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After arriving in Panama at 9:20pm (8:20pm Panamainan time) people were not kidding about the mad rush that is the exit area of the airport. When i first arrived, the airport was very crowded once we left the security checkpoint. After passing through the two doors that separated the hoards of families and the passengers, a wave of people rushed towards us asking if we needed taxis. Luckily, I spotted a kiosk for 'Tourist Information'. I asked the operator and he nicely showed me the waiting area for 'VALIDATED TAXIS'.
The taxi offered me a fair price ($32 with tip) to get to my hostel. At night, i didnt see much, but of what i could see, it reminded me a lot of the Philippines with less people. Crowded door fronts, small buildings and people slowly sauntering around because of the heat
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The next morning, the sun shone through bright and early and the rustle of other backpackers woke me up for an early morning's complimentary breakfast of toast, peanut butter, jelly and Banana.
By 8:00am the morning routine was done, brushing teeth, washing face, getting dressed--it was as if the shock of coming to a new country sunk in overnight. My first mission was to get a phone number, so I acquired a map from the hotel reception and asked a nice police officer where I could possibly find a SIM Card (they call them 'chip's here) for my phone. The officer directed me towards a street full of shops. Totally confused, as I didn't see any outright signs for cell phone companies (which are very common in most countries I've been to) I came across a lane basically filled with Chinese vendors.
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