BASICS - The Rough Guide to Panama - page 65

Spectator sports
While football is popular in Panama, the sport that arouses the greatest passions is baseball .
With a highly ranked national team, and a number of successful major league baseball stars
to its credit, baseball is Panama's national sport. An inexpensive and captivating evening's
entertainment awaits if you attend one of the fiercely contested national league matches that
take place in the dry season - check fedebeis.com for fixtures - particularly in the more
intimate stadiums in the interior. Under the floodlights, a raucous spirit prevails, with people
partying in the stands and screaming to the accompaniment of brass bands and drums, with
plenty of tasty street food on hand.
Close behind comes boxing , which has produced more Panamanian world champions than
any other sport. Of these, two stand out: “Panama Al Brown”, a bantamweight from Colón,
who became the first Latin American world champion in 1929, and Roberto Durán, after
whom the stadium outside Panama City was named.
Less illustrious, though still given passionate support when the occasion demands, the na-
tional football team won its first international trophy in 2009, triumphing in the Central
American championships. Generally, though, the team can do with all the help it can muster
so if you fancy going to cheer them on check out panamafutbol.com , although the pro-
fessional league matches played out in the low-key stadiums in the interior, at Santiago or
David, may provide greater entertainment.
Another sport in which Panama enjoys a rich heritage is horse racing , which is easily ac-
cessible in Panama City.
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TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
Costs
Costs are higher than in Central American countries such as Guatemala and Nicaragua, and
have risen to Costa Rican levels in some areas. Staying in hostel dorms, eating in inexpensive
local restaurants and using public transport you can easily survive on $30-40 a day, less if
camping, with anything from $40-90 on top for a day's guided excursion - snorkelling, surf-
ing, fishing, horseriding or kayaking, for instance.
Staying in more comfortable accommodation and eating in more touristy restaurants can
mean a daily food and lodgings budget of $90 with excursions and maybe car rental ($35-40/
day) on top, though a lot depends on whether you stay in Panama City and the canal area,
where prices are significantly higher, or make for the interior.
High-end accommodation - only really available in Panama City and at a handful of resorts
across the rest of the country - will set you back over $250 a night, with a three-course meal