Panama City
The New part of town, the Business district.
This view from the "Causeway".
A different view, taken from the Metropolitan Park.
And out a cab window...
Likewise.
And out our Hospedaje window, Casco Viejo.
These are all old town "Casco antiguo" photos.
This is on the "Causeway", a weekend playground for the city people.
It has some Marinas.
More Casco Antiguo.
Flying back into Panama City from Bocas.
The Coast from the airplane & The Canal from a bus.
On the road to David, lots of this kine tract housing & dry scenery.
The Highlands
After 10+ hrs on buses, Volcan Baru' !
Volcan Baru is Panama's highest peak (3475m) and is a spectacular environment.
It has a National park and an International park (extending into Costa Rica)
within its realm and it's all about walking in the fabulous Cloud forest.
One of these highland towns (Boquete) was already many years ago considered to be
one of the 5 best places in the World to retire, by some "retirement" authority I presume.
Guidebooks extoll the virtues of this temperate "Northern" climate with picturesque gardens,
"European" architecture and organic farming, trout fishing etc. enjoyed by thousands of lucky European
and North American retirees. Although I would never personally retire here I can see the appeal.
It is a beautiful place, though in my opinion slightly less bucolic and somewhat more Jurassic
than its reputation might suggest, a 5 star kind of environment nevertheless.
That is Cerro Punta (1970m), a one horse town in a spectacular setting
& Guadalupe (2130m), the end of the road on the Volcano's Western flank.
Hiking in Parque International la Amistad, in the cloud forest.
Unfortunately it was too rainy to hike the "Sendero los Quetzales", the main Baru trail.
The view out through the hotel window !
The trip over the "Cordillera Central" was a very impressive surprise,
the road snaking its way through the Cloud forest from the Pacific side to the Caribbean.
This is already on the Caribbean coast, close to Bocas del Toro.
