| Panama is an adventure wonderland just
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| | Inca Empire of South America and all of
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| waiting to be discovered. The country's
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| | the wealth pillaged from Peru, Chile, and
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| expansive rainforests are among the
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| | California flowed to Spain through Old
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| richest and most complex on the planet.
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| | Panama. It is no surprise that this booty
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| It's the only country where jaguars and
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| | attracted pirates like Henry Morgan, who
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| pumas prowl just a short drive from the
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| | looted the city in 1671.
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| capital. Its vast, roadless jungles are
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| | During Morgan's attack, this original
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| home to over 940 recorded bird species
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| | Panama City was burned to the ground. Two
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| and 105 endangered species, including the
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| | years later, in 1673, the capital was
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| spectacled bear, the Central American
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| | moved two miles to the west, and
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| tapir, the American crocodile, the
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| | present-day Panama City was founded. This
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| scarlet macaw, as well as several eagle
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| | is the area now known as Casco Viejo.
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| species.
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| | As the city was being rebuilt by the
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| This small, untapped country offers some
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| | Spanish settlers, they decided to build a
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| of the finest diving, birdwatching, and
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| | massive surrounding wall and a stronger
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| deep-sea fishing in all of the
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| | fortress for its protection and to ensure
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| Americas-yet only the most avid
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| | that the enormous wealth in gold and
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| adventurers are aware of it. Panama
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| | silver that passed through it would never
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| boasts scores of deserted palm-lined
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| | again be susceptible to the likes of
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| beaches, miles of lush rainforests, great
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| | Henry Morgan.
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| national parks, mysterious mangroves
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| | The new city boasted a cross-sectioned
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| (where you'll feel like you've been
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| | design of 38 blocks, with three main
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| transported back to a time when dinosaurs
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| | streets running from east to west and
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| walked the earth), steamy cloud forests,
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| | seven streets running from north to
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| mountains, waterfalls, raging rivers,
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| | south. Unfortunately, this urban
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| abandoned forts, as well as desert.
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| | development was interrupted by various
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| In Panama you can spend the morning
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| | fires that devastated its streets. In
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| diving in the Caribbean and the afternoon
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| | 1737, the "big fire" destroyed two thirds
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| swimming in the Pacific. You can explore
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| | of the city, and the "small fire" of 1756
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| historic ruins of the colonial era...dive
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| | destroyed more than 90 houses. These and
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| for Sir Francis Drake's lead coffin
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| | other catastrophic fires help explain why
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| (supposedly buried at sea near Portobello
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| | so few true examples of Spanish colonial
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| Bay)...see the rainforest in an aerial
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| | architecture exist today.
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| tram...ride a dug-out canoe to a native
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| | The fortress still survives, though, and
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| Indian village...discover the remote and
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| | today houses several important, cultural,
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| mysterious forests of the Darién region
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| | and historic buildings and monuments. But
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| right on the border of Colombia (where
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| | it is the architecture of Casco Viejo
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| the roads end a few miles before the
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| | that makes it so special. The old Spanish
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| border, leaving you with the feeling
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| | colonial style is overlaid with French
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| you've reached the end of
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| | balconies and architecture, remnants of
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| civilization)...come nose-to-nose with a
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| | the French inhabitants who made the
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| red-napped tamarind monkey or a trio of
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| | initial attempt to build the Panama Canal
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| colorful toucans...
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| | in 1881. Over the years, a Caribbean
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| Conde Nast Traveler, in an article from
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| | influence also took hold and, today,
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| its February 2005 issue said "Panama has
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| | Casco Viejo is a melting pot of
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| temperate rain forests, great surf and
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| | architectural inspiration and style, with
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| beaches, and more birdlife than any other
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| | some buildings dating as far back as 300
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| country in Central America. Now...it also
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| | years.
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| has a newly elected administration that
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| | Museums, shopping, and fortune telling
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| wants travelers to enjoy every bit of
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| | Up until the early parts of this century,
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| it."
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| | Casco Viejo remained a thriving cultural
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| Fortunately, Panama is a small country.
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| | center. But as Panama City modernized,
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| In a short one- or two-week trip, you can
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| | and as the automotive age made
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| see much of what this diverse country has
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| | transportation easier, it spread outward,
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| to offer.
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| | leaving Casco Viejo behind. The old
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| In this special report, the IL team
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| | city's narrow labyrinth streets were
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| proposes a plan to get the most out of 24
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| | difficult for cars to maneuver and its
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| hours in Panama. From a traditional
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| | buildings were obsolete in comparison to
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| Panamanian breakfast to a trip to the
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| | modern skyscrapers being built. By the
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| Miraflores Locks to evening drinks in a
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| | mid 1900s, Casco Viejo had gone the way
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| little boutique hotel overlooking the Bay
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| | of most city centers of that century. No
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| of Panama...we have it all thought out.
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| | longer the center of Panama City, it was
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| Breakfast in El Trapiche
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| | too oppressed for the upper class and
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| Exploring the best Panama has to offer is
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| | quickly became a poor area of
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| hungry work. Start your day on a full
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| | tenement-style housing.
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| stomach and head for breakfast in El
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| | The area is currently undergoing a
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| Trapiche, a busy diner in El Cangrejo
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| | complete transformation, however.
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| (VÃa Argentina, tel. (507)269-4353).
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| | Restaurants and bars are opening with
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| Here you can enjoy breakfast Panama style
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| | gusto, tourists are coming in growing
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| and indulge in a hearty feed of
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| | numbers, and people from all over now
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| carimañol-a yummy roll made of mashed
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| | want to make their homes in Casco Viejo.
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| yucca and stuffed with ground beef and
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| | In 1997, UNESCO declared Casco Viejo a
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| boiled eggs-and a side of corn tortillas,
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| | Patrimony of Humanity. Today, it is
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| that more resemble silverdollar pancakes
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| | revered as the historic center of Panama
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| than taco shells. The bill should be less
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| | City. Two- and three-story houses with
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| than $8, even with that second café con
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| | flower-adorned balconies overlook narrow
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| leche.
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| | streets. At its tip is French Park, where
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| Trip to the Miraflores Locks
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| | you will find the French Embassy and a
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| No trip to Panama is complete without
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| | monument to the hardy French builders who
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| seeing the "Eighth Wonder of the World,"
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| | began the Panama Canal. On one side is an
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| the Panama Canal. According to the Panama
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| | historical Spanish building called Las
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| Canal Authority "The history of the
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| | Bovedas, now housing an art gallery and
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| construction of the Panama Canal is the
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| | French restaurant. Panama's Supreme Court
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| saga of human ingenuity and courage:
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| | was once housed here. A walkway around
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| years of sacrifice, crushing defeat, and
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| | the monument offers a nice view of the
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| final victory." This statement, while
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| | Amador Causeway, Bridge of the Americas,
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| true, doesn't go far enough to describe
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| | and Panama City's skyscraper skyline to
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| the mighty toll taken by the building of
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| | the east. A plaque commemorates the
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| the Panama Canal. Construction began in
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| | firing of canon shots to ward off a
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| 1904 and took 10 years to complete. It
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| | Colombian warship and solidify Panama's
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| remains one of the greatest engineering
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| | independence from Colombia in 1903.
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| achievements of all time, completed
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| | There are excellent museums in the Casco
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| despite landslides, disease, setbacks,
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| | Viejo area, including the Museo de Canal.
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| and the loss of 75,000 lives in total.
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| | Here, you can learn about Panama's
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| Engineers directed most of the actual
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| | history as the connector between the
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| construction, which cost $375 million,
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| | Atlantic and the Pacific from
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| and involved the excavation of 240
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| | pre-Hispanic to modern times. Next door
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| million cubic yards of earth.
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| | is the Museum of National History and
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| The Canal, 51 miles long, opened to
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| | across the way is the National Cathedral.
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| shipping in August 1914 and was formally
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| | Nearby is a small museum dedicated to
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| dedicated on July 12, 1920. In 1921, the
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| | religious art, found in the old Santo
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| U.S. paid Colombia $25 million as redress
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| | Domingo monastery. This is where you will
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| for the loss of Panama; in exchange,
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| | find the famous Flat Arch, which
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| Colombia formally recognized Panama's
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| | reportedly helped convince engineers that
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| independence.
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| | Panama was earthquake-proof and a
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| On average it takes a vessel eight hours
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| | geologically stable area for building the
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| to travel from one ocean to the other,
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| | Canal. A few blocks away is the old San
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| passing through three sets of locks. The
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| | Jose Cathedral, with gleaming spires
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| best place to see the Canal is from the
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| | inlaid with mother-of-pearl and its
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| Miraflores Locks (open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
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| | beautiful gold altar, intricately carved
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| admission free). Make sure to get to the
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| | of wood and gilded with gold. This is a
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| Miraflores Locks for 9 a.m. as this is
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| | must-see when you visit Casco Viejo.
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| when you are most likely to see large
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| | Casco Viejo is home to the Presidential
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| ships passing through.
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| | House. If you want to see this, be sure
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| Tamales in Casco Viejo
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| | to come on a Sunday as it is closed to
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| By now you're probably feeling a tad
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| | the public for the rest of the week.
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| peckish... Time to hop on a bus or hail a
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| | Famous sons and daughters of Panama also
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| taxi and make your way toward Casco Viejo
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| | make their homes here, including actor
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| for tamales. If you're in luck, you'll
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| | singer (and now Panama's minister of
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| bump into Luis Antonio Visuette on the
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| | tourism) Ruben Blades, and boxer Roberto
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| streets of Casco Viejo, where he has been
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| | Duran.
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| selling delicious homemade tamales,
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| | Bargain hunters can take a break from the
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| wrapped in plaintain leaves, for more
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| | historical sights at Salsipuedes, which
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| than 10 years. With his Yankee cap and
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| | roughly translates to "get out if you
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| five-gallon bucket of hot and spicy
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| | can." Located just before the entrance to
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| tameles calientitos, Luis is hard to
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| | Casco Viejo, it is Panama's bizarre
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| miss. These lunchtime treats are
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| | bazaar, a street so narrow and filled
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| available in both large (50 cents), and
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| | with vendors that it is dark at noon. A
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| small (25 cents), and are a real hit when
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| | few steps away is Santa Ana's Plaza,
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| washed down with an ice-cold drink.
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| | where you can have your fortune told for
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| International Living's local office is
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| | just $5.
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| located in the Casco Viejo area, in the
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| | Dine at The Bristol
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| Cathedral Plaza, next to the Panama Canal
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| | To finish off your day in style, make
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| Museum and just in front of the stunning
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| | your way to The Bristol Hotel, just a
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| Metropolitan Cathedral, so if you want to
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| | short taxi journey from Casco Viejo.
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| enjoy your tamales in our office (Luis
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| | Dining at the Barandas Restaurant at The
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| will be making the rounds) call in for a
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| | Bristol Hotel is an event to savor. The
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| Panamanian style "power lunch."
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| | Panamanian-inspired gourmet cuisine,
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| Explore Casco Viejo
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| | restful ambiance, stunning presentation,
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| Located at the mouth of the Panama Canal,
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| | elegant settings, and attentive service
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| Casco Viejo is the oldest city on the
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| | combine to create an unforgettable dining
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| Pacific Coast of the Americas...although
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| | experience.
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| it was there long before the Canal was
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| | A Trip To Panama Caught Your Fancy?
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| built.
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| | Hopefully, this special report has given
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| In fairness to history, the original
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| | you a few ideas on how to spend your time
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| Panama City (now known as Old Panama or
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| | in Panama, but don't forget that this
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| Panama La Vieja) was founded in 1519,
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| | amazing country has much more to offer.
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| about two miles from the center of Panama
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| | Pacific Coast beaches near the city;
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| City as we know it today. From here,
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| | Coiba Island National Marine Park; and
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| expeditions were mounted to conquer the
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| | the Darién Province to name just a few.
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