Panama

It’s surprisingly useful to know that they use the American dollar in Panama. I had an extended layover (called a stopover) in Panama City and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. The city easily became one of my favorite travel destinations of all time — it has deep-rooted elements of French, Spanish, and American influence (albeit from colonialism) that are incredible marvels to witness in person and important in shaping Panama’s past and present.

While I wasn’t able to indulge in Panamanian food like I would’ve wanted to, I was still able to see the incredible history that it has to offer. Because I went during a heatwave (ironic, as I also went to Europe during a heatwave later that year), there weren’t as many tourists populating the sites that you would typically deem highly-trafficked like Panama Viejo. My partner and I just strolled on through with almost no other people around us; It was actually quite nice.