Panama City - Day I

 As sun sets over in Panama City Florida, you can feel it's morning in America. Sun might have set over the British empire long time back, but sun certainly doesn't set over Panama City. We discovered this after arriving here on our first post pandemic trip out of state to find this popular beach vacation spot on Florida panhandle extremely busy and bustling. 

We drove through the three states of Georgia, Alabama and Florida on a three  and half hour drive to Panama City on a hot, steamy day when temperature reached almost 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38°Centigrade). The undulating landscape of gigantic Pine, Maple and Mimosa trees under the sizzling mid day sun gave away to Palm trees swaying in the incoming Ocean breeze as we got closer to our destination. The land got flatter, swampier - riddled in Shrubs and Bushes swamped with decaying tree trunks visible on both sides of the road.

I have a long tryst with Florida, having visited the state multiple times. Arguably it is America's favorite vacation spot. Six year ago on our way to Miami we took a night halt at Melbourne, Florida in a Potel (in America so many motels are owned by Patels, they can very well renamed as Potels). Though it was month of March where most of the United States burn gas to keep their homes warm, standing in the lobby I felt a wave of wafting cool air from the Air Conditioning. 

As the pretty motel receptionist handed over me the magnetic strip key to our room, I saw a mosquito surreptitiously sitting on her cheek. She smiled and asked me "Do you have any questions ?" I replied back "Yes, May I slap you ?" "What ?" She retorted back. I pointed to the mosquito on her cheek. She instantly burst into laughter and as she slapped herself she blurted out - "Welcome to Florida". We call Mosquito, the National Bird of our State. Glad a la Mahatma Gandhi she didn't show her other cheek to the mosquito.

Haven't seen a single mosquito here in Panama City so far, nor expecting any on a sea facing balcony on the 11th floor of a motel, because mosquitos can't fly beyond 60 feet in ocean wind. The bursts of sea breeze felt pure and pristine as we lunged for it, longing for it so long. 

After darkness dawned, from the high rise building we could feel bouts of cool air due to an approaching thunderstorms from the South Western sky. It reminded me of the adage - Marriages are made in heaven, so also thunder and lightening. More later...