Panama Project Day 4 - Thursday of Orientation Week

Today we visited Casco Viejo, the "second" Panama City. After the pirate Henry Morgan (English Bastid) destroyed the city, folks moved to a place that would be better protected. They moved to a peninsula. They actually dismantled some of the churches and monasteries and moved them to the new location. We visited Iglesia San José, the home of the Golden Altar. I was busy being Tour Guide and forgot to take my camera into the church, so here is an official photo from picasaweb.

We also visited Plaza Frances, where we saw the original Supreme Court of Panamá building, the French Embassy, las Bovedas (the original dungeons), and the other stuff one sees there.

We visited the former Canal Zone in the afternoon, especially the former Fort Clayton which is now el Ciudad de Saber (City of Knowledge), a place of colleges and schools and research labs; the communities of Pedro Miguel and Paraíso (the Lovely Mona and I lived in Paraíso our first five years in Panamá); and the community of La Boca. Then we drove to the end of the Causeway. From the Causeway we had a panoramic view of the Three Panama Cities: Panamá Viejo, Casco Viejo, y la Cuidad de Panamá Moderno.

Tomorrow we will visit the Mira Flores Locks and Canal Museum. I'll remember to bring my camera in with me. Saturday our participants head off to their Field Assignments.

Los fótos:



The Golden Altar of Iglesa San José desde picasaweb When the inhabitants of the first Panama City heard that bastid Henry Morgan was coming to burn the place down, they dismantled this altar and hid it in the jungle. When the location of the New Panama City was chosen and construction started, the altar was brought to the new location and reassembled in Iglesia San José. Cool, huh?



The original Supreme Court of Panama building



Las Bovedas



French Monument



One of the History of the Canal panels (there is a series of these telling the story of the building of the Panama Canal)

For Jane Redmont: los gatos de Plaza Francés





Walter Smith, Dustan and Vivian at the Promenade and las veraneras (I think that Linda was taking a photo somewhere)



Ships waiting to enter the Panama Canal



On the Causeway



Puente de las Americas (Bridge of the Americas). This bridge unites South and Central America, which were separated by the Panama Canal



Panama City from the Causeway



Closeup of Panama City from the Causeway