A brief glimpse at a hyper-stratified and rapidly changing city.
We stayed in a really nice converted apartment next to a beautifully lit plaza in the old Ciudad. So many original buildings nearby are being restored, and the influence of foreign capital is very visible in the construction boom along the highway.
Had tapas at nearby La Pulperia for what felt like San Francisco prices, and then a second dinner at Lo Que Hay for an upscale take on Panamanian street fare. We ended the night at an artisanal rum bar which seemed appropriate and refreshing.
I woke early for a sunrise photo walk, and stopped by a poster that declared the rights of the public against development. A man came up to me and started telling me the history of the last hundred years of urban development, from the JP Morgan bank financing the canal to the tax havens of today attracting money globally and pushing locals out. He asked me where I was from, and to my response of Oakland, he declared I already knew all about gentrification.
His English was excellent, and I was interested in his somewhat rambling history lesson, but also felt extremely out of place with my big camera. I ended up asking him for directions to the best alignment of the morning light on the crumbling old church, and gave him a large tip in the spirit of the holidays, which got me a big hug and jolly feelings all morning.
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