Panama Perm: Casco Viejo, the Montmartre of Panama, maybe?

Casco Viejo, So Rosemantic

The first hotel in Casco Viejo

I ventured into Panama City by myself last week to go exploring. And exploring was exactly what I did. After eventually getting on the right bus to go to Casco Viejo (the old city, the Montmartre of Panama, maybe) I realised I hadn't a notion where I should get off....the adventure had begun! I stayed on the bus for aaaaages, which had its bright side, we passed the outdoor Olympic swimming pool so I'll be back another day with my togs (there's no such thing as training in any of the pools in La Chorrera)!

Anyway, I thought I'd stay on the bus until it got to the end of the line, since I was sure I was already far from Casco Viejo... I waited and waited, the city became further and further away, eventually I gave up, starved (it always comes back to food), hopped off the bus and crossed over the road to Super 99 to refuel.

The city is that spec in the distance!

The bus back into town was another adventure. I waited for more than 40 minutes at the bus stop for a bus to arrive (the longest I've waited for a bus here, they're usually so regular). It wasn't idle time though, the lady I sat beside struck up conversation, when I told her where I'd wanted to go, we had a good laugh over how 'lejos' (far) I was from my true destination. Before she got on her bus I had clear instructions on how to actually get to Casco Viejo, whoop!

The bus was certainly a tight squeeze, everyone packed on. Of course I was last on and the door literally closed on me, no joke, it's not like the elevator where the door detects you and opens again, I was actually stuck between the doors! The driver opened it again when he saw me and I squeezed in, shoulder to shoulder with everyone else. We stayed that way for a while and the front door didn't open until enough people had gotten out the back door and we slowly filtered down the aisle. After 20 minutes I had a seat and kept it until I saw a busy looking street and took my adventure off the bus!

Luckily BO is not a problem here!

This is cosy :)

Via Espana, the busy street, well I didn't stay there long (that's another story) but found my way to Casco Viejo!

I went to the Mercado de Mariscos first and tried Ceviche, the market is famous for it. It was DELISH!!! I'd go back just for it, it was so fresh, and only $2.50 too, happy days! On our first night out one of Paul's friends described it to us and I thought it'd be slimy fish but it was actually so so so goooood! From what I understand its fish cooked by soaking in the acid of lemons with freshly diced onions. I got a prawn one but there are all different types.

Ceviche...Yumeeeee!!

Then I explored Casco Viejo, it really is very pretty and had its own character, with a mixture of luxurious houses and expensive restaurants but also old derelict abandoned houses. I'd been twice before but only for discoteca-time in the dark and by day it really is a different experience, it's very touristy though so I wouldn't call in the 'real Panama'.

But while there I managed to get a few snaps of the beautiful clothing of the indigenous women (Kuna Yala). They wear loads of bracelets on their legs for good luck (from what I've been told) too.
There is another indigenous group and their women wear a full-length dress that's much plainer (Ngöbe-Buglé), I'll try get a snap of them too but click here to see what their clothes are like.

Kuna Yala indigenous clothing

My way home on the bus that evening was entertaining too. I had a seat to myself, but not for long. While there were still other seats free this guy sat down beside me, I had a feeling he was curious about me and it wasn't too long before I was proven right. He looked at me and smiled, I smiled back, he did it again, I smiled again, the next time he spoke. 'Do you speak English?' Ahaa, so he speaks English! It was gas, he's an electrical engineer teaching in one of the universities in the city but he lives in La Chorrera. I don't know how many times he told me he was so happy to speak with me as he practised his English. Then he asked to shake my hand, so I shook his hand, thinking it was going to be a 'nice to meet you' -handshake but he didn't let it go!!! We were still holding hands 20 minutes later while we talked until I fished out money for the fare, phew! He was gas though, I'll just have to chalk it down to experience, still loving Panama but no holding hands next time!!!