| Panama City, Panama |  |
| January 25 - 26, 2007 |
Panama City is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Panama. To be frank, the Panama Canal and Middle America was all I could relate to Panama City. Luckily, our short stop-over in Panama City taught me that there is much more to discover.
There are actually three Panama Cities the visitor should get acquainted with: the ruins of the oldest Spanish settlement on the mainland of the Americas (founded in 1519) - Panama Viejo (Old Panama); the second Panama City (Casco Viejo) dates back to the Spanish era in the 17th century; and then there is the modern skyscraper city.
On our first day in Panama City we spent a good share of our time rambling around the streets of Casco Viejo, admiring numerous historical buildings and the laid-back atmosphere, but we also discovered a little bit of the modern city as well. However, a visit to Panama City won't be complete without a visit to the Panama Canal. The Panama Canal, a man-made canal that links the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans, was opened in 1914, making the long and treacherous route around the legendary Cape Horn and the Drake Passage obsolete. The canal consists of artificial lakes, several improved and artificial channels, and three sets of locks. Miraflores locks are very close to Panama City; here you can see the locks open and close as the ships begin or end their transit, see how 5,000,000-ton vessels rise and drop more than 15 meter as they make their way from one ocean to another. We also paid Amador Causeway a visit, a major attraction with its spectacular view of Panama City's skyline. Another must-do is a drive over the Puente de las Americas (Bridge of the Americas) - a bridge linking North and South America, playing an important part of the legendary Panamericana.
All in all, we really enjoyed our short stop-over in Panama City, although the terrific heat and the high humidity were not easy to endure :-)
Following you'll find some pictures of the Panama Canal and Panama City - enjoy!
| Panama Canal |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Panama City | |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
