Keith & Erin's World Adventure: Panama City and the Panama Canal

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Bahia de Panama from Old Panama — Colorful low-income housing projects on the right add to the eye strain in Old Panama.

Bridge of the Americas — Another shot of the Bridge of the Americas, crossing the gulf right near the entrance to the Pacific Ocean.

Bahia de Panama — The Gulf of Panama and downtown Panama City, which seems to go on forever.

Port of Balboa — The largest port, located just before the first set of locks.

Dead Boat in Panama Canal — A small fishing boat appears to have failed in its attempts to navigate the locks.

Original Wall of Old Panama — Old Panama was built by the Spanish (though, for a change, without using Mayan or Incan stones to do it), and at the time, this was the only area settled. The wall here was part of the fortification designed to protect the city — and their incoming ships — from marauders. It didn't work very well, as a well-known Captain Morgan (yes, the one from the rum bottle) repeatedly showed up and ransacked the city for booty.

Today, Old Panama is more or less a disaster zone. Nearly all the old buildings are minutes away from complete structural failure, and the government hasn't nearly enough funds to renovate anything more than one or two streets of the neighborhood. At low tide, the plethora of graffiti and urine smells make this old wall seem much less like a historic landmark, and much more like a dumpy neighborhood.

Church of Santo Domingo — The heavily gold plated altars of the Church of Santo Domingo in Old Panama. This, and the French Embassy, are the only two buildings in the neighborhood that aren't minutes away from completely collapsing. Despite that, residents refuse to leave their condemned residences because their rent and utilities are practically free.

Cruise Ship Playing Hide and Seek — Looking out the bedroom window of Nicole and Michael's new home, the top of a Princess Cruiseline ship pokes its way over the treetops.

	Bahia de Panama from Old Panama — Colorful low-income housing projects on the right add to the eye strain in Old Panama.
	Bridge of the Americas — Another shot of the Bridge of the Americas, crossing the gulf right near the entrance to the Pacific Ocean.
	Bahia de Panama — The Gulf of Panama and downtown Panama City, which seems to go on forever.
	Port of Balboa — The largest port, located just before the first set of locks.
	Dead Boat in Panama Canal — A small fishing boat appears to have failed in its attempts to navigate the locks.
	Original Wall of Old Panama — Old Panama was built by the Spanish (though, for a change, without using Mayan or Incan stones to do it), and at the time, this was the only area settled. The wall here was part of the fortification designed to protect the city — and their incoming ships — from marauders. It didn't work very well, as a well-known Captain Morgan (yes, the one from the rum bottle) repeatedly showed up and ransacked the city for booty. Today, Old Panama is more or less a disaster zone. Nearly all the old buildings are minutes away from complete structural failure, and the government hasn't nearly enough funds to renovate anything more than one or two streets of the neighborhood. At low tide, the plethora of graffiti and urine smells make this old wall seem much less like a historic landmark, and much more like a dumpy neighborhood.
	Church of Santo Domingo — The heavily gold plated altars of the Church of Santo Domingo in Old Panama. This, and the French Embassy, are the only two buildings in the neighborhood that aren't minutes away from completely collapsing. Despite that, residents refuse to leave their condemned residences because their rent and utilities are practically free.
	Cruise Ship Playing Hide and Seek — Looking out the bedroom window of Nicole and Michael's new home, the top of a Princess Cruiseline ship pokes its way over the treetops.