A little dose of city energy does a body good.
I think, deep down, throughout all that laid back beachy time, I was still aching for the city. Not all cities can do it for me, but there was something about Casco Viejo in Panama City that really woke me up. Perhaps it was the momentum of development (the government seemed to be putting lots of money into fixing up several historical sites and colonial buildings). Or it could have been the corroded, layered areas, thick with stories and strings of clothes drying in the sun. Maybe it was the two, old and new, dirty and clean, side by side, pushing up against each other, that gave this area a feeling of life. I took more Spanish lessons, did some volunteer work, made some art. Whatever it was that got me going, I'm not exactly sure, but I truly enjoyed my stay and sincerely plan to return and work in some capacity.
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| There were lots of pieces of street art all around, but these legs with striped stockings struck me. Apparently there were several local artists living and working in the neighborhood. |
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| Here's a perfect example of a newly restored building right next to an old one. There's something about that juxtaposition that draws me in. It will be a shame once everything is all clean and nice. |
These paintings were just on the side of a random building but I thought they were really rich and interesting.
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| Some buildings were just shells. You could look into a window or doorway and all there was was rubble. It was oddly compelling and sort of beautiful. |
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| One of several churches and historical sights in the neighborhood, this church (San Jose) housed a gold plated altar. Legend has it that when pirate Henry Morgan arrive to sack the old city, the priest of this church painted the altar black to evade the theft. It worked and Morgan actually gave the priest a coin since the church was so modest. Who's the real pirate in this scenario? |
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| Just outside of the old city was a busy commercial strip. Something I loved about this area was the presence of the indigenous Kuna Yala women, who wore these amazing traditional garments. It was particularly interesting to see them hanging out, talking on a cellphone, buying a stereo or whatever. Another juxtaposition of old and new. The only indigenous presence I see in New York are those hunched old ladies with fur coats, crazy lipstick and purple hair, who have been living in the same apartment for 50 or 60 years. |
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| Here's a shot of the new city skyline at night. You may be able to see that some of those buildings are actually pretty dark and empty. Apparently most of these have been constructed within the last 5-10 years and there aren't enough people that can afford to live in them. They are investment properties for several rich South and North Americans. Still pretty to look at, though. |
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| Something else I found really inspiring about Casco Viejo (and a feature that will eventually fade away) were these shrouded buildings under construction. They were really mysterious and theatrical, especially at night. A lot of the street blocks looked sort of like a movie set. |
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| Bulbs on strings will get me every time. They're super romantic and sort of magical. This was the block where our hotel was. |
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| Sort of a visual non-sequiter but this is a shot of the fish market down the street a bit from Casco Viejo. That pink one in the front is at least three feet long. We got ceviche here (see "what's for lunch") and it was amazing. |
