A Man, A Plan, A Canal, Panama I: ytiC amanaPanama City

Latin American schools don't really have a "Spring Break." Instead, they have Holy Week. From Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday, everything is shut down in San José, some of it by law in Costa Rica (after all, Catholicism is constitutionally the state religion here). Schools are closed, buses don't run, government buildings are locked up. My host mom told me that years ago, people threw stones at anyone who had the irreverent nerve to leave their houses on Good Friday. As a result, the tradition was born that everyone leaves the city and goes to the beach. A few friends and I decided to do the same, but since our program gave us all of Holy Week off, we tacked on a trip to Panama City.

The day before Palm Sunday, a few friends and I awoke early to board a 7:30 am bus to David, just across the border in Panama. We arrived at 8:00 pm (11 1/2 hour ride plus a time zone change). We waited a couple hours, then boarded a double decker express bus to Panama City, arriving to our hostel there at 5:30 am. All in all, a 22 hour trip. I almost died.

After sleeping for an eternity, we awoke and set out to explore the city. One friend described it as Miami, except in a different country. After a stop at an artisan market to purchase the souvenirs by which to remember the Panamanian adventures we had not yet experienced, we headed to the Amador Causeway, an artificial land bridge connecting three harbor islands to the city by road. It was constructed by depositing the excess earth from the Panama Canal excavation in the sea. It was a very touristy area: mostly a cruise ship stopping point complete with Bennigan's, but still very tuanis (cool). Below is a picture of the Causeway with the Puente de las Americas in the background, until recently the only road connection between North and South America since the construction of the Canal.

The next day we traveled to what we thought would be the highlight of the trip: the (in)famous Panama Canal. It was neat to see it of course. There was a decent museum at the Miraflores Lock where one can see the ships pass through. However, it all ended up being slightly anti-climactic. Perhaps I was expecting too much. Moreover, I left my camera at the hostel. I'll post pictures I took with a friend's camera as soon as she posts them on Facebook. After the Canal, we tried to take a bus to the still-standing colonial part of the city, Casco Viejo, but instead took a bus to the destroyed colonial part of the city, Panama Viejo. The ruins were the work of Henry Morgan, the pirate who sacked the city in the late 1600s. Today it stands in a sketchy slum not too far from the modern downtown area. Those pictures are also forthcoming.

The last day in the city, we explored the aforementioned Casco Viejo. This area of town is very similar to the French Quarter in New Orleans. Old Spanish architecture, narrow streets with the overhanging balconied buildings almost blocking out the sun, and interesting smells. However, we visited three beautiful old churches, three museums, the ruins of an old convent and the Plaza de Francia, which offered the pictures of the buildings below and the skyline above. Also in Casco Viejo were the Casa Presidencial (Panama's White House) and the beautiful National Theatre.

Perhaps the niftiest part of Casco Viejo was the San José Church, a 17th Century baroque construction complete with a golden altar. The altar was saved from Henry Morgan's invasion by the church's priest. He painted the golden altar black and convinced the pirate that it was made of wood. ¡Qué dicha! Thank goodness! The altar is truly a treasure to see in person.

We left the city that evening on an 8-hour overnight bus trip to our beach destination: Bocas del Toro.