Last Stop Is Panama
After my time in Lima Peru, my last stop in this two week travel is Panama. I’ve previously stopped over at the Panama City airport on my way to and from Galapagos Islands but never left the airport to go into the city itself. This time since I was again routed through Panama City airport on both directions to and from South America, I thought that I would spend at least two nights there to check out the Panama Canal and whatever else is interesting in the city.
The Panama Canal
Of course the most obligatory attraction to visit there is the Panama Canal which is used by ships to transit between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. But instead of taking a tour bus or a taxi, I thought of taking the real locals way using public transit which turned out to be dirt cheap.
When I arrived at the Miraflores Visitor Center at the Panama Canal, I was lucky to be there just as a large cargo ship was passing through the canal locks as well as a smaller passenger cruise boat just entering.
After seeing these boats right in the Panama Canal, I went back inside the Visitor Center to watch the 45 minute documentary IMAX film narrated by Morgan Freeman on the history and development of the canal which was quite good. Overall, I would say that I’m glad that I visited the Panama Canal but one visit is enough.
For those who do plan to visit the Panama Canal, here’s a bonus video on how I got there the cheapest way possible from Panama City.
The Old Historic Area Casco Viejo
Getting back on the bus and metro, I stopped over to wander around the old historic area of Panama City known as Casco Viejo. This area reminded me of the old part of Havana in Cuba with the old restored colonial architecture and alleys but is much cleaner here. Casco Viejo is a nice contrast to the gleaming skyline of Panama City which makes it look a bit like Miami. You can tell that there is money here in Panama City.
Even though I didn’t visit Casco Viejo at night time, I learned that this district is very safe and actually more crowded with visitors after dark enjoying a vibrant nightlife scene there.
The Cerviche Challenge With Panama Vs Peru
Cerviche much like in Peru, is suppose to be a must try dish in Panama City so this was going to be a faceoff challenge to determine which country had the best cerviche. As you might recall, I already tried the cerviche while in Peru so this time near the big fish market not far from Casco Viejo, I ordered one here. The Panama version had a lot more ingredients compared to the one I had in Peru with not just fish but octopus (or squid, something with tentacles) too. As far as the fish itself, I preferred this one with better texture compared to the Peruvian one. Now it might not be a completely fair contest between Peru and Panama in this case because the Peruvian cerviche I had was not in Lima but in Aguas Calientes near Machu Picchu. Panama City is right by the sea while Aguas Calientes is far inland among mountains so of course one would expect the seafood at any location near an ocean to be much fresher.
Also very close to Casco Viejo was a park where I saw some neat looking trees with vines where locals where just hanging out. I finished my day trip with a pleasant walk along the waterfront.
So this was my short visit to Panama City which ends my two week trip to Little Cayman and Latin America. I hope you enjoyed all the compilation webpages with videos and photos as well as my commentary on each location – just backtrack with the links below if you missed any.
On my last day during my transit back to Canada, I definitely did not feel like going home just yet. Two weeks was way too short as I was having so much fun discovering new places and cultures. I could have used another week to spend a bit more time getting in more dives at Little Cayman, socializing with the friendly Latin American people I met and taking more side trips outside the main cities. This will warrant returning to Latin America in the future.
Meanwhile, I’ve been researching, planning and booking elements for a big Asia trip for November this year. This time I’ll spend three weeks abroad instead of just two as I’ve learned my lesson. The anchor for this trip will be a scuba dive liveaboard in Raja Ampat in Indonesia but I’ll spend time to tour Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand as well since they are all quite close to each other and I’ll be in the region anyway.
Update = I did do a return trip back to Panama in October.
