david, panama: spray paint, sweat, and mysterious numbers

i landed in david, panama after a twelve-hour bus ride from san jose, costa rica, with my spray cans rattling in my backpack and a brain that felt like overcooked noodles. the bus dropped me off on a dusty corner where a guy was selling mango slices out of a wheelbarrow and the air smelled like frying oil and diesel. perfect welcome.

david isn't the kind of place you see on postcards. it's a working city, trucks belching black smoke, markets spilling over with plantains, and walls that look like they've been through a color fight and lost. i'm here to chase walls, to leave my mark in a city that doesn't give a damn about tourist brochures.

the weather's like a lukewarm soup: 22.01°c, feels like 22.07°c, humidity 69%, pressure 1012 hpa. basically i'm sweating through my t-shirt before i even open my paint. the guy at the hostel said it's like this year-round, thanks to some microclimate bullshit. i'd complain but i'm too busy wiping sweat from my eyes.

i've got a spot near the central park, a big concrete wall that looks like it's been waiting for someone to brighten it up. the park has these two bizarre statues: a naked man, perpetually mid-stride, and a mini replica of michelangelo's david (i swear, it's there, like the city's inside joke). i snapped a pic of them - check these out:

if you're wondering where the hell david is, here's a little map to orient you:

i've been walking around, scouting walls. the streets are a maze of colonial-era buildings with peeling paint, next to modern concrete boxes. there's a rumor that some locals paid artists to paint murals on their businesses, but i've also heard stories about the police cracking down on unsanctioned work. someone told me that if you get caught, you either pay a fine or get a beating. not sure if true, but i'm keeping it lowkey.

speaking of rumors, i heard from a bartender at 'el callejón' that the best ceviche in town is at a place called 'mariscos luisa', but the guy next to me at the bar insisted the real spot is 'los mariscos del pacífico', a shack by the river that only opens at night. i tried both; honestly i couldn't tell the difference after three cuba libres. anyway, if you're hungry, check out TripAdvisor's top seafood in David, Yelp's user reviews for David eats, the Panama Jack forum's fish thread, and the David Vida events board for nightlife and art shows.

neighbors? if you get bored of the city buzz, a short drive (or bus ride) can land you in some wild places. to the north, the highlands of boquete are like a different planet: cooler air, coffee farms, and treks up volcán barú. to the south, the pacific coast beaches like boca chica are perfect for surfing and chilling. and if you're feeling adventurous, the costa rican border is just a couple hours away - san josé is a straight shot. so many vibes within reach.

now about those weird numbers. i keep seeing 3711668 and 1591487342 everywhere. on a graffiti tag near the mercado, on a receipt from the corner store, even on a digital clock at the bus station that's stuck on that time. i asked my new friend carlos, a local painter, about it. he just laughed and said, 'son, those are the numbers of the old radio station that used to broadcast from the mountain. now they're just ghosts in the circuit.' i'm not buying it. maybe it's a dialing code for something. i tried calling 1591487342 from my phone; it rang once and then a fax noise. spooky.

anyway, david has a pulse unlike any other. it's not polished, it's raw, it's full of characters. there's a vegan cafe run by an ex-pat from portland that serves matcha lattes and has a mural of a giant octopus. across the street, a kid is breakdancing for coins. the nightlife? i stumbled into a warehouse party where a dj spun vinyl until dawn, and the crowd was a mix of locals, surfers, and artists. someone whispered that the party was technically illegal but the police turn a blind eye because they get a cut of the bar. classic.

if you're planning a trip, do yourself a favor: bring shoes that can handle dust, a refillable water bottle (the tap's fine), and an open mind. also, the internet's spotty; you'll need patience. oh, and the voltage is 110v, same as US, but bring a converter for european plugs.

i found a decent guide to street art spots on a blog called Panama Walls, and for weather updates, the national meteorological service has a page at Weather Panama. (yeah, that's a mouthful).

one more thing: the pressure today is 1012 hpa, which apparently means stable weather. i don't know, i just copied it from my app. but at least it's not storming, so i can paint.

i have to wrap this up because my paint is drying and the sun's about to hit that wall like a furnace. if you ever make it to david, look for the wall with the neon phoenix i'm working on. it's near the corner of calle 6 and avenida central. bring a beer, maybe we'll tag together.

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