Panama City Day 4

The group split up today and saw a bunch of really amazing sights in Panama. An early group left to see Monkey Island while the later group took a cab out to the Amador Causeway. This low, palm-tree lined crossing offers amazing views of the downtown skyline and also beautiful glimpses of the Panama barrier islands.

When we got there, we rented bikes with no shifting gears and biked up and down the island. Simon took a tumble and went head over heels for biking but escaped completely unhurt (no idea how...)
During lunch the group kept getting encircled by an aggressive pack of black birds which didn't help my irrational fear of birds at all. Some of our tricksters kept putting fries on the back of my chair and attracting the winged monsters.

After lunch we rented a 4-person bicycle and offered Tre the opportunity to learn how to drive for the first time. He drove with maniacal smile of a 7 year old who's been handed the keys to his father's Subaru for the first time. After some swerving and screaming, Tre got us to our destination safely and we took turns steering the surprisingly heavy contraption. (Note: our fearless leader doesn't yet have his license so this was a great opportunity for him to practice for his driving test.)

We also found ourselves quite inadequate when compared to the Hercules who is known to cross the street in Panama.

After taking a cab back to Casco Viejo on we had dinner (not at Bennigan's to Paul's chagrin) and are now planning to serenade the Brit-heavy hostel crowd with our Beatles Medley and Paperback Writer. Stay tuned for their response! Additionally, I met likely the only hockey fan in Panama (though he's a hostel resident from Montreal so that makes sense) and we talked about the Olympics, Sidney Crosby, why Quebec would beat the rest of Canada in a hockey game if it were to ever secede, David Perron (wunderkind!), the Belarusian Kostitsyn brothers and their mafia ties, and Montreal riots.
Love to all our friends and families! Check back soon!

-Simon