Between a Hard Rock and an Ocean

Panama City has relatively few tourist attractions, surprisingly. There are less than a handful of museums; the major attraction is the Canal Zone or the historic Canal Zone train that runs from Panama City to Colon. We intend to do this trip tomorrow.

With nothing pressing us to get out and move, we left later in the morning than we normally would. The positive side of this is that it allows for natural awakenings; not need to heed to the alarm clock is a joy in itself. With no particular destination in mind, we started out toward the water, but on the way, discovered the Hard Rock Hotel. There is no restaurant, but the hotel sells pins, allowing us to add to our collection.

Not realizing we may need the extra cash, I didn’t bring enough to buy pins leaving enough left over for a small lunch or just drinks later. We will have to return. The hotel is glorious and on the cutting edge for décor. It would certainly be a special place to stay if the lobby and the mezzanine are any indication. They have a young woman greeting people to inform potential guests about their New Year’s Party. It is only $150 per person with an open bar. For $495, you get a room for two nights included. She told us the hotel is only 2 years old and had 1,400 rooms. There is a direct walkway to the mall across the street.

Without plans, we went over to the mall to kill some time exploring. As malls go, it was lovingly filled with just about every branded store you would expect to see in most US malls. We were seduced into buying a cinnabun at their shop. The odor of cinnamon, which I used to dislike, came wafting through the corridors, wrapping itself around our noses, like a comfortable blanket on a cold winter’s night.

It would have been appropriately funny if the picture above were in the Pull and Bear store, but it was in a store called Moose.

On one floor, there was an extensive village display with the miniature stores, houses, carnival rides and much more. It had to have taken an entire day to set up. It was a visual delight, reminding me of the village set I have in storage that I hope to see again some day.

We checked out the cinema to see if we could catch a show, but there were slim offerings in English, most were dubbed.
Not much excitement for today, I am afraid. After the mall, we continued down to the ocean for a short walk, but the threatening clouds prompted us to head back; we were umbrella-less. 

I did Google PC museums and came up with a short list. Some are not even completed yet. Hopefully, we will find something to occupy our time.

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