 |
| Old Section of Panama City |
March 2015 - On our
last full day in Panama we drove to the old city to do the walking tour and
some shopping. Again it was a bit challenging traversing the slums and one-way
streets, but easier in the daylight than in the nighttime as we had done
previously. Using a tourist map, we managed to find the paid parking lot at the
end of the peninsula on which the old city is situated. It only costs 30 cents per half hour, so 90
cents for our total visit.
We wandered the streets and felt like we had gone back in
time. Built in the 1600’s, this section of Panama City is currently being
restored and is a Unesco World Heritage site. It reminded me of New Orleans,
with ornate two-story buildings with balconies, beautiful old grill work, and
huge carved doors. It is still only half
restored and there is much construction going on, but the charm is apparent. I
would like to come back in 5 to 10 years to see the complete renovation.
 |
| Gold Altar of San Jose Church |
We visited the historic plazas and 3 churches, including Igelsia
San Jose that has the famous golden altar. We stopped in several shops
where local artists were selling carvings, embroidery, leather bags, and
jewelry. We also stopped by the president’s palace, but weren’t allowed to go
in. It was very hot walking the streets, and we were dripping with sweat by the
time we got back to our very hot car.
Next we drove to Albrook Mall, which is the largest
mall in Central America. It has all of the shops we have in the US, plus many
more. I found the prices very good and bought some sandals and clothes. It is an inside mall and air-conditioned,
which is nice.
 |
| Amazing Architecture of BioDiversity Musuem |
Later we headed to the Frank Gehry Biodiversity Museum,
which took 10 year to build, but just opened 5 months ago. The exhibits are not
yet complete, so the current $22 price tag is a bit of a rip off. I opted for
the $5 temporary exhibits, which I felt were a good deal, but my friends who
paid the $22 felt disappointed. I’m not sure why they are charging so much when
the museum is not yet completed. The best part is the architecture, which is an
amazing display of bright primary colored slanted roofs in red, blue, yellow,
orange, and green. It looks like a giant child’s toy, but is apparently modeled
after all of the bright colors in the Panamanian jungles, ocean and cities. Its
location on the Amador Causeway, balanced between two bodies of water, is
visually stunning. Plus the views of the skyscrapers of Panama City are
excellent.
 |
| Beach at Playa Bonita Resort |
Back at the hotel, we spent a couple of hours relaxing by
the pool and walking the beach, before showering and heading out to dinner. Our
last evening we had been planning on having dinner at one of the many
restaurants just north of our resort, but they are all closed on Mondays. The concierge
suggested Alberto’s, so we headed back to the Amador Causeway – only a 15
minutes drive – to enjoy a last meal of fresh seafood (see post on Wine &
Food of Panama).
No comments:
Post a Comment