it's low tide at Casco, a good time to collect crabs
a good spot to contemplate life
some houses are better maintained than others
only ruins remain of what was once a thriving city
a view inside the cathedral
the Catedral Basílica Santa Maria la Antigua de Panama. Did they run out of whitewash?
at the Vista Panama
typical houses inside Casco Viejo
built to hold prisoners and slaves, Las Bovedas now houses up-scale art galleries and a fine restaurant
a visit to Panama Viejo and Casco Viejo

In 1519 the cruel and ruthless Pedro Arias Davilla founded what would become Panama City.  It was the first European settlement on the Pacific Ocean and with Francisco Pizarro as mayor soon became homebase for the conquest of Inca Peru.

The looted gold of the Inca's was brought back to Panama and then transported overland via
 the dangerous and secret Camino des Cruces to the Atlantic side for shipment to Spain.

In 1671 Panama was thoroughly sacked, looted and burned to the ground by the feared privateer
 Henry Morgan.

A new town (what is now the historic district of Casco Viejo in present day Panama City), was build a few km to the south-west and soon flourished, leaving the scarred remains of the original town, now called Panama Viejo, as silent reminders of past violent times.

The most important parts of the ruins of Panama Viejo survived the encroaching suburbs and became a World Heritage Site in 1997.

We visited Panama Viejo and Casco Viego in January 2009.

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Pedro Arias De Avila founded Panama in 1519. He was not a nice man..
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the Cathedral of Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion was completed in 1626
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a tree now grows inside the house. The skyscrapers in the back are part of modern Panama City
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at the old harbor of Casco Viejo you have a nice view of the skyline of modern Panama City
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Casco Viejo sports an interesting mix of old and new
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Ferdinand de Lesseps did not finish the Canal but he got a statue anyway
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