Page 60 - The Rough Guide to Panama (Travel Guide)

58 Panama City CasCo Viejo and around
1 of both the French and US endeavours to build a canal across the isthmus, and of the
protracted handover of the Canal to Panama’s control (see p.295, p.297 & p.299).
Take a sweater – the air conditioning is fierce.
The highly polished marble entrance hall bears witness to the museum’s former
life as the city’s grandest hotel. The bulk of the exhibition lies on the second floor,
expounding the history of the transisthmian route, from the first Spanish attempt to
find a passage to Asia to the contemporary management of the Canal. Although the
museum is rather text-heavy (in Spanish – the most conspicuous sign in English asks
visitors to refrain from sitting on an original Panama Railroad waiting-room bench),
there are plenty of photographs, video montages and maps offering striking
comparisons between the different working conditions of the French and US canal
eras which bring to life the huge scale of the achievements.
The third floor displays cover the apartheid living conditions of gold and silver roll
employees (see p.297), more information and artefacts from the US Canal drama and a
barrage of press reports on the deteriorating Panamanian–US relations that eventually
led to the handover of the Canal.
The museum has a small shop selling modern and original Canal memorabilia.

Palacio Presidencial
Av Eloy Alfaro, between C 6 and C 5 • To arrange a free guided tour (Tues, Thurs & Fri mornings; 1hr), a letter in Spanish suggesting possible
dates needs to be emailed or hand-delivered to the Oficina de Guías several days in advance (Mon–Fri 8am–4pm; T527 9740, ask for
Sra Griselda Bernal, Egbernal@presidencia.gob.pa), at the back of the yellow building on the waterfront by C 4 – bring your passport
Built in 1673 as an opulent private mansion for a corrupt colonial judge, the present-
day Palacio Presidencial went on to serve as a customs house, teacher training college
and even a prison. In 1922 it was rebuilt as the presidential residence in grandiose
neo-Moorish style under the orders of President Belisario Porras. It is commonly
known as the “Palacio de las Garzas” after the white egrets given to Porras by his poet
friend Ricardo Miró; white egrets have lived freely around the patio fountain ever
since, alongside a pair of elegant blue cranes donated by the South African government.
The streets around the palace are closed to traffic and pedestrians but visitors are
allowed access via Calle 5 to view the exterior of the building during the day.
It is also possible to take a free guided tour, which is well worth the hassle (see above)
even though it only covers a few rooms. After admiring the marble floor and mother-of-
pearl-encrusted columns of the Moorish vestibule, you are taken up to the first floor and
the long Salón Amarillo (Yellow Hall), used for official ceremonies. From the presidential
throne to the gilt mirrors and heavy drapes, the room is replete with shades of gold,
amber and mustard, while striking murals by Roberto Lewis offer a selective romp
through Panama’s history. In the adjoining Comedor del Palacio (Dining Room), where
state banquets are held, Lewis’s distinctive murals are even more prominent, depicting
idyllic country scenes. Secreted away at the far end of the dining room is the Salón del
Cabinete (Cabinet Room), which contains portraits of all Panama’s presidents.

Plaza Bolívar and around
A block back from the waterfront on Avenida B, elegant Plaza Bolívar, dotted with
manicured trees, provides the perfect spot for a glass of wine or a meal at its pavement
café-restaurants. At lunchtime the peace is periodically interrupted by the cries of
primary-school children spilling out of class seeking out snow-cones (raspados) from
the waiting vendors.
Simón Bolívar monument
Rebuilt after a fire in 1756, the plaza was dedicated in 1883 to Simón Bolívar, whose
central statue, crowned by a condor, dominates the space. The monument was erected

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