My first weekend in Panama: Decameron

The first weekend that I spent in Panama was at the beach.  January is the beginning of the summer season so it is common to find families from the city spending the weekends at beach resorts along the Pacific coast.  Our resort was called the Royal Decameron Beach Resort.  It is an hour outside of Panama City if you don't hit any traffic.  Decameron is an all-inclusive Resort which means that it is very popular among locals and travelers alike.  Not only are the pools and lounges great, but the beach is beautiful beyond words.  This is what really began my love affair with the "other" ocean.

Royal Decameron Website

Andrea's cousins were in town on vacation from Costa Rica which meant that we were a party of seven.  We were staying in a beautiful villa on the golf course, away from the hotel part of the resort.  The great thing about Decameron having a HUGE campus is that there is a bus to get you where you want to go... even after you've had a few drinks.

We all spent most of our time by the pool, and admittedly under an umbrella because the sun is so strong.  This made me feel a bit defeated since from the moment I arrived, the number one comment that I've received is that I'm white... really white.

A view of the cafeteria from the beach:

The beach:

The trip was overall just a relaxing getaway without anything major to report.  Although I will be honest and admit that I did have too much tequila on the first night we were there.  Lesson learned: avoid bartenders who take a liking too you and therefore feel the need to get you hammered.  Here is why:

That's right, these are flaming shots that said bartender (pictured here but headless) peer pressured us into having.  It was hilarious trying to logistically execute this, and also so painful.