{"id":9697,"date":"2019-04-30T09:07:31","date_gmt":"2019-04-30T17:07:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.regnordman.com\/?p=9697"},"modified":"2019-04-30T09:07:31","modified_gmt":"2019-04-30T17:07:31","slug":"panama-the-country-beyond-the-canal-by-amanda-nordman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.regnordman.com\/2019\/04\/30\/panama-the-country-beyond-the-canal-by-amanda-nordman\/","title":{"rendered":"Panama. The Country Beyond the Canal by Amanda Nordman"},"content":{"rendered":"
Beyond the Canal<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n by Amanda Nordman<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Due to the political situation in Panama in 2005, we were discouraged from visiting Panama City during our Panama cruise. It has taken us 14 years and many discussions with various friends to finally make this trek.\u00a0 The cruise lines are still telling passengers to skip Panama. How wrong they are!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We spent the first four days upon our arrival exploring the highlights of\u00a0<\/span>Panama City<\/span><\/strong>. Our hotel, the\u00a0<\/span>Tryp Wyndham<\/span><\/em><\/strong>\u00a0is situated in the\u00a0<\/span>El Cangrejo<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0district central to the metro (subway), therefore nothing ventured, nothing gained, we headed down to the subway station and figured out the system. With two\u00a0 ($2()etro cards in hand and a cost of 35 cents to travel to any corner of the city, we set of to explore this bustling city. It was hot, humid, with very little shady areas and no respite from the heat. We were sweating buckets but noticed that the Panamanians looked as cool as cucumbers! The locals were dressed in long pants, jeans, long sleeves, some with hoodies while the gringos wore shorts and T\u2019s \u2013 something wrong this picture!<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0El Cangrejo<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The first day was spent getting our bearings and exploring the area. El Cangrejo or \u2018The Crab\u2019 founded in the 1950s, was the first Jewish quarter and was once exclusive. Now it\u2019s known for its vibrant nightlife, with hip bars, laid-back brewpubs, casinos\u00a0and\u00a0mercados, many clustered around\u00a0<\/span>Via Argentina<\/span>.<\/span><\/em><\/strong>\u00a0We took a walk along Via Argentina which was getting a facelift at this time \u2013 widening sidewalks, underground cables, etc. It should look great when finished. Via Argentina is Panama City\u2019s restaurant row with dining spots serving Cuban, Chinese, Indian, Lebanese, Mexican, Peruvian, Spanish, and Venezuelan cuisines.\u00a0 Sampled some great churros at a cafe along this street.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Mercado de Mariscos<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Three subway stops to\u00a0<\/span>Cinco de Mayo<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/strong>and a short walk, dodging crazy traffic took us to the city fish market. There are two parts to this market. The market proper, where you can buy freshly caught seafood fresh off the fishing boats you see in the bay. The other part of the market is where the restaurants are, where the freshly caught seafood is served up for your dining pleasure. They are not fancy joints, just sectioned off counters with tables and plastic outdoor seating under a canopy, more like Istanbul\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>Karakoy Waterfront<\/span><\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf<\/span><\/em><\/strong>. The local specialty is\u00a0<\/span>ceviche<\/span><\/em><\/strong>, served in cups, where the raw fish is “cooked” in citrus juices. Not impressed with the ceviche at all, it was tough and too citrusy, Costa Rica and Mexico has far better ceviche. The seafood was certainly fresh but unfortunately they tend to deep fry the fish, plantains and everything else. On Wednesdays they have an open air farm market with tons of fruit and vegetables for next to nothing.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n From here it is an easy walk to <\/span>Casco Veijo<\/span><\/strong>, the <\/span>Old Quarter<\/span><\/strong>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Casco Veijo<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Also known as\u00a0<\/span>Casco Antiguo<\/span><\/em><\/strong>\u00a0or\u00a0San Felipe<\/span><\/em><\/strong>, is the historic district of\u00a0<\/span>Panama<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em>City, established around 1673 by Spanish colonists, the Catholic Church and other settlers. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997.\u00a0The narrow cobblestoned streets are filled with 16<\/span>th<\/span><\/sup>\u00a0& 17<\/span>th<\/span><\/sup>\u00a0century Spanish Colonial buildings that served as homes, cathedrals, churches and government buildings. There is\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>Presidential Palace,<\/span>\u00a0the plazas of Casco Viejo<\/span><\/em><\/strong>,\u00a0<\/span>Plaza de Catedral<\/span>, Plaza Bolivar, Plaza de Francis, Plaza Herrera\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/strong>. Some of the buildings have been painstakingly restored and now house museums, gourmet restaurants, quaint shops and upscale residences. There is a sharp contrast between old and new. Some buildings stand in disrepair or complete ruin and the homes of poor families juxtaposed next door with a remodeled, exclusive property.\u00a0 At the\u00a0<\/span>Plaza de Francia<\/span><\/em><\/strong>\u00a0is the\u00a0<\/span>Las Bovedas Monument<\/span><\/em><\/strong>\u00a0which\u00a0are vaults or dungeons that originally formed part of the fortification wall around the Old City. Above the monument is a promenade that runs along the top of the sea wall with great views of the bay and Panama City`s skyline.\u00a0You then come to a vine and bougainvillea covered esplanade known as\u00a0<\/span>Paseo de Las Bovedas<\/span><\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>where the indigenous\u00a0<\/span>Kuna Yala<\/span><\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>women set up stalls here to sell their unique handicrafts called\u00a0<\/span>Molas<\/span><\/em><\/strong>. This hand made, colourful textile forms part of the traditional women’s clothing. They also adorn they arms and legs with beads. <\/span>When you walk a bit further down the walkway you get a view of the\u00a0<\/span>Bridge of the Americas<\/span><\/em><\/strong>\u00a0and the ships waiting to pass beneath it to enter the Panama Canal.<\/span>\u00a0Casco Veijo is of course the city\u2019s hottest district where the \u201chip and trendy\u201d gather after dark in jazz clubs, rooftop bars, etc. and where everything is twice the price.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Miraflores<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We just had to visit the\u00a0<\/span>Miraflores locks<\/span><\/em><\/strong>\u00a0which brought back memories of our canal cruise in 2005. Five subway\u00a0stops\u00a0took us to Albrook Mall, not a particularly attractive mall but it\u2019s the largest shopping mall in Latin America, with a massive bus terminal. Every city in the interior of the country and within the City of Panama is connected by a network of bus stations, the prices range from 25\u00a2 to $18.25. After much hand pointing and with our limited Spanish we finally managed to get on the right bus for a 20 minute, 25\u00a2 bus ride from there to the Visitor Centre. This Center is made up of four exhibition halls; it covers the history, function, international importance, and the biodiversity of a man-made waterway, namely the Panama Canal, linking the Caribbean to the Pacific. It also showed the building of the third canal. The building has three levels for observing the Canal’s operation, the passage of ships through the locks and how they move. Unfortunately we were a little late getting there and just missed the 10:00 am ship transiting the canal. The next ship was scheduled for 2:00 pm, we debated but decided there were too many other areas to cover.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Ancon Hill<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n At the foot of\u00a0<\/span>Ancon Hill<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0is\u00a0<\/span>Mi Pueblito<\/span><\/em><\/strong>, a mock village depicting three Panamanian cultures: Afro-Caribbean, the interior region, and indigenous groups. At the main entrance is a colonial Spanish hacienda-style building. The climb up Ancon Hill up takes about 30 minutes. The incline is quite steep but it is gradual and on a paved road. Through the thick jungle, you will see glimpses of the city along the way up. At the top there are two viewing platforms with great views back across the city center and the ocean. Another viewpoint gives you views of the new Panama Canal.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Amador Causeway<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The\u00a0<\/span>Amador Causeway<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0was once just a strip of tarmac used to link the capital to the small islands of\u00a0<\/span>Naos, Perico<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>Flamenco<\/span><\/strong>, now it\u2019s a 6km-long stretch of road which extends into the Pacific Ocean at the point where the Panama Canal meets the sea. This beautiful new causeway was built using soil excavated during the canal\u2019s construction. Today it is popular with walkers and cyclists. It also boasts beautiful views of the city and is the best vantage point for watching the large container ships enter and exit the canal.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Biomuseo<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n The Causeway also leads to the\u00a0<\/span>Biomuseo<\/span><\/em><\/strong>. This brightly coloured, world class museum designed by\u00a0<\/span>Frank Gehry<\/span><\/em><\/strong>\u00a0(he also designed the\u00a0<\/span>Gugenheim Museum\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/strong>in<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Spain<\/span><\/em><\/strong>) is an introduction to Panama\u2019s genetic, ecological and biological bounty. It tells the story of the natural history of Panama, of how the isthmus of Panama rose from the sea uniting two continents, separating a vast ocean in two and changing the planet’s biodiversity. The story of humans in the isthmus since their first arrival up until the present. Also in one corner, 97 animals are suspended representing the cross-migration that took place once the isthmus of Panama rose from the deep to create a land bridge between North and South America some 3 million years ago. The Biodiversity Park beside the museum is a living extension of the museum\u2019s architecture and exhibits, it features endemic and native plants.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n From the Museum we decided to rent this silly canopied pedal cart for two to complete our exploration of the causeway \u2013 walking was definitely out of the questions, we wouldn\u2019t have survived the blazing sun. We made the 5 km to\u00a0<\/span>Isla Perico<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0for lunch. From here you face the canal\u2019s Pacific entrance and you can watch the ships passing.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We had an early morning start on day 5 for the next part of our journey. It was back to the Albrook Mall for 2 bus tickets to David. The kindly ticket lady gave us the best seat on the bus, a double-decker and right up front with full view of the road ahead. The buses are comfortable with reclining seats and movies, of course they only played all the Marvel action-packed movies! It was a 7 hour journey – the only drawback, but the price was right at $18.20 per person versus airfares costing $500 for 2. The little discomfort was worth it! A 1 hour stop in Santiago gave us some respite for a bathroom break and a meal. The choices for meals were well overcooked fried chicken (definitely not KFC style), a couple of varieties of stewed meats, rice and a limited choice of salads. Oh, to be in Turkey again where they served great truck-stop meals.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n David<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We arrive\u00a0<\/span>David<\/span><\/strong>, the capital of\u00a0<\/span>Chiriqui<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0at around 2:00 pm. The second largest city in Panama, with a population of over 145,000, it feels like an overgrown country town \u2013 not pretty at all. We pick up our rental car and head for\u00a0<\/span>Cerro Punta<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0which is about 71 km (a little over an hour\u2019s drive). We weave our way through nightmarish traffic with our GPS set for the\u00a0<\/span>Pan America Highway<\/span><\/em><\/strong>\u00a0to Cerro Punta. One thing we did not know about driving around the country side is the number of police checkpoints, sometimes they will smile and signal you to proceed, other times they will check your ID. So we merrily watch the arrow on our GPS as we take in the country side, until we come to a check-stop. The officer looks at our passport, then asks if we enjoyed Panama. With a puzzled look on our faces we say, \u201cYes, we\u2019re from Vancouver, Canada and am enjoying the warmth!\u201d. We must look like respectable tourists so they wave us through. As we drive along, something just doesn\u2019t look right, there seems to be chaos everywhere.\u00a0<\/span>There are tractor-trailer trucks lined up and lots of vehicles parked haphazardly everywhere. The area is extremely busy, with lots of shops, people waiting around and others trying to sell things.\u00a0We check the GPS again and it dawns on us that the device has led us astray, the road seems to have veered off into an unknown direction. We realize we just crossed the border into\u00a0<\/span>Costa Rica<\/span><\/strong>, a half hour from the turn off for\u00a0<\/span>La Concepci\u00f3n<\/span><\/strong>! \u00a0Sign, what sign \u2013 signs are not prolific in the whole of Panama! Back we go and finally locate the correct turn off.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Volc\u00e1n<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n We reach\u00a0<\/span>Volc\u00e1n<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0around 5:00 pm and get our first glimpse of the beautiful\u00a0<\/span>Volc\u00e1n Baru<\/span><\/em><\/strong>, an active volcano and the tallest mountain in Panama at 3,475m. The town of Volc\u00e1n sits on an old lava flow from Volc\u00e1n Baru. With a population of just over 12,000, this is a quiet, sleepy little place, t<\/span>he\u00a0<\/span>town\u2019s commercial district is about 10 blocks long<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Due to its rich volcanic soil Volc\u00e1n is deemed<\/span>