Panama City – Day 1: Skyscrapers and Ruins
PANAMA CITY
Day 1: Skyscrapers & Ruins
February 15, 2023
For the first time ever, I found myself telling Iris, a Dutch girl I met at the bus stop, to take it easy and not get annoyed by the ever-so-late bus. By now, I felt like a total veteran in this regard, having wasted countless hours waiting around and complaining, fully aware that it absolutely did nothing to improve my situation. One way around this was convincing myself that I had the entire day set aside for travelling, instantly relieving the pressure of having to get anywhere on time.
Two buses later, I finally found myself in the bustling, urban capital of Panama City, with impressive skyscrapers dominating its magnificent skyline. Founded in 1519 by the Spanish, the city became a major centre for transit and trade, the first of its kind on the Pacific coast. In 1671, the pirate Henry Morgan attacked the city, looted its treasures, and left it in ruins, with more than half of the population dead, sick or missing. Just two years later, in 1673, a new Panama City was founded a few kilometres west of the original settlement. Today, this newer city centre is known as Casco Viejo, while the original ruins are referred to as Panamá Viejo.
I’ve gotta admit, as much as I love jungles, volcanoes, tropical islands and waterfalls – basically everything nature has to offer – I’d missed Big City life. After months of backpacking, I found myself quietly regretting not booking a hotel room on some ridiculously high floor in one of those skyscrapers. I think ever since watching Suits, some deep part of me has always wanted to live or work in places like that. Picture me sitting in my glass empire, overlooking the city draped in darkness and pierced by blinking lights, sipping Scotch on the rocks and staring wistfully out through floor-to-ceiling windows. So classy, right? Who knows, maybe one day, when I’d become a big-shot surgeon.
For now, though, I headed to my hostel, which was completely dwarfed by the surrounding towers. I spent the evening chilling by the pool, admiring the skyline looming overhead, and ordered in sushi – the first I’d had since starting my trip.