The Modern City

I wanted to take the chance to write a little bit about my perceptions of Panama City and the people here before we begin our travels outside of the country with our first trip to Ecuador this Sunday.


Panama City is a remarkably modern and developed place. I knew that it was going to be more developed than any of the other developing countries I’ve been to before (Guatemala, Ecuador, Nicaragua, India, Costa Rica) but still was not expecting the innovative spirit and consumerism that drives this city. The middle and upper-class Panamanians just cannot get enough of shopping and spending their money here—very reminiscent of the United States. That might come off sounding like a negative, but really I’m sure it will drive their economy in the future, not to mention that it implies that people (even the middle class) have money to spend on basic necessities.

Panama’s unemployment rate at the moment is 5%, much lower than the U.S.! It’s also extremely apparent how much people enjoy what we would consider an American/European lifestyle: bagels, Dove chocolate, resort vacations, European clothing and shoes. This is likely compounded by the fact that because many of these goods are coming through Panama’s canal on their way from China or Japan to the U.S., goods that we would consider “exotic” or “high-end” products in the U.S. cost much less here. They can just unload some of the product at the ports and bang, its right here.

Even just walking around our El Congrejo neighborhood here I’ve noticed so many interesting things.

This is “New York Bagel Café”, a bagel and coffee shop right next to the first guesthouse where we stayed in the neighborhood. It’s funny because for me this place is really reminiscent of Tryst Café in Adams Morgan, my favorite coffee shop in DC.

Dry cleaning in 40 minutes at the local Lavanderia "Su Perc Klin" (Super Clean).

"The Cabeza de Einstein" (The Einstean Head), in the grassy knoll in the middle of an intersection. The reason for this rather strange tribute to Einstein in the middle of Panama City was explained to me as such, "Einstein was a really smart man. We honor him because he was really intelligent and created a lot of things." Makes sense to me.

The number of new skyscrapers going up around the city is unbelievable. I wish I had gotten a picture of the new Trump Tower building: it is shaped like a boat, with a skinny sail part of the building at one end. It is almost finished and is very noticable along the skyline.  The thing that is perhaps unusual about Panama City is that the buildings look like their are no zoning laws in Panama: anyone can build whatever they want wherever they want. Makes for an eclectic mix. 

"The Golden Frog" Irish American Pub in downtown El Cangrejo.  We've watched a few futbol games here, a very interesting place where most of the Panamaneans are drinking Stellas or Heinekens instead of the national beers of Atlas, Panama, and Balboa.  Their buffalo wings are to die for.

All in all, this city is very eclectic and modern, but still retains the feel of a modern city imposed over top of a once-poor small town.