Author: Sarah Hackman
After three nights in Kuna Yala it was time to leave. 
The San Blas Islands are truly a paradise. It was not easy to go, but I was looking forward to going back to Casco Viejo and Panama City. As you move away from the water in Casco Viejo it can get dangerous but I always felt safe where I was. Lots of police, including tourist police (Casco Viejo is the second most tourist visited site besides the Canal in Panama) as well as guards for the presidential 
palace compound which is just a block down the street along the water from the hostel. After the bumpy jeep ride from the islands, we got back to Luna’s late that afternoon. I watched the sunset from the Plaza de Francia in Casco Viejo and indulged in possibly the best ice cream/gelato I have ever had, and that says a lot coming from a true ice cream lover, at Granclement. As I walked home past more “independence month” celebrations in the plazas, listening to Panamanian music from radios in the apartment buildings, I really fell in love with traveling. I spent the rest of the evening talking with other travelers in the hostel, listening to the sounds of the city from the balcony.
