….which is to acquire a small bottle, plus a bottle of mixer and two glasses. Add more rum as necessary because the mixer (tonight’s is grapefruit) lasts longer than the rum (coconut).
Earlier though, having again enjoyed the beautiful crystal clear waters of Mo Bay, we have a last couple of Red Stripe beers before heading back for a shower. At least that’s the idea….until, true to form, I check the bank account, and the drama begins. Something is seriously wrong, a whole heap of money has gone walkies. It takes a few minutes to twig what’s happened – I had told the barman to round the beer bill up to 3000 JD so as to include his tip…but he’s charged me, wait for it, three thousand AMERICAN dollars instead of Jamaican! Three thousand dollars for five beers!!
We race back to the bar, where their reaction makes it obvious that it’s a genuine error, and the apologetic boss lady keys in a refund and tries to reassure us that it’ll all be OK. But, inevitably, the money’s gone out in double quick time, while the refund….isn’t here. And we are due to leave Jamaica in the morning.
The lady gives us a phone number and an email address for head office, she gives me the original receipt and the refund receipt. We feel reassured to a degree….but it’s not like having the money back, is it. Morning comes and there’s still no sign of it. I email head office and, again reassuringly, get an instant response confirming the refund has been processed and “should land within 3 days or so”.
And so we leave Jamaica with a big hole in our funds and the ongoing worry that this could become a long distance and long winded saga.
Hours later we hit Panama City, where due to our host’s agent being involved in a minor car accident we can’t get into our apartment for nearly 3 hours, during which time we can’t get a decent enough signal to check the bank account. Finally – finally – he arrives with the keys, and we’re in. And guess what: so is the money, all nestled back where it belongs smiling at me from the ipad screen, just 24 hours after it disappeared.
Our relief is palpable. We start to count our lucky stars that a) we checked the account when we did, b) we hadn’t yet left Jamaica and moreover c) we were only yards from the “offending” bar when we discovered it……this could so, so easily have happened just before a 3-hour drive across the country, or something similar. At least we could sort it out in person. And, of course, we’re grateful that the bar manager lady was quick and efficient and her head office likewise. All’s well that ends well, huh.
Under normal circumstances, kicking around Plaza Bolivar with our backpacks for nearly three hours in the sweltering heat would have been the day’s drama – not this time! But, you know, even in these circumstances, Panama City looks instantly spectacular.
The cab ride from the airport to the oldest part of the city, Casco Viejo, passes through the flamboyant new city with its impossibly high and crazily narrow skyscrapers in all shapes, sizes and designs. It’s as if a whole load of inventive architects have been allowed to let their imaginations run wild. Looking back towards the new city from Casco Viejo is almost akin to viewing the Manhattan or Hong Kong skyline from across the water.
But the appeal of Panama City doesn’t end with the new. The beautiful Casco Viejo (aka San Felipe) district is positively bursting at the seams with grand and delightfully restored colonial buildings sporting balconies, balustrades and graceful windows. Now a UNESCO world heritage site, this district was, not so long ago, a neglected and decrepit neighbourhood with a reputation for lawlessness. These days, plush hotels and cool restaurants stand shoulder to shoulder with the beautiful Spanish style buildings so pleasing on the eye.
Elsewhere in this amazing city, man made causeways and low slung viaducts carry the city’s traffic to its islands and harbours, reaching like outstretched arms across the sea. There are gleaming shopping malls the size of small towns, underpasses and flyovers, manicured green spaces and those futuristic skyscrapers which all give Panama City the look of an exciting modern metropolis – yet buried in its older quarter are plazas, cobbled streets and ancient churches which could be in any old town in Spain. So many contrasts.
Music is everywhere, just as it is throughout Latin America, and it doesn’t take much to get these guys up and dancing. Joy, beauty, the modern, the ancient, the lively and the peaceful: it’s all here. And we’ve only been here a couple of days.
But, of course, there is one further paradox. Not all of Casco Viejo, let alone all of Panama City, is gentrified: wander down a wrong street from Plaza Santa Ana and you’ve entered a no-go area for tourists which is regularly described as “dangerous even during daytime”. And the more we wander the streets, the more we notice the disturbing clues.
Now and again between the beautiful buildings are the derelict shells of former houses awaiting restoration, and look up above the grand facades and sometimes the upper floors of swish buildings are decrepit, crumbling and roofless. A dirty sheet may hang from the brickwork, a child may sit on a ledge gazing into the street below, people emerge from or disappear into these voids: all evidence of the deprived and poverty stricken families who live in these awful conditions within a stone’s throw of the smart restaurants.
Casco Viejo teems with a heavy police presence, uniformed officers standing in pairs on many street corners. Their aim is to prevent visitors from wandering into areas occupied by the poor – and vice versa. It’s effectively a police cordon encircling the gentrified centre. As local people impart advice on where not to go, they use extreme bigoted terms to describe those in poverty.
It’s early days but yep, this is certainly a city of contrasts.
33 Comments
Mike and Kellye Hefner
Again, life isn’t fair. I’m so glad your credit card debacle turned out positive and that you made it to Panama City with little trouble. Stay safe. We look forward to more Panama posts!
Phil & Michaela
Thank you Kellye x
Alison
What a drama as you say, I can imagine the prickly feeling you get before a panic attack in discovering the mistake, Good job it was a fancy bar and not a smaller place with no head office.
Panama looks fantastic so far, I’ve never even considered it and don’t know anyone whose been there.
Phil & Michaela
We have a varied agenda planned so it’ll be interesting to see different parts of the country
Alison
Sounds good
Don’t tip so much next time 😂
MrsWayfarer
Wow that was a whirwind of events in a span of 24 hours. Good call on checking your account and what a relief the store was cooperative and committed in sorting it out!
Gilda Baxter
A good lesson for all of us to regularly check the bank account. Particularly after a night out.
Panama City looks very interesting, although the poverty is heartbreaking.
Merry Christmas to you both, have a lovely time and keep enjoying your travels.
Phil & Michaela
You guys have a great one too!
Andrew Petcher
I always find it irritating that a payment can go out in seconds but a refund takes several days.
Phil & Michaela
There’s no justification for it!
WanderingCanadians
Glad to hear that it all worked out with the bar and that you were able to get your money back. Thank goodness you noticed the mistake right away! Looks like you were off to a good start in Panama, even if you did have a few hours to kill before you could check into your apartment.
Toonsarah
Well, Panama City certainly looks and sounds interesting with that mix of old and new, gentrified and poor. I wasn’t really aware of the charms of Casco Viejo, I’d mostly seen photos of that modern waterfront. The police presence there reminds me of our visit to Quito some years ago, where tourist police stood on the streets to make sure everyone stayed safe – which we did 🙂
As for your drama, I’m glad it worked out OK and was relatively easily resolved. Such a good thing that you checked the account before leaving Jamaica!
leightontravels
Oh lord, I can only imagine how unsettled you must have been feeling on that flight. And then on top of that the mess up with the accommodation. Your first impressions of Panama City look fantastic, an architectural wonderland really. Hoping for no more dramas as your latest adventures unfold…
Monkey's Tale
How stressful! But resolved relatively quickly thank goodness. We also found the contrasts in Panama City quite harsh, but such is Central/South America. Are you going to San Blas? If so and uou haven’t booked I can give you some tips. Maggie
Phil & Michaela
Yes we are, much later in the trip, towards the end of January. Tips welcome as ever, though we have already booked…..but yes any advice would be useful.
Monkey's Tale
Well most of my advice was going to be a suggestion on who to book with, so you don’t need that. The tours offered from your base island are usually included. We enjoyed going to out to the far islands like Tortuga, but some of the tours to closer islands like perro Chico and chichimie were busy and the star fish snorkeling was not great, we wish we didn’t go. Do you watch Money Heist? One episode was filmed there. Merry Christmas!!
Phil & Michaela
Never heard of Money Heist, don’t know what it is! Anyway…our itinerary is sleeping on three different islands, one night each on Pelicano, Aguja and Perro Chico but also visiting Perro Grande Ucusubi….all with Panama San Blas Tours which includes pick up and return from Panama City. Nowhere seems very busy just now!
Monkey's Tale
It’s a Spanish bank heist show on Netflix. The Spanish (real) name is Casa de Papel. We stayed on Yani, I don’t know Pelicano. Anyway if they offer a trip to the far away Cayos Holandeses, consider going. One last thing. Our meals were very small so you may want to bring your own snacks. Enjoy!!
Phil & Michaela
Ah that’s worth knowing. We think that of the three islands we’ll be sleeping on, at least one has no facilities whatsoever, so it should be a bit of an adventure!
mochatruffalo
I’m not sure I would’ve been so cool to head to the next destination until I saw that the refund had hit my account 😳
Phil & Michaela
Yep, I know what you mean….we just had to roll with it and keep faith!
Lookoom
They did a good job with Casco Viejo, it looks more and more like Cartagena in Colombia, another example of Spanish colonial architecture. I’d like to recommend Granclement ice cream parlour in Calle 8a Este, the best sorbets in town, but it’s not your taste. Almost forgot the Canal …
Latitude Adjustment: A Tale of Two Wanderers
Make sure you check out Restaurante Santa Rita, authentic Spanish and Nazca 21, Peruvian! Our two favorites! Casa Casco, Fantastic roof top bar. There is several restaurants in the same building that are all great!
Phil & Michaela
Ah, well we left the City this morning so we’ll have to try those when we get back there. We did find several good restaurants, but didn’t get to Casa Casco despite walking past lots of times – we were intending to go there last night but it was a National Day of Mourning so alcohol is banned for the day. We’ll be back!
Latitude Adjustment: A Tale of Two Wanderers
OBTW, are you going to Boquete? We lived there for over 3 years. A totally different Panama perspective, except there are are lot of Expats. Red Frog beach in Bocas del Torro, as well as the San Blas Islands, are a must! Info on our blog. Cheers!
Phil & Michaela
Yes we are! Boquete is on the agenda in a couple of weeks’ time…and yes we’re heading to San Blas too…
grandmisadventures
Oh what a heart attack that must have given you to see $3000 gone from your account. Thank goodness it was an honest mistake and one that they were so good to correct. Love seeing the incredible contrasts of Panama! That is a country I’ve always been interested in so I am really looking forward to following along with your trip through it 🙂
Phil & Michaela
It promises to be a varied few weeks!
wetanddustyroads
That barman must have thought you were the best 😮!! Great shot of Jamaica from the plane (even with the thought of the ‘lost’ money). And Casco Viejo looks lovely (or at least the ‘safe’ part).
Phew, but let me just say: I’m so happy you got your money back … I’ll drink to that at our Christmas table!
Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle
Very sobering contrasts in Panama City. I’m happy that the error was quickly fixed re your account. If it weren’t I’m sure it would leave a bad taste of my beautiful island in your mind, and we can’t have that. 🙂 Anyway, safe and happy travels in Panama! I’ll be following your journey on here
Phil & Michaela
Well they were very helpful in sorting it out….and, you know, how lovely the people were, will be one of our longest lasting memories of Jamaica.
rkrontheroad
Wow, what a scam from your last Jamaican story! A relief when it was resolved. It’s important to be on your toes! I spent a few days in Panama at a conference once and recall the poverty amid the colonial restorations. You have captured it well.
Phil & Michaela
Thank you Ruth