i was told by many people not to ride the yellow cabs in panama. even my hotel told me to be careful and take the hotel taxis around town. but when i found out the hotel taxis cost 5x more, i said forget it, i’d rather risk my life.
almost every taxi driver doesn’t speak any english. i just throw out 3 fingers and say $3 dollars. they say “no, $8 raising 8 fingers. i say “no, $3” and start walking away to look for another one. they then whistle to me and say ok. so for $3, you can pretty much get around the whole city.
the afternoon i decided to go deep into the dangerous part of the city, it was actually fun. yes, i was walking faster than normal, getting stared at, but i knew this is the part of traveling that makes it interesting. you won’t see any tourist walking down these streets.
then i flag down another taxi. tell him $3 and take me back to my hotel. he told me $6. i told him $2. then he said, ok $3. haha.
if you’re a guy and want to explore countries, go off the path. if you’re a girl and want to explore countries, stay on the path. pretty simple. as for me, i weave in and out of the path. i don’t like to go to touristy places and try to stay away. exploring the true culture is the fun part of traveling and i like walking down dark scary streets. it keeps my heart pumping and blood flowing. try it!
