Casco Viejo, Take II: Daytime visit

I hate to do two posts in one day, but this afternoon was exciting and warrants me showing off all the pictures I took.

We took the bus into Panama City, and returned to Casco Viejo (the district we visited during the super bowl).  Since it was Sunday, there were countless vendors out on the streets selling jewelry, hats, trinkets, and touristy souvenirs.  It was a lot of fun to bop around to all these stands, look at the often handcrafted wares, and occasionally attempt to ask about them in rusty Spanish.

No one had a proper map, so we just kinda winged it, turning down streets to find cute restaurants, art galleries, and random street art, or abandoned buildings, police in body armor, and stray cats.  As I've said before, Casco Viejo is an interesting mix of slummy and upscale.

Panama hats!

Sketchiest advertisement for a guided vacation.  You will see "wildlife, indiana, and nature"

Open-air market

Side street of Casco Viejo

 I've decided that we don't really count as tourists, since we'll be here for three months and since none of us wear tube socks with sandals.  We're field biologists - not afraid of getting dirty, experiencing new adventures, and embracing the local ways.
That being said, we managed to find and stop at the most westernized restaurant today.  The guy who owned it was American, menus were in English, and it really felt like the kind of charming place you'd pop into on a NYC street corner.  It was still delicious, but quite a stretch from authentic.

Gourmet grocer we stopped at.  I got the most delicious banana smoothie ever 

Nikki, looking stylish

Another fabulous hat

Looking out over a tidal wasteland towards the Pacific

 The next couple of pictures are from another open air market that paralleled the Panama City skyline and the Pacific Ocean.  The whole thing was under an arched canopy of flowering trees.  It smelled intoxicatingly wonderful.  That, plus the cool breeze sweeping in off the ocean, the low buzz of people bartering, the chatter of birds, and the gentle strumming of a singing man playing "Day-o" on the banjo created perhaps one of the most breathtaking sensory moments I've ever experienced.  It's quite difficult to do it justice in description.  Though I wish I could have taken a snapshot of all my senses together, my memory will be enough.  I don't think I'll ever forget that feeling, being struck by the beauty and serenity in this world.

Molas hung up for sale

Christian and Leangelo taking a break

Lukas bought an ocarina. Needless to say, we'll be hearing a lot of off key songs over the next 2.5 months

Panama hats!
 

Molas - a traditional art form of the Kuna people 

 We found a beach.  First time I've seen the Pacific Ocean (that I can remember).  I wanted to christen the moment by wading into the water.  Unfortunately, Panama City pumps it's sewage straight out into the bay, so the water looked questionable at best.  I'll save my first steps into the Pacific for another, more sanitary, time.

Evaline being picturesque 

Evaline found a hermit crab

Strange skeletal building structure on the beach; low tide

Creepy - "No me mate por favor senor" (Please don't kill me, sir)

Inception?

Footprints

Nikki is not thrilled that Lukas is once again trying to play his ocarina

Another building with a bizarre concrete foundation 

After we visited the beach and explored inside the concrete structure, we went to find something refreshing, and landed on another not so authentic location.  However, I'm especially not complaining here.  Nothing beats really tasty ice cream, especially when it's basil ice cream.
Afterwards, we headed back to where the bus would come pick us up.  While we waited, we relaxed on the steps of a cathedral in the works of being restored.  And lo and behold, who would show up, but Jesus himself.  Not really, but check out the picture of the blonde Jesus look-alike.  Coincidence? Probably...

Felt like we were in Italy.  I had the basil ice cream.  So amazing!

Back wall of the ice cream place was decorated with various scoops

Group shot - good one of everybody

Lukas didn't get enough sleep last night....

Blonde Jesus, chilling with Judas and watching at a kid playing soccer

A selection of street art in Casco Viejo:

Part of the restoration of Casco Viejo involves the influx of art galleries, which leads me to believe that the district itself is rather enthusiastic about the arts.  There was street art everywhere, and here is only a small selection of what we saw.

Tomorrow, we're heading to San Lorenzo Preservation Area, the wet forest, for our final research days.  We're temporarily moving there because it is a bit of a drive.  Because the facilities where we'll be staying don't have wifi, I'll be without internet for those three days, so don't expect any new posts for a while.  Hope all is going well with friends and family back home!
Until Wednesday.