Author: Sarah Hackman
On day two of my visa run to Panama, I went to Panama Viejo to see the ruins of Panama’s first city and capital. Panama Viejo was founded in 1519 and in 1671 the Spanish city was attacked and destroyed by the English pirate Henry Morgan. Today, the ruins of Panama Viejo 
is a World Heritage Site. You can see the remains of the Royal House, churches, City Hall, residences of clergy and citizens and the Cathedral; the best preserved building of the ruins with most of the bell tower standing. After exploring the ruins and the Museo de Sitio Panama Viejo, I went to the Mercado Nacional de Artesanias on same the site as the ruins. The market has many stalls of crafts made by the Kuna people, a Columbian and Panamanian indigenous group, who live in the Kuna Yala comarca in the San Blas islands off the Caribbean coast of Panama. The Kuna women are known for making molas, colorful textiles which can be made into clothing, bags, and other souvenirs. After buying some gifts, I made my way back to the hostel in Cangrejo. Hungry for some local Panamanian and cheap food, I took the recommendation of the hostel and went down the street to an outdoor café. I had a typical plate of chicken, yucca, beans, patacones, salad and a Panamanian beer for under four US dollars. After watching England loose a futbol match to Argentina, I explored some of the modern city before returning to the hostel to relax and read on the hammocks and rest up for the days ahead.
More pictures of Panama Viejo
