Panama Viejo

Panama Viejo – The Original Old Town

This, the original Panama City, was founded in 1519 by Spain.  It was the first permanent European settlement on the Pacific Ocean and became the country’s capital and the point from which Spanish gold and silver expeditions set off into Peru.  By the 17^th century the town had a major cathedral, a hospital, several convents and a population of over 10,000.  In the years since 1519 the town suffered fires and a damaging earthquake but it was totally destroyed and looted in 1671 by Pirate Henry Morgan and his band of 1400 men.  They left the city with only half of its people and its buildings in ruins.  It would not be rebuilt.  Instead, the capital was relocated to an isolated peninsula just south of today’s modern Panama City is called Casco Viejo (today’s Old Town).

Only the ruins of Panama Viejo stand today.  We walked there.  Of course, we could have taken a taxi, Uber’d or have ridden the bus but we like multitasking.  If we walk, we get to see much more of the city, greet people we meet and we don’t have to go to the gym.  Round trip we did just under 7 miles.  All day today it felt like a Sunday but it’s Tuesday.  Traffic was light and many shops were closed.  It’s a holiday!!!  In fact this week is full of holidays!  Today is Day of the Dead – families gather to remember their passed loved ones and decorate their graves.  Tomorrow is Separation Day – celebrating Panama’s separation from Columbia and finally, Thursday, November 4 is Flag Day.  People tell us we can expect parades and fireworks the next two days.   Imagine our surprise after sweat-drenched mile 5 of 6 to find a lovely little parrilla restaurant and to order a little lunch and an ice cold cerveza.  Oops!  No alcohol today or on any major holiday.  Maybe no cerveza, no vino manana nor the day after as well.  Who cares!  The Coca Cola sin azucar on ice was sooo refreshingly delicious and so were our grilled steaks with yucca & papas both fried, fried, fried!

On the grounds of Panama Viejo only ruins of the old city remain but they are lovely and caused us to think that once in 1760, 10,000 people lived and roamed the spot of land where we stood today.  They may have even touched some of the very stones in the still-standing walls. 

The modern museum was quite well-done and engaging.  It’s depiction of the history of the town, its development and collection of essential artifacts was very interesting. 

Today the bell tower is an important icon for the city of Panama City and is the best preserved of all the ruins.  In its day it also served as the town’s watch tower.  Nice wooden steps were added in the restoration that began in the early 2000’s. They rise four stories to the highest lookout.  The vistas are wonderful.  To the north, the cathedral ruins in its exact original place is looked down upon and in the distance lies the stone bridge, Punta del Rey (King’s Bridge) built in 1617.  This still-sound stone and soil structure above the Rio Abajo is thought to be the oldest bridge in the Americas.  Let’s see . . . 400 years?  We both walked across.

Our day’s walk began with big blue skies; it was one of those days on which the colors have more color than the day before.  We walked and it felt good.  As we passed the impressive Pacifica Salud hospital, affiliated with Johns Hopkins, we saw where we can get a rapid Covid 19 test in case we need one.  It will cost $79.  The test costs only $50 at the airport.  Elsewhere it is $150-$200. 

Soon we were in new territory.  Everything we saw seemed interesting . . . tall luxury apartment buildings, private walled-in residences, big bank buildings and high-end auto dealerships for Lotus and Ferrari.  We window shopped.  Sometimes we had to really watch our steps.  Sidewalks even in very respectable areas are often not reliable.  Some have been cut to allow drainage, manholes are frequently found uncovered and in some places, large sewer plates are long-gone.  Imagine walking on a dark rainy night.  Oh!!!!

Going on we followed Google maps which gave us nearly step-by-step instructions to the old town.  The app directed us though on one street that had we known before we might have walked a block or two more to avoid but we just marched ahead.  Thankfully, we encountered no problem at all.  People there greeted us in a very friendly manner. 

By the time we reached the park the blue skies had faded. The sky to our north was purely black!  As while we toured the impressive museum, the rain came!  It’s all about timing!  How and why that works exactly, I don’t know but sometimes it just does.  From start to finish, we walked in no rain, not for a single moment.  Glory be!  Glory be!

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