Entering Panama was a cinch. It took some time at the border but everyone was helpful in showing me how to navigate the administrative process, including the truck drivers. It took about an hour and a half. Panama is gorgeous; lush farmland surrounded by dense jungle; More of the white cattle (Zebu) that were also in Costa Rica - they look so proud and noble, a strong contrast to the livestock you see in the states that look like you could... well, just tip them over with a push. About 50 miles into the country it began to rain - amazingly, the first time the entire trip. I decided not to head to the mountains in the north and just waited out the storm in the city of David.
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| Fire Station. David, Panama. |
I asked around about places to stay and eventually I found a guy that was all fired up. I asked if I could camp on this commercial loading dock and he said his company wouldn't allow it. Then, without blinking an eye, he made gestures to come on and follow him and he jumped in his car. I followed him to what looked like a fire station or a police station. That was a no-go. Then he led me into the center of town to the main fire house and after some advocating while I sat in the rain, I was in. They sounded an alarm once as I was getting to bed but I didn't hear anything else the rest of the night. David is a nice tranquil little town surrounded by a few big box stores outside the city by the Pan American Highway. The next day I got up early and shot to Panama City.
Panama City, and Panama in general; I underestimated you. I expected the country to be much more desperate, seedy, and empty. I was expecting something like Reno with less people. It's true that most of the sky scrapers in the city center are empty or under construction, but the city is thriving and packed with people. Distinct neighborhoods roll out from the hillside down to the waterfront. I looked around at hostels and ended up staying in a neighborhood called Cajsco Viejo. This section of town is in serious transition. In the late 1600's it was constructed as a walled city to defend from attacks by sea. During the construction of the Panama Canal in the early 1900's the neighborhood housed the African slaves and the walls were used to keep people in instead of out. Over the last decade the neighborhood has gone from decaying, poverty stricken slum to a tourist destination second only to the canal. Gentrification occurs by force in Panama and this district has an overwhelming military and police presence. I would say that roughly 30% of the buildings nearby have been renovated, but many are complete shells with trees and plants growing out of the crumbling concrete walls.
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| Casco Viejo |
Each morning I have been running the carefully groomed running and biking path along the waterfront. It wraps around the bay about 2.5 miles along the towering skyscrapers that appear either vacant or under construction. The hostel owner tells me that all the buildings are a money laundering scheme for the drug money that runs through the country from Colombia. I ran down to the central area below the skyscrapers and sure enough there is not a single tourist, only workers and food vendors for the workers. It will be interesting to see the cityscape in 15 years. Will these luxury apartments be filled with spenders, or will they remain vacant investments, alive only on paper? Only time will tell.
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| Raining and Riding in Panama City |
