I’m wrapping up my novel, and I just did some of the last research I needed in Panama.  Among the many cool things I got to see over the past couple of weeks, one of the most amusing was the city buses, most of which are privately owned and, like the one shown here, are heavily personalized by their drivers.  Apparently these decked-out school buses are being replaced by nicer passenger buses, though, so these uniquely painted vehicles might soon be a thing of the past.

What I wish I had been able to get a picture of was the party buses, which are exactly what they sound like: buses that drive around Panama City at night blaring music and filled with people dancing to strobe lights.  As you can imagine, though, none of that makes for a good shot.  Some things you just have to be there for.