Panama: Significant Waterway, Indigenous Tradition & American Modernity
Everybody knows Panama for the Panama Canal. The US built, controlled and co-controlled it until 1999. The canal is hugely important because it generates one third of Panama’s economy, and ships save a lot of time not taking the route along South America’s very dangerous Cape Horn.
Panama is two things: Compact and diverse. In one week you can see it almost all: 2 different oceans, beach, mountain, volcano and rainforest; native cultures, historic ruins, colonial architecture, skyscrapers and modern city life. All that on altitudes from 0 to 3.5 kilometers.
Spanish is the official language. But you also find the languages of Panama’s 7 indigenous groups: Ngobe, Bugle, Kuna, Embera, Wounan, Bribri and Naso. The Kuna, for example, live in the San Blas Islands, an archipelago of 360 islands, in a largely matriarchal culture.
In the central region is Panama City - the modern capital and a sophisticated metropolis, with commerce, arts and fashion. It looks similar to Miami and has 4 main areas of interest:
the new city,
the ruins of the original colonial city „Panama Viejo“, that is a UNESCO protected site since 1997,
the old quarter „Casco Viejo“,
and the only rain forest within the city limits of a capital.
Without saying: the Panama Canal and jungles in the surrounding area are a must. On the oldest continually operating railroad you can see the canal very well, and spot the former US military base that turned into the City of Knowledge.
And did you know that over 960 species of birds are home in Panama? A special one is the Quetzal - also popular in Guatemala. You find it on the Quetzal Trail in the Volcán Barú National Park, perhaps the most famous hiking area in Panama.
By the way: Panama hats didn’t originate here. They came from Ecuador, and were shipped to Panama before they were sent to their destinations in the world. That’s why people believed they were from Panama. Even today, the Panama is a popular hat.
And if you’re tired of adventures and want to rest, Panama is 2016’s world’s best place to retire according to the Annual Global Retirement Index. You don’t need to be old to benefit from that because it means: fair cost of living, convenient infrastructure for transportation, high-quality health care while very affordable, the highest safety in Central America, a warm, diverse and inviting culture in a tropical climate. Do you want more?
Check: beonboard.org/panama
Credits (music, images): https://gist.github.com/Naii/fa83d0d1...