I have discovered that the path along the sea wall/front is the best place to walk if I just want to get out and exercise. It's clean and well-maintained as well as well patrolled by the local "guardian" police. There is a bike/jogging path alongside a wide walking path with beautiful landscaping along the way. It is generally shady especially in the late afternoon when the sun is going behind all the skyscrapers. I walk about 3 miles down and back. Along the way there are many small local venders with their little carts that sell refreshments. My favorite are the carts selling the shaved ice drinks. They have a huge block of ice that they use an instrument to "shave" the ice right there into a cup for you and then you can pick from a variety of flavors like cherry, pineapple, grape, etc. They traditionally add a squirt of condensed milk on top of it (very good!) but you can leave it off if you want.
One of the Shaved Ice carts.
Nice wide well-maintained path.
Most of the walkway is shaded in the late afternoon.
Skyscrapers everywhere!
Probably reminiscent of Miami, though I've never been there.
For those of you who worry that you won't be able to find some familiar icons from the United States...Don't worry...Panama City has everything from Burger King, McDonald's, Popeye's, Dominoes Pizza...you name it...BUT, don't expect "fast" food here. It can take up to two hours to get food at these places especially if you try to go during the lunch hour. Panamanians get a two hour lunch generally from 11:00 am to 1:00 PM I used to wonder why. Now I know....
The Hard Rock Cafe just a couple of blocks down from our apartment building.
Novey is kind of like a Walmart except they don't sell clothes. You can get any kind of household item you need as well as any garden item and/or equipment.
One of things I love about the city are all the HUGE very old trees all around. Many have been saved because of the fact that the paper work to cut down one of these old trees is extensive! SO, instead of cutting them down they just build AROUND them...(Thank God for bureaucracy!)
The Texaco Station was built around this big ole tree!
These vine wrapped trees line many of the streets...
It looks as though you will drive right through this one!
The road just goes around it on either side...
One of my favorite pastimes is "bus-watching". In any other place that may sound mundane but I can assure you that there is nothing mundane about the buses they refer to as the "Red Devils" here. They are one of the most iconic symbols of Panama. They even sell little miniature red devil buses in the souvenir stores. The city is trying to phase these buses out and replace them all with the new Metro buses. For sure the metro buses are better and more comfortable but not nearly as entertaining! The Red Devils are the noisiest and most colorful buses around. Whenever you hear brakes screeching or you see a cloud of black smoke billowing from the exhaust pipes you can be sure there is a red devil bus. I have done my best to catch some of the most "colorful" ones I have seen.
I have no idea...
The old and the new together....Red Devil followed by a Metro Bus.
They jack the front of the bus up for more "effect"...
Some of the art work is really out there!
If its history you interested in Panama is loaded with it! Within minutes you can be in Viejo Panama ("Old Panama") Old Panama is where the original city was built over 700 years ago. After it was sacked and burned by multiple parties (Including the famous pirate Henry Morgan) instead of re-building the city there it was moved a few miles away to what is now known as "Casca Viejo" or Casca Antingua where the Presidential Palace is located. Old Panama is full of ruins and HUGE old trees. It is well worth seeing. The view from the Bell tower is impressive. Walking the grounds is a very pleasant experience because of the park-like atmosphere, the beautiful trees, the abundance of birds and all the ruins surrounding the walkways. This place is so old that many of the trees that have grown up between the ruins drwarf everything around them.
Old Bell Tower still stands...
View of the new from the old...
This tree had a kind of cactus growing all over it...
The Bishop's House...
Walking in the footsteps of history...
It was a beautiful day!
The vines are taking over!
Tree growing in the middle of the ruins...
My favorite tree in Old Panama...
Contemplating the history of this place...
A long way to look up!
Young lady dressed in traditional Panamanian dress posing for tourists...
Like us :~)
After visiting Old Panama it's only logical to take the next step and go to Casca Viejo where Panama was relocated after Old Panama was destroyed. Many sections there are still under reconstruction but it is worth the trip especially if you are able to walk in the section where the Presidential Palace is. There are many "sidewalk" restaurants that offer a variety of food. One of my fans is the restaurant "Casablanca". It's located by the "square" where you can sit outside as well if you want and many local artist set up their tables to display their wares.
The Presidential Palace is a stately building patrolled with 24 hour guards and a pair of egrets! The egrets stand quietly to the side as if they too are guarding the entrance and seem unaffected by the hordes of people meandering by.
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