18. Panama City - Casco Viejo

Casco Viejo is the historic district of Panama City. When the Panama Canal was being built, an influx of workers caused massive growth and expansion of Panama City, and the elite residents abandoned Casco Viejo for a better location in the city, letting Casco Viejo fall into ruin. It is now an UNESCO World Heritage site. While much of its architecture has been restored, some buildings remain in crumbling ruin.

We wandered through there today. The architecture was pretty neat, and there are some cool historic churches. We had a great view of the Panama City skyline. On the downside, it was filled with overpriced restaurants, and dozens of vendors selling the same touristy souvenirs in every shop.

We chose to check out the Panama Canal Museum they had there. It was filled with floor to ceiling placards documenting in detail the story of the many failed attempts, and the eventual successful one, at building a canal. It would have been easier to read the story in a book, as the museum offered little else.Read more