Panama City

I never saw a skyline like this. That was my first thought. And, I actually never saw a skyline like this. :)

The city of Panama was founded in 1519, by Spanish conquistador Pedro Arias Dávila. It was the starting point for expeditions that conquered the Inca Empire in Peru. It was a stopover point on one of the most important trade routes in the history of the American continent, through which passed most of the gold and silver that Spain took from the Americas.
Well, it loooooooks like this now and it is the home of the ship canal in Panama that connects the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean. :) The Panama Canal is being expanded now and Panama City is becoming a mecca for foreign business and banking.

Like most situations when money comes in, it never gets spread all over and evenly, so you get places with luxury and in between places where people survive from a day to day basis. But this is happening throughout the world. 

As I read in one article, Panama has historically placed emphasis on the economy and development, while disregarding the effect that this development may have on the environment. As a result, sustainability, both social and environmental, is a relatively new term for this country.

We'll see when I head outside the city. But in the end it's always about the people, and I met amazing people here.

The Panama skyline and local fishermen.

People used to swim here 50 years ago. Now, they say the water around the city is toxic. After years of heavy development, accelerated construction growth, and a seemingly never-ending traffic problem, the bay of Panama has taken a hit. Environmentally speaking, it has become a real problem. City waterways and run-offs have been neglected and polluted, and as a result, the bay has become contaminated; so much so, that at certain places it even emits a smell. That’s all going to change in the next few years as Panama has set out to complete a large-scale project to clean the waters, and make the bay safe and environmentally sound again. 

The Panama canal.

The city and its mangroves.

The old part, Casco Viejo.

Some building are refurbished, some barely stand, but it's a nice walk around the Casco.

A view at the new from the old.

The local beer, Balboa.

Some building are not used, and where humans don't live, trees grow. :)

..even from the roofs.

The usual in Central America, "pollo frito, arroz i frijoles". :)

And some excellent seafood, ceviche and red snapper.