Panama series: The gringo price in Panama

_{^{View from the hotel's rooftop bar}}

Although Uber has been around for some time, I used for the first time only three days ago and I was pleasantly surprised. Having the app installed on my phone, I thought of giving it a try in Panama as well. Unfortunately my phone did not connect to the WiFi. Thus I had to take a regular taxi from the Tocumen airport to the hotel.

_{^{View over downtown in Panama City}}

When your face and accent give away your nationality, then you get the gringo price, which means that everyone assumes that you must be rich and they must take advantage of it by charging you a double, triple or higher amount. On one side, I understand that everyone has to make a living and I don't blame them for trying, though it does not mean I will pay their price.

_{^{View over downtown in Panama City}}

The first gringo price I got for a taxi ride that should cost around $15 was $50. The second told me $40. The third one mentioned something around $30. I walked away because I knew I had to bargain in order to get a decent price. A few minutes later I agreed to $20 and headed towards downtown at El Cangrejo.

After a six hour long flight, a failed attempt of calling an Uber taxi at the airport and half an hour spent on looking for a taxi ride, we finally made it to our hotel. Since I was supposed to meet up with some friends later on for dinner, I had to take my kid to the pool only for a few minutes. As soon as we reached the top floor it started to rain. We had to change our plans and simply enjoy the view instead of the pool.

_{^{The hotel's rooftop pool}}

The view from the roof top was rewarding. I bet that in the night it looked even better! The city's skyline is fantastic at night, as if the city comes to life. We wanted to go up and take a few more photos but we forgot.

_{^{Albrook bus terminal}}

The following morning we checked out after breakfast and went outside to wait for our Uber taxi driver. While we were waiting, two taxi drivers showed up out of nowhere and tried to lure us to go with them. They were wearing an uniform and spoke English. Seeing us with the backpacks they knew right away that we were going either to the airport or the Albrook bus terminal. They were both very polite and courteous. They offered me their best price because I was speaking Spanish: $30.

_{^{Buses in the Albrook terminal}}

I thanked them politely and told them that I had already ordered an Uber cab. The moment they heard the word Uber, they walked away. Not before telling us that Uber drivers were not serious nor licensed like they were.

_{^{Aviation school in Panama City}}

On the way to the Albrook bus terminal I asked the Uber driver how was Uber seen in Panama. His answered was: Customers love it, taxi drivers hate it. He revealed that he switched to Uber and got a lot more clients than before. He added that the taxis at the airport were ripping off the gringos and that most of the locals go take a taxi at the departures floor and not at arrivals.

You want to know how much that taxi ride costed me? Only $5,60 USD, thanks to Uber!

_{^{View over the Aviation School yard and the Port}}

The gringo price applies to everything, not only taxi rides. That's because the foreigners (gringos who do not speak Spanish) pay it for food, products, services, vehicles, real estate and so on. I know a lot of stories where gringo were charged a ridiculous amount for something that was worth way less.

_{^{View of the runaway at the Aviation School}}

The unusual part is when gringos who established themselves in here apply the gringo price to newcomers. Who says that the expats community shouldn't do it as well? It's not like only the locals own the copyrights!

You can learn more about our Panamanian adventure in my next post on Panama series! Be well!