Panamá City

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New year, new country. We headed to Panama City with Iberia. It was a long day of travel to get there with a short flight from Alicante to Madrid and then the long haul to Central America. For us it wasn't just a new country but a new part of the world, our first time in Central America. At least our Spanish is substantially better than the last time we were in Latin America. That really enabled us to have a more enriching trip.

Not being a fan of big cities, we weren't sure how this first part of our six week adventure would go. We needn't have worried as Panamá has something for everyone and it's very easy to escape the high-rise hell.

First up was the Casco Viejo, the old heart of the city. The metro took us to Plaza 5 de Mayo where we were immediately greeted by graffiti marking the US invasion in late 1989. We remembered this happening but not enough for it to really register in our consciousness. It seems incredible that such scenes could have happened in our lifetime but I guess nowadays it is sadly not quite so incredible. Our walk through the old town had an edgy feel to it in places, but then we realised we were probably about two streets off the beaten track! We never felt threatened at all but it was clear that not every tourist walks those same streets in search of fantastic murals! In the central zone itself police patrolled regularly but we couldn't really see any threat. The old buildings are wonderful and it's definitely worth sticking your head in the churches even if religion isn't your thing. The views over the water to the new skyscraper-clad city skyline are breath-taking. There's lots of history going right back to Simon Bolivar who led the region to independence from Spain. More recent history centres around the building of the Panama Canal (more of that later) and the medical fight against yellow fever. You might even get up close and personal with a vulture or two!

The next day we took an Uber out to Panama Viejo, the site of the original city. It was a wonderful location with archaeological ruins in the foreground and the modern city in the background. Again vultures dominated the sky and they were not afraid to land just yards away. There were also numerous lizards with the blue iguana being the most impressive. The ruins themselves were put into context in a good visitor centre. Climbing the old tower might well have been tiring in the sticky heat, but the views from the upper floors were fabulous.

Our initial hotel reservation was for three nights but we couldn't afford to stay in such luxury any longer. Our jet-lag was more or less sorted out as we moved to cheaper digs. Having checked in we took the metro to Albrook shopping centre then an Uber took us to the Amador causeway. Once the location of two US military bases, it is now fully open to the public and a breath of fresh air. It was like getting out of the city and we strolled along admiring the scenery and the beautiful flowers for about 6km. Along the way were information boards telling us all about the history of the causeway with stories being relayed from residents, both Panamanian and American at the time. It was a hot walk but one to revive the spirits, especially knowing you were heading on to more outdoor natural things whilst everyone else was returning to the claustrophobia of their cruise ships. We took the bus back to the shopping centre then retraced our steps on the metro. By then the sky was black and we experienced rain like we have seldom seen before!

Probably the most famous thing in Panamá is the canal, and rightly so. We took an Uber to the Miraflores visitor centre. Despite the museum part being closed for refurbishment and no reduction in price, we still found it to be a worthwhile and educational morning. Seeing a huge container ship pass through the canal locks accompanied by an in-depth bilingual commentary was fantastic. Afterwards we went to the 3D IMAX cinema to learn more about the construction of the canal thanks to the excellent narration of Morgan Freeman.

Monday 9 July was our day to move on, but it was a public holiday and as a result there was little or no public transport going in our direction. Luckily Uber came to our rescue and took us out to Gamboa, on the edge of the rainforest. It was only $17 and a small price to pay.

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Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Panama on the horizon
In March we will follow in your footsteps and visit Panama City for a few days. We are eager to get a glimpse of this island nation.

[rrruss]

Panama
Can't wait to hear your opinion of the city too.

[Robert Kevin]

Nice city I Have ever visited
Last time when I was USA. I Have visited Panama city. I was a nice city better than new york.

[RENanDREW]

Panama City
Panama has only come onto our travel radar relatively recently, so I found your blog very interesting. We've loved the parts of Central America we've seen, and it is probably time to see more of it :)

[rsoft]

https://www.salezrobot.com
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