A common theme amongst vagabonds these days is getting commemorative tattoos from different places around the world where they’ve travelled. Everyone who has ever gone travelling wants to take home some piece of their trip so that they can remember the fond memories they associate with that trip, and what better way to do so than with body art? Many of my friends with tattoos often tell me that their favorite tattoos are the ones they’ve gotten while travelling the world. They remind them of times when they were travelling around, feeling free, and discovering new things every day. And tattoos, just like any other form of art, are a way for us to tell our stories to others. However, it is often difficult to capture the magic of an entire journey through a foreign country in just one image. So how do you choose the right tattoo to represent your journey?
Over the past several months, I’ve been travelling through Panama. While volunteering at The Lost and Found Hostel in the mountains of Chiriqui province, I met another volunteer (who has since become a good friend of mine) who wants to get a tattoo in Panama to commemorate his journey. But he can’t decide what it should be. After brainstorming for quite a while about what would be a good tattoo to get that is unique to Panama, we came up with quite a few ideas. And while this article primarily focuses on tattoos related to Panama, it will also relate to anyone interested in getting some ink to commemorate their travels. So, here are some tattoo ideas for travelers in Panama, and some ways to choose your perfect travel tattoo:
What You Want from a Travel Tattoo
Tattoos can be whatever you want them to be, and at the end of the day, it’s your body and you should get whatever tattoo is going to make you happy. Most people who are getting tattoos while travelling are looking to capture the magic of their trip in some sort of image that will bring them back to all of the amazing experiences they had during their journey. So when it comes to getting a Panama tattoo, you should think about what it is in this beautiful country that really stood out to you. What did you find to be unique about Panama? What was the most memorable part of your journey through Panama? What about your journey do you want to show to the world through your body art? Common Panamanian phrases, unique Panamanian landscapes, and the native animals of Panama are always good places to start. For instance, the hostel that my friend and I have been volunteering at has a wonderful view of Volcan Baru (Panama’s largest volcano), and so he wants to incorporate this landscape into his tattoo somehow. In the future, once he leaves this place, he’ll be able to look at his tattoo and remember all of the good times he had looking over this landscape. Not to mention, having a tattoo of a volcano is pretty rad.
What You Don’t Want
Most of the travel tattoos I’ve seen throughout my journeys as a backpacker have been well done and very cool, and it's always nice to hear people reminiscing about their travels as they explain the meaning of their tattoo. But not all tattoos are created equal. That is to say, I have seen my fair share of cringe-worthy travel tattoos. I once saw a tattoo of Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer that looked more like Barney the big purple dinosaur trying to give someone a hug. I’ve seen a tattoo of the Sphinx whose face looks more like that of Ronald MacDonald than it does like the actual Great Sphinx of Giza. If you’re going to get a tattoo, you want to make sure it’s going to be something you really want on your body for life. No one wants to spend even more money on a cover-up tattoo just because they can’t stand to look at a dumb tattoo they got when they were younger. In terms of avoiding getting a regrettable tattoo in Panama, it’s important to take your time to learn about Panamanian culture and make sure that the symbols you’re getting tattooed are things that you understand and agree with. For instance, if you don’t speak a word of Spanish, perhaps it is not advisable to get a Spanish phrase tattooed on you, especially if your artist begins to laugh when you show him the phrase you want. I’ve heard of people getting tattoos with horribly incorrect grammar, or worse, a completely different meaning than the one they intended. It doesn’t feel good when a fluent speaker tells you that your tattoo means something completely different than what you thought it was.
What’s Unique About Panama
If you are a traveler in Panama looking to get a commemorative tattoo such as my friend, it helps to know what some of the unique things about Panama are to incorporate into your tattoo. Here’s a short list of things that would make your tattoo unique to Panama:
Flor del Espíritu Santo - This is the national flower of Panama, and with good reason, it’s absolutely beautiful. Sometimes called the “flower of the Holy Spirit” or the “dove orchid” in English, this flower typically has gorgeous white petals and interesting purple accents. It can be seen all over Panama.
Sea Turtles - The Caribbean islands of Panama offer some of the best sites in the world to see wild sea turtles. For many adventurers in Panama, snorkeling or scuba diving with sea turtles is one of their very best memories. Sea turtles also make for some really beautiful tattoos!
The Shape of Panama - The shape of Panama’s border, in my opinion, is extremely interesting and would make for a great tattoo. I’ve seen tattoos of the shape of Panama with the Panamanian flag inside, the shape of Panama filled with jungle animals, and even the shape of Panama used as one of the spots on a snake's back.
Sloths - Because, I mean, how cute are sloths? These awesome animals only exist in the wild in Central and South America, and Panama is arguably the best country in the world for seeing sloths.
Finding the Right Artist
Having the perfect idea for a super cool travel tattoo doesn’t mean much if you don’t find an artist who can execute it the way you want. That guy you met on the beach who offered to tattoo you in the back of his surf shop may not give you the professional-quality tattoo you’re looking for. Always ask your artist to see their portfolio before agreeing to let them tattoo you, any professional artist will have no problem presenting it to you. Another good way to find the right artist is to look through Instagram profiles. If you’re looking to find a tattoo artist in Panama City, maybe search the hashtag #tattoopanamacity and see what comes up. Once you find some artists’ profiles, you can compare their work and see whose style appeals to you most. The realism and traditional styles of tattooing are probably the most prevalent in Panama, but there are artists all over Panama doing all of the major styles.
What’s the Price
Obviously, whatever tattoo you decide to get and where you get it are the biggest factors that affect the price. The size, detail, and number of colors used are all factored into price by tattoo artists worldwide. However, I think it is worth mentioning that tattoos in Panama are typically considerably cheaper than in countries with higher price indexes such as the USA or Canada. However, if it’s a cheap tattoo you’re looking for, the relative prices in countries like Colombia or Ecuador are even cheaper than Panama. So, if you’ve had an idea for a tattoo in your mind for a while, Central or South America may be the best place to get it at a good price.