After a fry-up breakfast in a cafe on the quaint highstreet of Downtown Panama, where I utilised the free wi-fi, I spent all day Friday at the beach. My first call was Panama City Beach, a long white sand beach edged with beautiful green sea. I`d missed "Spring Break" (half-term holiday for uni students, when they all pile to the beaches of Florida, where the drinking age is just 18, and cut loose) for most universities but there were a couple of stragglers. Needless to say I approched several gaggles of 21 y.o. girls, who naturally fawned over me, my charm and my accent. They showed me how to do a beer funnel and I tried this - it`s a way of downing a can of beer more quickly by pouring it into a funnal and tube, then releasing it all in one go.
I then drove further along the coast to Walton and finally to Destin beaches, where I spent all afternoon. After being on the beach all day I was lured into the main bar, AJ`s, by a aeroplane trailing a flying advertisement, in which I had a few beers and watched the band. They were all grey-haired rockers, very talented, and certainly beat Thursday night`s restaurant entertainment of 12 year old brothers trying to cover Guns `N Roses tunes on their acoustics. The bar was right next to the marina, so I could watch the fishing and pleasure boats come and go, and see the greedy pelicans waiting for fish scraps.
Friday night I think demonstrated just how hospitable the Americans are. The following would never occur in Britain: I had arranged to couch-surf in Pensacola, but the host was not actually at home that night. He left a key with the apartment doorman and I spent the night in his apartment without him. Amazing generosity and trust.
So far, 3 nights of such, I have been very impressed with the concept of couch surfing with strangers. It certainly saves me a lot of money (this is, afterall, a super-budget trip, now that I am unemployed), and is a great way to meet people and be shown around. The only thing I don`t like is the obvious need to arrange in advance, which means my plans are tied. I sometimes feel like I rush to reach the next town by the time agreed, when a couple of times I have actually prefered to dawdle some. Despite enjoying having the place to myself and having a much-needed lie-in today, I do wish I had spent last night in Destin.
Right now, Saturday morning, I have no plans to be anywhere at any time. I have a friend in New Orleans (we met at Mardi Gras 2007), whom I would like to visit in the next couple of days, but other than that I have nothing lined up. Maybe I will call-in to Biloxi, just to laugh at the name, or possibly Gulfport Mississippi. Perhaps I will push on to N`aarlins to catch a Saturday night there.
I have some great pictures of the beach babes, but my camera is refusing to upload right now. I will do so asap.