Panama City
Because of its proximity to the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, and the Capitals status as an International Banking Center, Panama City has earned the title “The Crossroads of the World.” The city has a cosmopolitan vitality similar to San Francisco, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, and Hong Kong. Panama City has been important to world commerce since its founding almost 500 years ago. The City is often referred to as “three cities in one”, the Monolithic Modern city, Casco Viejo the old city and the ruins of Panama la Vieja.
The Modern City with skyscrapers rivaling Tokyo or New York City is a bustling metropolis of almost one million people and a 262 square mile downtown area. Everything from bond issues to zeno antiques is available in Panama. Merchants come from all over the world to sell their products, many at duty-free prices. Casinos, restaurants beyond your wildest dreams, discotheques, bars, floorshows all offering a seemingly 24/7 fast paced lifestyle.
Old Panama City
In the southwest of the city, on a small peninsula jutting south into the bay is Casco Viejo. Here you will find a much slower paced yet charming lifestyle. This historical district, with its delightful mix of colonial architecture and narrow balconied cobblestone alleyways offers a glimpse of the districts former glory. Built by the Spaniards in the 1670s, to relocate the city after being sacked by Henry Morgan, Casco Viejo was surrounded by walls to provide protection from pirates. Some remnants of the Spanish fortifications can still be seen, including Las Bovedas (the Vaults),and a sea wall containing dungeons. Casco Viejo also features several notable buildings, including the colonial Catholic cathedral built in 1673, the Presidential Palace, the Golden Altar of the Church of San Jose (made of pure gold).
Panama Viejo founded in 1519 was the first Spanish settlement on the Pacific Coast and one of the most magnificent cities of the New World. These historic ruins are all that is left of the original city that was completely destroyed by the pirate Henry Morgan in 1671. This once great city now borders a very poor and neglected part of the city. Most of the ruins are now buried under parts of the rebuilt city that are now not far off from being considered modern day ruins themselves.
Panama City is a diversity of cultures. One can hear different flavors of music being played live from one street block to another, incredible museums, galleries and unimaginable foods from every corner of the world. The nightlife and shopping are my personal favorites compared to anywhere else in the known world. One must take care it still has all the dangers associated with a city of this size especially when, on one block you might find glitzy boutiques and rodeo drive class shops, yet only a block away some of the worst slums in the city. You will find BMW’s and Porches speeding by Diablos Rojos, discarded US school buses now orated with neon lights elaborate folk-art graffiti murals and used for basic public transportation. This diversity can also be seen in the 60 different nationalities that makeup the City.
Panama City’s most endearing quality and probably one of its most unique lies in that a mere hour drive will take you into a primitive natural world of monkeys, tree sloth’s, toucans, pumas, eagles, and perhaps even loin cloth garbed Embera Indians hunting their next meal in traditions unchanged for centuries. With all that Panama City has to offer it is no surprise that the Real estate boom going on now is reminiscent of the California gold rush of a century and a half ago. Few that visit Panama City don’t get caught up in all of its magic.
SOURCE: panama-travel-bureau.com
