When someone comes to visit me, the first place I take them is to the Panama Canal, an engineering wonder that was built 100 years ago to connect the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans. However, my favorite place in the city is the Casco Antiguo, a bohemian neighborhood with a charming and vibrant atmosphere. The architecture is a fusion of belle époque and Caribbean style. I love to sit on Bolivar square to have a drink at the end of the afternoon. From the Paseo de los Enamorados, the view of the city´s skyline is spectacular. There is a curious contrast among all the people from the Casco that is what makes it special.
The Panamanian summer, from December to March, is the best time to visit my city since it doesn´t rain so much and the weather is cooler.
You can see my city best from Cerro Ancón, the highest point of the city. You will be able to see from one side the Casco Antiguo, from the other side the skyscrapers and from behind the Panamá Canal. I advise to go up walking, if you are lucky you may see a ñeque or a sloth.
Locals know to skip Diablo Rojos, a picturesque kind of bus nice to see but not to ride in, and check out the Metro or Metrobus instead, it is safer and more comfortable.
El Centro de Artesanía de Panamá Viejo is the place to buy authentic local souvenirs. My favorite and most representative are the molas, a kind of patchwork made by the Guna etnia with many layers of colorful clothes sown one on top of another making a design. Other beautiful handcrafts are wooden figures, masks and baskets made by the Embera etnia. If you want to buy upscale handcrafts go to Reprosa in Casco Antiguo, Costa del Este or Obarrio.
Notable people like Paul Gauguin, John McCain, Miguel Bose, Rod Carew, Roberto Durán and Rubén Blades have called my city home.
My city’s best museum is the Biomuseo because it has a beautiful and colorful structure designed by Frank Ghery. It is about the migrations that happened when Panamá was formed, and it became the bridge where the animals crossed from South America to North America and vice versa.
If there’s one thing you should know about getting around my city, is that it is hot and humid, so it is better not to walk outdoors at noon.
The best place to spend time outdoors in my city is Parque Metropolitano, a piece of tropical rain forest in the city border, it is very nice for trekking and bird watching. You can also go for a walk or ride a bicycle at the Causeway.
My city really knows how to celebrate Carnavales. It is a lot of fun, there are many parades and mojaderas, where a water truck named Culeco gets people wet with a big hose, while they drink and dance to the sound of the Murga. Another important celebration is Fiestas Patrias, where we celebrate the most important historical dates, there are parades with people dressing the beautiful typical dress known as Pollera.
You can tell if someone is from my city if he greets you Qué xopá? or exclaim Ayala vida!
For a fancy night out, go to the Casco Antiguo to any rooftop bar, like Tántalo .
Outside my city, you can visit San Blas Islands to enjoy a paradisiac white sanded and crystal clear beaches and learn about the Gunas, an ethnic group that still preserves their original values and lifestyle.
My city is known for the Panamá Canal, but there are really many more beautiful places to visit.
The best outdoor market in my city are the street vendors around the Casco Antiguo.
Dim Sum at the Golden Unicorn is a popular place for sunday´s breakfast, and the restaurants in Vía Argentina are the spot for late-night eats.
To find out what’s going on at night and on the weekends, look in http://quehacerhoypanama.com/ or http://www.thevisitorpanama.com/.
My city’s biggest sports event is baseball provincial finals at the Rod Carew or when the national soccer team plays with another country at Romel Fernández stadium.
When I’m feeling cash-strapped, I enjoy going to one of the free venues that sometimes are host in Parque Omar, La Ciudad del Saber or Cinta Costera.
To escape the crowds, I like to take a walk on a trail of the Parque Metropolitano or Soberanía, enjoying nature and breathing fresh air.
If my city were a celebrity it’d be Ruben Blades because as him it has a cheerful latin flavor and he embodies the patriotic feeling and love Panamenians feel for their country.
If my city were a celebrity it’d be Ruben Blades because as him it has a cheerful latin flavor and he embodies the patriotic feeling and love Panamenians feel for their country.
The dish that represents my city best is ceviche and carimañola, and Seco Herrerano is my city’s signature drink. Sample them at el Mercado del Marisco for ceviche, Maito and Mercao for a panamenian gourmet dinner and Niko´s Café for a more affordable option. There are more touristic alternatives such as Barko, Tinajas or Diablicos where you can taste the Panamanian food and also enjoy a performance of typical dances.
El Tornillo in calle 50 is my favorite building in town because it has a peculiar shape and an attractive color.
The most random thing about my city is the tide, makes the sea move miles from the shore twice a day and suddenly all the boats are stuck in the land.
Danilo´s Jazz Club is the best place to see live music, but if you’re in the mood to dance, check out Habana Panama or Bits Rooftop at Hard Rock Hotel.
Taking a bath in the Caribbean and the Pacific on the same day could only happen in my city.
In Panamá there are only two seasons, dry season from December to March and rainy season from April to November. However the weather in Panamá is very changeable, one minute there can be a thunderstorm and the other an amazing blue sky. So never go out without your umbrella, and wear light clothes because it is hot and humid. During dry season (verano), there are a lot of open air events in public areas, such as Musicalion and the Panama´s Jazz Festival.
If you have kids (or are a kid at heart), you won’t want to miss the parks and water fountains at Cinta Costera. Another fun place to visit is Punta culebra in the Causeway, it is a pretty place and it is possible for children to touch the starfish and the sea urchins.
The best book about my city is Path Between the Seas by David Mc Cullough because it is not only the epic story of one of the most extraordinary enginery work of human civilization, it is the birth of a new nation and the political struggling that it brought.
When I think about my city, the song that comes to mind is El Tambor de la Alegría.
See the original article in Nat Geo
See the original article in Nat Geo
