Panama City is an up coming area. We decided to stay in Casco Viejo which is the old quarter. The area is exactly our vibe except that it is under major revitalization.
It recently became a UNESCO Heritage Site and all of the buildings are protected. The area several years ago was run down, dirty, overcrowded and basically neglected. The buildings, however, are amazing.
The streets reminded us of Rome and just about every single one of them is under restoration right now. It’s great to see the area being turned around but it made for a very quiet stay. We can only imagine what it will be like in a few years.
For you Anthony Bourdain fans, we heard that he visited the fish market and had cerviche.
We also heard he had some food at Restaurante Kwang Chow
We did not try neither one, though. Kwang Chow was just dirty and as much as I wanted some Chinese food, I could not do it.
We wandered into the Chinatown part and saw life more like it really is. There were people pushing carts of various food items
We even saw a manicure cart with people actually getting some services
Of course, we couldn’t resist trying something. I think it was lemonade with cane sugar?
We saw a lot of people in traditional dress. Not sure if they always dress like this of if it was just for Carnaval
Our apartment had a rooftop pool that is frequented by vultures when not being used by humans. Sometimes we share
Casco Viejo is beautiful and very safe because of the high number of governmental offices located there. There were police officers on almost every corner. We look forward to coming back when things are in full swing.
