From here Peruvian gold and silver was hauled over land to ships on the Caribbean side and sailed to Spain. The very rich lived in houses made of stone (pictured above) and others had houses made of wood, which no longer remain. Pirates attacked the city many times, an earthquake in 1620, and fire in 1644, but it was the attack in 1671 by the Welsh pirate Henry Morgan that the city fell. He marched from the Caribbean coast across the jungle with 1, 400 men and burned it down.
March 5 -- Panama VeijoCon and I set off early to Panama Veijo, once the earliest European settlement on the Pacific Ocean and once the capital of Panama. It was a delightful escape from the hustle and bustle of Panama City and only a few minutes by Uber. It was hot and the birds were singing their hearts out. The settlement pictured above is what remains from the city founded by the Spanish in 1519 housing 100 people at the time, growing to 10, 000 including convents, chapels, a hospital and cathedral.
After the attack, the Panamanians rebuilt a new city in what is now known as Casco Veijo a few kilometers west. Much of Panama Veijo (pictured above), a 16th century Spanish settlement destroyed in 1671 and Casco Veijo (settled following the destruction of Panama Veijo in 1673) are UNESCO sites. Both are fascinating to visit as the new Panama City (where the high-rise boom began about 20 years ago) has grown up in between the two sites. Before the era of high rises in Panama City, 40 percent of Panamanians lived on $2 per day. When a major Colombian drug lord was arrested in 2007, USA government official said they discovered drug money had been laundered through Panama City real estate. Within ten years, 11, 000 luxury apartment high rises had been built.
Contadora was where the Spanish conquistadors stopped to take inventory of the gold and silver they would eventually sail to Spain. It's also the island where the Shah of Iran exiled briefly. Some might know the islands from the various television shows called "Survivor" produced for USA, Israel, South Africa, Bulgaria, and Ukrainian television.
As well a number of other television shows have been filmed there. For us, it was a lazy day on the beach. February 4 -- For US$15 per month, we have lots of cell phone time and data having topped up today, marking our second month in Panama. February 6 -- HAPPY BIRTHDAY CON! Celebrating our Sunday in Panama City, we visited the Punta Culebra Nature Centre, a non-profit open-air nature experience. A $6. 38 Uber ride deposited us onto 1.
15-Day Barbados to Panama Cruise aboard the Royal Clipper
Curacao vs Panama at Little League Baseball World Series