The Holy season of Easter, locally known as La Semana Santa, was unavoidable as part of my travel dates. While I knew this would affect plans, nothing could've prepared for just how so. Lonely Planet has a list of Panama's observed holidays and festivals, with brief details on what travelers should or shouldn't expect. Not only was most of the information inaccurate to extremes, it's also rather glossed-over in stating the obvious. Simply put, travelers should seriously think twice about planning trips during any official holiday season, be it Panama or for any Latin American country.

First, la Semana Santa is somewhat misleading to suggest a week's worth of potential interruptions. While some take the entire week off, the greatest obstacles for travelers occur only on the weekend, and how! Most Panamanians abandon metropolitan areas in favor of coastal and mountain villages. Hotel reservations for out-lying areas should be made far in advance, but there's endless room availabilities in cities.

Bus services, for getting around the country, do not cease or even appear to slow down beginning Thursday afternoon. While preparing to return to the capital for the holiday weekend and turning on the television, news clips showed the Albrook National Transportation Center jam-packed with locals vacating Panama City. Keep this in mind when making travel plans. Either purchase bus tickets in advance and still plan to fight the crowds, or avoid travel on Thursday, period.

Leaving the city of David, on a 7:30pm bus bound for Panama City, was easy enough with everyone else headed in opposite directions. Taxis were also readily available when arriving at the bus station at 2:00am. So far, so good until setting out at 8:30am on Good Friday morning to find a cup of coffee. I was expecting most places to be closed, but when still searching two hours later, the magnitude of 'how bad can it be' began to sink in.

Panama City was a ghost town, and the few people drifting about weren't nearly enough to conceal harshness of the city, or predicament I found myself in. Along the waterfront, Japanese vendors were operating business as usual at the fish market, but all food stands ran by Panamanians were closed. An occasional clothing or electronic store was open thanks to Jewish ownership; completely abandoned except for local employees obviously pouting because they weren't given the day off.

Eventually, I came across a Pío Pío open for business; the local, spiced-up version of KFC, and gorging was in order as potential only meal for the day. Other fast-food restaurant chains were also found open in due time, but advice for later having a surprisingly good dinner in a hospital cafeteria was the only nearby alternative to McDonald's.

When LP information says "many stores close," take that as a gross understatement! Panama City buses did run on a limited basis; direct routes more frequent than others based on people saying they'd been waiting at stops for almost two-hours. Thinking there might be something at the Albrook terminal, there was -- still a mass of people trying to leave the city, but the only businesses open were a pharmacy and couple of foreign-owned trinket shops. Otherwise, no place to even eat.

In this Catholic-driven country, there's got to be some admiration for how seriously they take the Good Friday holiday, whether for religious purposes, or not. National law even prohibits the sale of alcohol, and requires that all bars close; one less option to serve as a potential distractor. Cathedrals and churches were abuzz with religious services. As the day progressed, several Stages of the Cross reenactments unfolded around the city, blocking entire thoroughfares causing bus-route detours. By nightfall, processions increase in numbers as did boisterous, evangelical worship gatherings in the streets.

Later that evening, I would make my only visit to the El Cangrejo district which anchors the international banking scene, and caters to business and upscale travelers. If you're in Panama City on Good Friday, I suggest coming here. An abundance of foreign-owned shops and restaurants were open as usual.

Come Saturday, everything was back to normal as locals had assured. Even more uncanny, Easter Sunday held minimal significance beyond mass, and a time families gather for celebrations and feasting. Otherwise, public transportation was running normal, attractions were open as regularly scheduled, most businesses had reopened, and alcohol was even available from bodegas. Unknowingly, the only thing which wasn't business as usual were the hordes which returned in time for work on Monday morning.

I must confess -- the Bad Friday funk that developed from such restricted situations was hard to shake, and set an unnecessary disposition for Panama City experiences; a place that doesn't need any further setbacks even in the best circumstances. Compounding the situation, museums and attractions regularly close on Monday. Poor planning on my part wasted too much valuable time for making the most of opportunities, but with such sketchy information, exactly how does one prepare for travel during any holiday season?

Regardless of which part of the country you plan to stay, try to be settled at least one day before things close for the holiday. This also helps avoid transportation frenzy with holiday crowds.

Make sure to have all your financial/banking needs taken care of before the holiday, keeping in mind that ATM services are hit-and-miss using foreign-issued cards. Also, expect drawn-out lines at banks when reopening after holidays.

Stock hotel rooms with food, beverages, and anything else you might need; especially during elongated holidays. Even in tourist-driven destinations like Bocas del Toro, Guide Ext212 found dining and service options limited during the Christmas - New Year's season.

Plan outdoor activities that can be reached either by walking or potentially limited transportation services. Parque Nacional Soberanía was deserted on the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter. Holiday schedules can be too unreliable for hours regarding museums and attractions.

Festival Fiascos
Continuing my unplanned string of local celebrations, I arrived in time for the Boquete Orchid Festival which is a nationally acclaimed event celebrating the mountain village's anniversary with a week's worth of activities. Beyond browsing the manicured fairgrounds, which looks more like a botanical garden, I had a front-row seat for everything with my pensión patio separated only by the crystal-clear Río Caldera. Nightly festivities never got underway until after 6:00pm. Audible speaker systems, with announcements and entertainment heard through-out the entire town, were nothing overly intrusive with events running until midnight.

Returning late one afternoon from a 48-hour whirlwind tour of Panama's off-shore Carribean islands, desired nap was postponed by sounds coming from the festival. Things took a turn for the worse around 9:00pm when volume-level was cranked for almost three solid hours of dee-jay mix, spinning thumping grooves of Reggaeton, Hip-Hop/House, and other assaulting forms of Latin street-beat music. Thankfully, music styles and volume toned-down around midnight, but semi-conscious stages kept registering; the last I remember at 3:45am.

My local contact was weary-eyed the next morning after noise had kept him up, even living clear across town! All I could do was smirk with amusements as no stranger to similar-induced fatigue while on the road. Add Panama to the list of Latin American countries that have a delirium for designating Sunday's into Monday's as the marathon party night!

It Comes With the Territories
In the brief time that's passed since returning from Panama, I can already look back and see these occurrences for what they were -- all part of the travel experience. Perhaps things could have been different with more accurate holiday-related information. Hopefully, some of these shared suggestions will help spare similar shocks and grievances to other travelers, but don't count on it! In Latin American countries, where things generally seem to operate "flying by the seats of their pants", expecting the unexpected is the only sure advice.

When preparing the best-laid travel plans, it's so easy to see things from the all about me/us perspective; especially when it comes to unforeseen obstacles and bothers. Even after witnessing Dominicans endure countless beratings from disgruntled tourists, that couldn't sleep or find places to eat during the Holiday Season, I disappointed myself at times with similar, unspoken malcontentness when knowing better!

Just as we anticipate vacation time with opportunities to travel, citizens of poorer countries cherish festivals and holidays as their annual highlights. Often working 60+-hours a week simply trying to survive, celebrations are their rewards; holidays a well-earned extra day-off. For travelers to denounce local people, for how ever they choose to enjoy their holidays, is understandable but totally unacceptable. Be prepared to cut them, and yourselves, some slack around guaranteed inconveniences. Otherwise, stay home during the holidays.

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