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Jose Kevo
Jose Kevo
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4 out of 5
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La Vieja Panamá: The Ruins

  • May 14, 2007
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Jose Kevo from Middle-of-Nowhere, Missouri
La Vieja Panamá: The Ruins

Coming to Panamá City, and not paying homage to the ruins of where it all began, was met with indecision - something like going to London without a peek at Big Ben, or NYC without bothering to at least glimpse the Statue of Liberty. Perhaps it was too much like homework from recent cultural studies, but it had to be done.

The piles of ruins are just that, scattered over a mostly shadeless expanse that's baked for almost 500-years under the tropical sun. Unlike Rome, Athens and other cities that glorify wreckage from past civilizations, this rubble was somewhat uninspiring; even with diagrams which featured drawings and comprehensive details in English and Spanish.

Perhaps a greater sense of appreciation would've developed from first touring the new museum complex across from the bus stop. Listings include excavated artifacts and related displays from Spain, as well as a scaled model of the original city. Unfortunately, the facility was closed on Easter Sunday.

From the museum, a path outlines the self-guided walking tour. Lonely Planet says there's a 50¢ admission, but I never found a collection point. There's also precautionary advisories regarding the surrounding neighborhood, but the park felt quite safe; emulated heat stroke the only thing to warrant misgivings. Bring bottled water.

The belltower of Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción is what defines La Vieja. Dominating promotional photos, the structure was under renovation, observation deck closed. Quite honestly, the half-finished project had already modernized this icon to the point of looking out of place compared to crumbled surroundings. Considering distant vistas, it was only keeping pace.

Foundational ruins of the Casa Reales; the governor's residence and storehouses where plundered riches were counted and stored, are worth the walk across lawns towards the coast. Standing where it all began, while looking towards the city's newest fame and fortune, is paradoxical with how the new Corredor Sur Expressway races towards the hereafter. Whether from the highway's construction or it being tail-end of the dry season, the inland bay area was now also in ruins.

The park has a newer, air-conditioned building with a couple of inexpensive eateries and a local handicrafts market. This was one of the better souvenir shopping opportunities in Panamá City because similar places were all but nonexistent.

Molas, colorful cloths made by Kuna indians, and tagua carvings of the Emberá, dominate selections. No one expects you to pay the exorbitant asking price, but be fair in haggling. When figuring in competition vs. number of limited sales, these people seemed almost desperate to take anything offered without actually giving stuff away.

My lackadaisical impressions are what they were, but that doesn't mean others won't have greater appreciation for la Vieja Panamá; not Panamá Viejo. The crucial Spanish lesson needed for getting here is in the Getting Around section.

From journal Blue Bayou; the Visionary's Wager

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