We flew home. Being back felt more comfortable than expected — more than Brian was prepared for. Kent noticed, asked the question, and they talked it through: Panama, or back to Spain? Here’s how that conversation ended, and why the answer is still Panama.
Our last full day in Panama: one more visit to Albrook, a long breath in the hotel room, and an honest accounting of what twelve days of walking, pricing, and neighborhood research actually produced. The groceries, the hardware, the restaurants, the neighborhoods — what’s cheaper, what isn’t, and what we’re still figuring out.
Brian’s temporary Panama residency day finally arrived — long pants, packed immigration offices, musical-chair lines, and all. After leaving with residency card in hand, we celebrated the moment the way Panama City has started to feel familiar to us: coffee at Tim Hortons, dinner at Concolon, and happy hour at Mangle.
April 2026 Trip · Day 10 Day ten — an early walk, the Sunday ciclovía, a market full of pineapples, …
April 2026 Trip · Day 9 Day nine — Hato Pintado on foot, a hardware store that made Kent very …
April 2026 Trip · Day 8 Day eight — a pre-sunrise climb, the Canal Museum, and three Uber attempts in …
A pre-sunrise climb, the Canal Museum, and three Uber attempts in the heat
Kent goes exploring, finds two hardware stores, and nearly buys a fixer-upper
April 2026 Trip · Day 5 Day five — the fish market, the fancy mall, and a happy hour at …
April 2026 Trip · Day 4 Day four — the attorney, the doctor, and the day we actually did the …