travel

A walk through the Casco Viejo
photos by Eric Jackson

At the moment, and until late in March, Panama City's Casco Viejo has been turned into a giant outdoor art gallery featuring the work of 26 photographers. But the place abounds in public art, cool architecture and interesting ruins. This part of the city was founded after Henry Morgan's devastating attack on Panama Viejo in 1671, but in the 18th century the colonial city was swept by three great fires that didn't leave a lot behind. The 19th and early 20th centuries saw rebuilding in various styles, and then there was a decline for several decades. Recently there has been a renovation movement, which has among its various components a trend toward gentrification that's being resisted by people who would be driven out, an arts scene that's precarious in part because people who want to profit from it often demand too great a part of the proceeds, and governmental efforts that have had varying degrees of success.

                 The view across the bay to Avenida Balboa and Punta Paitilla

Plaza Francia is down below, but its obelisk sticks up

Will this Kuna woman be allowed to continue selling here? The city is trying to kick her out

One sign of an intention to replace many of the locals with gringos

Hmmmm --- is that a hole in the wall or a photo?

The convent ruins where the Flat Arch until recently stood are scheduled to be restored

Portraits grace bricked-up arched doorways

A tribute to our urban heroines, Panama City's street sweepers

In the Plaza Catedral, a bust of Panama's first president

A weathered wooden sculpture forms part of the Cathedral's facade