CASA Enjoys Tour of Casco Viejo

What a great day for a walking tour of Casco Viejo!  The sun stayed behind the clouds most of the day; there was only a slight bit of rain around 12:30 while we were at lunch; and the humidity remained bearable.  Perfect timing for this CASA sponsored event! The 26 participants, CASA members and their guests, boarded the chartered bus at the Coronado Mall parking lot promptly at 7:30 on Tuesday morning, May 14, and headed into the city.   The first stop on the walking tour, organized by Amarillis Sepa, was a visit to the Museo de Historia de Panama located at the Plaza la Catedral.  This museum focuses primarily on the colonial history and artifacts of Panama City.  There was a lot of information packed into a ½ hour tour, and of particular interest to many was the display containing the ball and chain.  Wonder why that was??  As with most of the sites we visited, our museum guide spoke only Spanish, but we were fortunate to have the voices of Joyce Moore and Clemencia Watson as our translators.

 
From there it was only a short walk to the waterfront and the Presidential Palace know as Palacio de las Garzas , Palace of the Herons.   The herons, a gift to the President of Panama in 1922, make their home at the entrance and greet visitors as they arrive.  The Palace is an elegant building overlooking the ‘new’ Panama skyline across the bay.  Here we were able to spend time in the El Salon Amarillo, The Yellow Hall, the most important Stateroom of the Palace.  This room is deeply immersed in the history or Panama and decorated with portraits and elaborate murals depicting the rich history of the country.  In a prominent place at the front of the room is the desk where the President signs documents.  From there we moved into the Salon los Tamarindos, the Presidential Dining Hall.  The theme of the murals in this room centers around life on tropical Taboga Island.  In the center of the room is a large, expandable dining table;  and, if you look at the photos below, you just might see some of your friends and neighbors preparing  to enjoy fine dining with the diplomats.
 
We had some extra time after we left the Palace so our guide, Amarillas, was able to arrange for  an impromptu tour of Palacio Bolivar which also houses the Republic de Panama Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  What a surprise to us all!  As you pass through the door, you enter a huge, completely enclosed courtyard with underground parking.  The newer buildings surrounding the courtyard house the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the original structure has been enclosed in a climate-controlled glass room to preserve its integrity.   We were all very impressed with the building and the care that has been taken to preserve it.  Plus, we had an onsite guide who was bilingual!   As we were leaving, we were each presented with a Diplomatic Corps badge (!), so if any of you ever need any help, just give CASA a call.
 
Our last stop before lunch was at Teatro National, the National Theater, which was inaugurated in 1908 and built on the site of an 18th century monastery.   For many years it was home to events for the city’s elite, but over the years it fell into disrepair.   During the resurgence of Casco Viejo in the early 2000’s, it was restored and then reopened in 2004.  Today visitors can enjoy a visit to an opera performance in its neo baroque, old world style. 
  
By the time we left Teatro National, we had been on our feet and touring for about 2 ½ hours, and we were all looking forward to a rest!  We had notified the restaurant, La Mostaza, that we would be there for lunch at noon, and they were set up and ready for us.  La Mostaza, located across the street from the ruins of the old Santo Domingo convent, has become a favorite restaurant of visiting diplomats and executives (we fit right in with our Ministry of Foreign Relations badges ) and offers an interesting and varied menu.  It is definitely a place for you to enjoy lunch or dinner on your next visit to Casco Viejo.
 
Refreshed, we headed out to the The Panama Interoceanic Canal Museum, the museum that is located just off the square in Casco Viejo.   Housed in this ‘other’ canal museum are memorabilia from colonial Spanish times, an exhibit dedicated to the Gold Rush and the building of the Panama Railroad, photos of the Canal excavation, and copies of the Hay-Bunau Varrilla and Torrijos-Carter treaties. There is even a photo of Richard Halliburton, an adventurer who swam the canal in the 1920s and paid the lowest toll ever: 36 cents, according to his weight of 140 pounds.
 
One more stop before heading back to the bus:  Altar de Oro de la Iglesia San José.  I am sure that you are all familiar with the story of the Golden Altar which was originally in a church in ‘Old Panama’.  Prior to an attack by Henry Morgan, the priests painted the golden altar black to hide and protect the gold.  The church and the altar were moved to the ‘new’ city in 1675, and it was completely renovated in 1915.  And, no, this massive altar is no longer gold.  It is carved mahogany and covered with gold leaf and is considered one of the greatest treasures of Panama.
 
Back on the bus and ready to head to Coronado, there were just a couple more scheduled stops.  The first was at Mi Pueblitos, situated on the outskirts of Panama City on the side of Ancon Hill before crossing the Bridge of the Americas.  Mi Pueblitos, a unique representation of Panama's culture and history, is comprised of three distinct villages: typical Panamanian, Afro-Caribbean, and Indian (Kuna, Embera, etc.).  Some of this area was under renovation so the there were only a few shops open; however, those of us who were still in the mood to walk did get an up-close view of what life is like in other parts of Panama without actually leaving the city.
 
The last feature was a drive-by of the Bio-Museum designed by Frank Gehry, the most celebrated architect of the new millennium.    This awesome and unique work of art is currently under construction on the Amador Causeway and is expected to be inaugurated in 2012.  Panama’s immense biodiversity and its historical condition as a biological bridge between the Americas was the inspiration for the design, truly one-of-a-kind.
 
Whew!  What a day!  And, good planning: we were back in Coronado right on time.  A big thanks goes out to Amarillis who arranged the tour, to CASA for organizing this event, and, most importantly, to all who participated and made this event a success.
 
CASA, Coronado Area Social Association, is dedicated to facilitating social activities for the people living in our local communities, and we are always looking for suggestions.  If you have ideas for events, activities, tours, etc., please email us a csa2008p@gmail.com with your suggestions.   And, don’t forget about the upcoming CASA ‘Winter’ Beach Party on June 8 at Costa Esmeralda.  Everyone is invited!  Watch www.playacommunity.com for additional information and please RSVP to csa2008p@gmail.com to let us know that you will be attending.