Have cancelled my next hotel in the city now that I have seen more and dont want to be in it, but couldn't come back to this nice one so have pushed boat out and going to Sofitel which is the old landmark. Beautiful place and is immediately across the road in fact where I have been having breakfast each morning. Like staying at Raffles or the Peninsula. A truly once in a lifetime. It is always heaving eith guests so not exclusive really from what I have seen of them. I have a breakfast there at their Vera Cafe then took this pic which shows the ubiquitous locks on the railing, the city of Panama which is mainly residential and was built over the past 26 years and also the marvellous circular road which thus enables cars to avoid driving through the congested old town, the Casco Viejo with its old colonial type buildings which sparkle in the sunshine.
I'm neither the oldest nor the fattest person around.
Banks are scattered around the Casco Viejo.
The cathedral where there seemed to be a mummified young saint.
You could have your photo taken with this young woman.
The Panama chocolate tasting was underwhelming.
So went off to the Fish market where I also had lunch. Sat next to a young local couple with a little girl with amazing pale blue eyes while her parents were dark yet otherwise she was just like them.
He came to sing.
The ficus trees outside the only church that was outside the original walls which separated the poor from the better off who had 7 churches.
A remnant of the wall.
Graffiti near the Caribbean area.
The barracas, social housing.Nestle once had their factory here.
One of the very few dogs.
Notice the paddling pool on the road and the kids were enjoying it.
The story of this will come later.
There is a sad story about this church too.
A tiny bit of carnival.
No thunderstorms yet as I saw predicted.
As its Monday all government museums, etc are closed so I'm just going to spend the day wandering the old town.
Found the Geisha coffee shop.
Awaiting refurbishment after fire.
Lisa and family in minus 15 in Finland.
Took a lovely cool ride in a carriage this evening through all the neighbourhoods in the old town.
There is a lot of police presence as the President is around
with carnival and tourists.
They don't have an army as they rely on the US.
