People say that generally first impressions are the ones that count. I tend to be guilty of forming an impression of someone or something quite quickly. Sometimes that impression changes due to further investigation or increased familiarity but generally it remains relatively unaltered.
Whilst barreling along with Super Mario en route to Casco Viejo in his stealth-mobile I started thinking that Panama City has certain similarities to Singapore. Both derive a large income from trade and shipping, both have a banking element and both seem to be in a state of regeneration and development. I would also consider both centers as great entry points for regional travel, Singapore for South East Asia and Panama City for Central America. They both kind of ease you into the regional nuances that you can expect.
They have similar skylines. When viewed from afar, Panama City could be Singapore, Hong Kong or possibly even Shanghai. However when you get close up and personal you very quickly notice that Panama City is very much a work in progress, undergoing rapid expansion and modernization. There is a metro with more lines to come. Casco Viejo, a Unesco heritage site is being completely restored and rebuilt (a situation that not all the locals agree with from what I've been told). The slum areas that the guide book warns you about seem to be undergoing modernization.
Peering through some of the open doors and windows of the buildings here in Casco Viejo it becomes apparent that many people here still live in poverty. Dilapidated wooden structures house entire families, seemingly with no proper sanitation or actual Windows, yet next door is an upmarket gourmet coffee shop of ice cream parlor. Happily the big American coffee and burger chains have not colonized Casco Viejo the way they have the rest of the city but I guess it's just a matter of time....
Casco Viejo is a great area to be based in and there is more than enough to keep a person occupied, even when they are not being force-fed Spanish grammar lessons by a super efficient Spanish teacher who refuses to converse in English whatsoever(a subject for another day). There is a reggae festival on in the broken down building across from the hostel tonight, probably a fitting venue for some great 'Rasta Vibe', totally atmospheric. This same building is alongside a 17th century church that contains the 'Golden Altar' that local legend tells a story about how a priest hid the alter from a pirate called Henry Morgan, way back in the days of pirates sacking entire towns. Check out the story, it's quite interesting.
Me, I'm off to don my Bob Marley wig and get my Reggae groove going. Rasta man vibration, positive....
Whilst barreling along with Super Mario en route to Casco Viejo in his stealth-mobile I started thinking that Panama City has certain similarities to Singapore. Both derive a large income from trade and shipping, both have a banking element and both seem to be in a state of regeneration and development. I would also consider both centers as great entry points for regional travel, Singapore for South East Asia and Panama City for Central America. They both kind of ease you into the regional nuances that you can expect.
They have similar skylines. When viewed from afar, Panama City could be Singapore, Hong Kong or possibly even Shanghai. However when you get close up and personal you very quickly notice that Panama City is very much a work in progress, undergoing rapid expansion and modernization. There is a metro with more lines to come. Casco Viejo, a Unesco heritage site is being completely restored and rebuilt (a situation that not all the locals agree with from what I've been told). The slum areas that the guide book warns you about seem to be undergoing modernization.
Peering through some of the open doors and windows of the buildings here in Casco Viejo it becomes apparent that many people here still live in poverty. Dilapidated wooden structures house entire families, seemingly with no proper sanitation or actual Windows, yet next door is an upmarket gourmet coffee shop of ice cream parlor. Happily the big American coffee and burger chains have not colonized Casco Viejo the way they have the rest of the city but I guess it's just a matter of time....
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Casco Viejo is a great area to be based in and there is more than enough to keep a person occupied, even when they are not being force-fed Spanish grammar lessons by a super efficient Spanish teacher who refuses to converse in English whatsoever(a subject for another day). There is a reggae festival on in the broken down building across from the hostel tonight, probably a fitting venue for some great 'Rasta Vibe', totally atmospheric. This same building is alongside a 17th century church that contains the 'Golden Altar' that local legend tells a story about how a priest hid the alter from a pirate called Henry Morgan, way back in the days of pirates sacking entire towns. Check out the story, it's quite interesting.
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Me, I'm off to don my Bob Marley wig and get my Reggae groove going. Rasta man vibration, positive....
Funny! And yes, luckily you're not a nervous passenger!
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