Last day in Panama
Trip Start
Jul 02, 2012
1
15
58
Trip End
Oct 04, 2012
Panama City, Panama
Monday, July 23, 2012
Casco Viejo is the historic district of Panama City. Completed and settled in 1673, it was built following the near-total destruction of the original Panamá city in 1671 which was attacked by pirates.
Because we had limited time, we drove around most of the area which was a mix of dilapidated, crumbling old buildings and remodelled, modern structures. The plan is to restore the city completely however it is an enormous job which will take years. We found it fascinating - you could imagine how the old buildings might have been in their prime. There were narrow cobblestone streets, and an amazing church we visited which was saved when the city was ransacked by the quick thinking priest who painted the outside of the church a plain brown colour, disguising it and avoiding the looting that occurred in the other fancy buildings.
It was fascinating to see the stark contrast of old and restored, often side by side and we would have like to have more time to wander around and explore.
After driving through the modern city and past the lobby of the tallest building - the Trump Tower, we stopped in at a fish market to see their wares and then headed up Ancon Hill, the highest point in Panama. From there we had fantastic views over the city, in all directions. Photos just can't do the view justice, it was spectacular.
Sadly our time was up and so Tony dropped us back at the hotel and we checked out, headed for the airport and took our flight back to Cayman.
It was a fantastic adventure: fascinating, diverse, spectacular, astonishing, breathtaking, extraordinary and eye-opening - a truly wonderful experience,
Comments
What an amazing time you guys have had so pleased we have finally received your blog the photos say it all xxx