Panama is probably one of the richest countries in Central America, owing to the large number of international banks found here. It is a well-known fact that many of the rich and famous keep their fortunes in these off-shore banks in Panama. Another famous landmark of Panama is of course the Panama Canal which is a time saver for ships travelling between Asia and America.
Historically, Panama was a Spanish colony from 1501 to 1903 when it got its independence and in between that period, it and was plundered and looted of much of its wealth as well as becoming a province of Columbia. Equally significant in its history was that a French company started the Panama canal in 1880 but for variety of reasons, the project was never completed. In 1903 when Panama got its independence from Columbia, the Panama Canal was still not completed and it took the might and will of United States of America to finish it but Panama had to pay a heavy price for that by conceding the canal administration to the USA.
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Only after much protest and loss of blood (especially students) in 1960’s that in 1977, President Jimmy Carter agreed to relinquish it to Panama Control on 31/12/1999. Ever since then the toll rate has changed to reflect the actual value of time and cost saving and in the process became very profitable to Panama and arguably one of its cash cow! When Judy and I went to the site, the canal looked really impressive and we were overwhelmed by its size as well.
Casco Antiguo – Old Town
There is more to Panama City than just the financial district of Panama Canal. Over the 500 years history, the city has been growing from strength to strength. First, there is the old town. Surprisingly, the old town with its many historic buildings like Metropolitan Cathedral; National Theatre; Boulivar Palace among other buildings are well preserved. It is also very pleasant to walk within the old town as all these sites are within walking distance of each other. Besides, there are many shops selling food and drinks, souvenirs and other collectibles. The view of financial district across the bay is also very impressive.
Barrio Chino – Chinatown
Almost all cities that we visited in Central America have a Chinatown and Panama City is no exception. After traversing the old town, we went further and saw many shops selling hardware, clothing and groceries. We saw Chinese merchants, mostly women, attending to their tills (cash registers) and we were told that it is Barrio Chino or Chinatown of Panama City. Although the merchants were friendly we were not impressed with the surroundings which look a bit rundown but vibrant.
Taxi drivers here are generally honest and taxi rides are quite cheap – for instance, half an hour journey cost only US$5. On our last day in Panama City, I went out at sun break for self-discovery. My attention was focused on the F + F Tower, the amazing spirally tower which is really unique and I had never seen something similar to it. I discovered that most tall buildings here belong to banks and among them are the Citi Bank from USA and Scotia Bank from Canada. I wonder why a relatively small country of four (4) million people and moderate economy could sustain them. Maybe, there is something I do not know.
It was raining as we departed from our hotel and continued to rain into the evening until we reach David, a town to the very north of Panama. We thought we could catch a connecting bus to Costa Rica when we arrived at David. It was not to be and the earliest bus is next morning at 830am. We really met nice people along the way.
In the bus, a fellow commuters were actually looking after us, advising us when the bus was stopping for a break and as we arrived at David, realising that were still asleep, woke us up. As we left the bus, a policeman was kind enough to escort us all the way until we found a hotel for the night. Before departing the next day, we met a Chinese man doing merchandising business (hardware/groceries) near the bus station. There are many Chinese who operated similar shops in Panama City and David.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica is as American as it can be. The American Dollar is fully accepted here and the exchange rate is US$1 to 500 Colones (local currency). American fast food chains (McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Starbucks) are everywhere. Even the American tradition of Black Friday (Super Sales Day) before Christmas is very popular here. It really draws the crowd to shop. From a distance, San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica really impressed me. It was so beautiful! As our bus stopped, I wasted little time to look for taxi and check into hotel. I wanted to feel the pulse right then!
The vibrancy of the place excited me as I went to the narrow main streets and see what makes San Jose tick. I found that Costa Rica is one of the few countries in the world that do not have a regular armed force or soldiers. From the observation of the Metropolitan Cathedral, the National Theatre, the General Post Office, and the Central Market, Costa Rica has been very well developed in the early 19th century. They were rich even then, their buildings can testify to that.
Perhaps, it was Black Friday or weekend as the day is Saturday, the hoard of crowd is really amazing. People from all directions and going to all places lined up the main streets from early morning till late at night. Other than language problem (they speak Spanish), this s a perfect place for holiday and relax. The weather is also very pleasant as it is in a high altitude. On our last day in San Jose, we had coffee at one of the bistros. Right behind us on the next table was an elderly Chinese man. I took the opportunity to speak to him and why he was there.
“Costa Rica is a fantastic place, I decided to stay put after working for Republic of China (Taiwan) embassy. The air is clean, the people are friendly and the weather (20c – 25c) every day is perfect for living, “ he told me. I was impressed and of course, Spanish is his second language. Next, our visit to Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala…
