La Rue Vibre !

After this few days in Bocas del Toro, we changed dramatically of place. Going across the famous trans-oceanique canal of Panama leads us to Panama City.
This city is really wide spread and urbanisticly speaking very segregated. Here are the first big sky scrappers we saw since Canada!
Some area are very occidental (testify of the important US presence), with luxury AC mall, other are more authentic and south American.

The most important stuff here (historically and economically) is the canal. We visited the very good canal-museum, in the old area of the city. This museum is really rich and demands a visit.

We learned that the French tried first to construct the canal, and set the trajectory of it (US were thinking of south border of Nicaragua). After a immense excavation work, and lot’s of money waste, they gave up because of the terrible toll of malaria and yellow fewer (22,000 people died).
The US seized the occasion and finished the job, creating for this a new country : Panama, and taking control of the canal zone for 90 years!

Seeing the canal is very impressive. At Miraflores’ Locks we saw a big merchandise ship pass. The water was going in and out of the locks at an incredible speed, like the water in your tub, but millions of litters move in few minutes!

We went also in the national theatre of Panama, one of our too rare cultural night out. We assisted to a contemporary dance show. But not a random show! Daniel, our friend from San José in Costa Rica was dancing with his school (el Barrio) in a very impressive sight to see 40 dancers moving to different kind of music which such energy and passion. It was a great pleasure to see our friend dance on stage!
(See the two videos below).

We searched also for malaria-prevention drugs, without any success (after 2 hospital and a good dozen of pharmacies)

As a conclusion, this city is very different from the one we visited, and knows how to be sympathetic if you let her a chance and get out of the tourist places.