This post is part of a series called the Panama Chronicles - a rewrite/edit of an email log I wrote just before entering grad school. To protect myself and others I have disguised names and adapted various aspects of the narrative. This post was originally written only 5 months after the Panama Canal and the zone surrounding it were officially returned to Panama (the USA had exercised control since 1903, but the Torrijos–Carter Treaties - signed in 1977 - guaranteed Panama the canal after 1999). At that time there was still a fair difference between the Panama that existed within the “canal zone” and the Panama that existed beyond it.
Thursday after work I convinced my Panamanian roommate A to take me into Panama City (and out of the former Canal Zone) to see the renowned Avenida Central.
Image: Plaza Cinco de Mayo on the way to Avenida Central. D. M. Buehler
The area is a huge shopping district along one of Panama’s main streets. Motor traffic has been cut off and the street is a large pedestrian mall where people go for bargains on everything from clothing to stereos. On either side of the street stores blare music to attract customers and merchants shout over the noise to let you know what they have to sell. We were there in the late afternoon and the street was packed with shoppers, walkers and people feeding the hordes of pigeons. The atmosphere was electric.
By Canadian standards the prices were unbelievably low. I got a really nice blouse for $2 and saw beautiful summer dresses and skirts for under $3 each. A and I had a great time window shopping and trying on various silly outfits. We talked about all sorts of things and I am sort of surprised to realize that there are almost no cultural differences between us. He seems like a really nice guy and he has offered to teach me a little bit of salsa. It was a very nice afternoon.
Then on Saturday, I took a break from tromping through the jungle and went with a couple of British fieldworkers for my first glimpse of rural Panama, outside of the former Canal Zone.
It is quite beautiful.