Panama! Panama-ah!

With Ed, who I met the previous night playing ping pong at the hostel, and a German guy, I went to visit the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal. The most I remember was that it was really hot out there on the viewing deck. Though it was cool to see cargo boats carrying hundreds of containers come through the locks with barely a meter of clearance either side, I had already seen and traveled through bigger and more impressive locks in China. Don't bother seeing the film or the museum. Neither was worthwhile or free from propaganda. The most interesting things I found in the museum were the model machines and a history of sanitation development during the building of the canal. I'm serious. It's the nurse in me.

Another day, I caught the local bus to the ruins of Panama Viejo and spent nearly three hours there just wandering around at my own pace. It was quiet and shady in some places, so I treated it like a park and used it to relax a little to escape the heat and people in general. Some of the ruins were quite photogenic, but otherwise, they were just ruins!

I had no idea where to catch the bus back or which one to take, but I managed to find one to Plaza 5 de Mayo which I knew was near Casco Viejo. Luckily, the stop was announced since I was looking out for a big plaza and not the street a block away. I walked back to the hostel via Avenida Central which is a pedestrian shopping street. Crazy place, at least during Christmas shopping.

Before I left Panama City, I took a walk along the causeway, which was a nice stretch of road and pavement where people jogged and rode rented bikes. There was a platform for fishing, restaurants and a great view of the city as well. The city itself is a fascinating mix of decaying and half-built structures; they could be going either way. It's hellish unattractive but gave me mixed feelings of interest and distaste.