Australia Day

Panama City, Panama

BBQ. Got it. Beer. Bought. Australians. Here. January 26th a.k.a Australia Day.

Two days ago I had never heard of Australia Day but within ten minutes of meeting Marise I was given the general jist; January 26th, grill, paint your face, wear some flags, and drink some beer. I was then shown this YouTube video which basically sums up every Aussie stereo-type out there and was made the basis of our day.

 After watching that video I was ready to celebrate Australia day and relish in Australian stereo-types. I had no face paint or clothes with Australian flags but I won’t say no to a BBQ and beer.

At 9:00 am I laid down a solid foundation of pancakes and then cracked open some beers to begin the day. By the afternoon the city heat was scorching and I was pulling burgers and sausages off the grill and breaking into more beer and rum. I’m amazed by the quality of rum in Panama. It truly is top shelf stuff at bottom shelf prices (1 liter for $7.00).

From Panama 2011-01 BBQing in Panama City for Australia Day

At night it was time to hit the clubs. The usual Central American party night ensued with a few clubs, a casino and an unexpected ride around town by a club bouncer. Twenty-four hours of partying found me right back where I started yesterday; stuffing myself with pancakes.

Panamanian Rules
I’m not sure what is with all the rules in the country but it is a definite departure from the usual ‘anything goes’ attitude of other Central American countries. The usual life I grew accustomed to is frowned upon here and I’m constantly bombarded with rules against:

Drinking in the street
Drinking in vehicles (no, not while driving just while being transported from point A to point B)
Smoking inside
Stuffing two or three people in the front seat of a taxi
Shirts and shoes are no longer optional
Seat belts are mandatory (I’m glad for this one since it means taxis actually have seat belts)