Good Morning from Casco Viejo

 We made it. Flight was a little uncomfortable (I feel like seat space / legroom is shrinking every time I get on a plane). Landed at 7:00 last night, sailed through customs and immigration, then a short taxi ride to town. Hard to get a great sense of Panama City from a taxi at night and in the rain, but what I saw looked pretty cool. Lots of shiny skyscrapers and tons of street level activity. First impressions were of a vibrant city. 

Panama at night(not my pic)

 checked in to the hotel. What a hotel. Built in the 1930s by “the first woman in Panama to wear pants” (that’s what the website says, I swear). It was a pawn shop during the boom years of the canal, then later a refuge for artists intellectuals and free spirits. It was abandoned and fell into disrepair before being restored in 2010. It is amazing, we have a suite with 3 balconies. High ceilings, massive doors and windows, original architectural details, rooftop patio, garden courtyard, you really feel like you’re living in a different time. 

Las Clementinas Hotel

We took a short walk around town. Casco Viejo seems pretty cool. Lots of high end restaurants and boutique hotels, but also plenty of ramshackle rundown buildings too. From our balcony I can see as many rusted tin roofs as I can terracotta ones, and there seems to be a bit of a local vibe, so maybe tourism hasn’t entirely taken over. it was raining though (I guess the rainy season is a real thing), so we headed back to the hotel for a quick bite. Then off to bed. We’ll explore more today.

Goodnight

Lots planned for today, a nature preserve, old Panama, Explore Casco Viejo, and the fish market for ceviche (sounds like that’s a thing here). Unfortunately all those things involve walking outdoors, and it is pouring rain. If only there had been some way of knowing the rainy season in Panama would be so rainy…

Good morning from Panama 

Michael

Las Clementinas hotel

Casco Viejo Panama