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A Night In David, Panama
On my last trip to Panama City, my wife and I took a little detour to explore the city of David (pronounced Dah'-veed), just to the north and west of the city. The destination, 4 hours by automobile and 55 minutes by plane from the national airport in Panama City, sits just east of the Pacific Coast and at the base of the mountain range in Chiriqui Province. After a short eight dollar taxi ride from the airport, we were deposited at the Gran Hotel Nacional. This place is divided into two locations. The hotel/resort side and the casino across the street. we were only going to be there for 2 days and a night, so the itinerary was tight and we were determined the explore the area and talk to some people. It's huge, white arch is fronted by a working fountain and
plenty of flora. We found the rooms clean and the property well maintained. In fact, in comparison to the hotels in the business district of Panama City, the hotel staff seemed to be always busy cleaning and sprucing. While I have nothing
against the Panama City hotels, I have to admit this hotel offered more service and cleaner surroundings than those in the capitol city. We explored the grounds first. A large, covered area creates a a welcoming barrier between the hotel and its ample size pool. I saw a cleaning crew every time I went to the bar/barbecue area and the pool area. Palms and exotic trees were part of the landscape making the pool area completely private and almost devoid of traffic noises. We were constantly serenaded by squawking, bright green parakeets who stay on the property claiming one tree, then another for most of the daylight hours. The lobby area was expansive, open, and very welcoming as was the front desk staff. Again, as with the rest of the location, very clean and quiet. What can I say about the restaurant? Clean, fast service, friendly, and affordable are words that come to mind quickly. We signed for our meals so we noticed only the
prices of the items we were ordering and rarely the whole bill. Gratuities were included (15%). Breakfast and supper were ordered from the menu while lunch was a buffet affair. Just a couple of notes for those that have yet to visit Panama. Firstly, they don't age their meat. While the cuts can be a little tougher, health -wise you're better off not eating half decomposed meat. The endless cup of coffee is an American Phenomena. Drinks are paid for single fashion. lso, there are very few taps with co2. When you order a soda it comes in a can in most locations. Tortillas are a lovely golden brown patty resembling our hash browned potatoes
patties in thickness. Remember, this is Panama, not Mexico. We thoroughly enjoyed the gastronomic fare in David. All in all, for my wife and I, two beds, one night, and 5 meals for two, the total bill of $101 USD in May was a welcome surprise! We were less impressed with the mandatory visit to Pio Pio, a small fried chicken eatery, almost an institution, in Panama. while the prices were fair, the portions divided at a ratio of 3 parts fried rice to one part chicken left us wanting a little more. Don't take this wrong way, everything tasted great and the total bill of about $6 USD made it a quick, inexpensive treat. I'm not sure there's a meal there, though. If you are wondering if Panamanian Fried Rice is the same as Oriental Rice well, flavor no, hungry again in 30 minutes...yes. The street life is very active. With every type of shop you can imagine, it's hard not to find what you're looking for at the price you want to pay. There is nightlife in the hotel bars and local bars. Roadside fruit, vegetable, and fish is available throughout the city. I spotted pineapples being offered by a couple of locals for $1.25 USD a piece. Not only that but, they were one and a half times the size of an American Football! It's not uncommon to see small pickup trucks laden with fresh, still on the stalk bananas puttering down the street headed for a market on the roadside. Fresh seafood, brought in everyday is very common. Had we been staying longer we certainly would have sampled the bounty of the sea. As with most of the Panamanian lowlands, the humidity is high and can feel much hotter than the known temperature. You can count on a little rain everyday. The locals call it "chipi chipi". The further into the mountain range, the more the mercury falls. Yes, it works the same way in panama as it does in the larger latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. We left David to head back to Panama City. There was business to attend to, people to meet, and places to see. We both believed the David side trip was the highlight of this particular excursion. Given the chance, we probably would visit again if only as a stop on our way to the mountains and the coffee plantations in the mountains of Chiriqui Province. |
Gran Hotel Nacional
  
Entrance of the Gran Hotel Nacional
Park area across from the hotel.
David's answer to the Dollar Store!
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