Author: Sarah Hackman
The morning of my third day in Panama city I went to check out Cerro Ancon. You cannot get a better view of the city than from the top of this mountain! 
After a scenic and semi steep climb to about 200 meters above sea level you can see all the sites of the city, including the old churches and ruins of Casco Viejo, boats waiting to pass through the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal, the skyscrapers of the modern city, the Causeway, the Port of Balboa and the Bridge of the Americas. Cero Ancon can be spotted from all of these points by it enormous Panama flag at the top. After walking back down, I decided to explore Casco Viejo, the Old City. 
The Spanish moved their city here after the destruction of Panama Viejo in 1671. In Casco Viejo, narrow cobblestone streets lined with old buildings lead to open air plazas with cafes and Cathedrals. I don’t know if it was the crumbling churches and old world charm or the friendly people, but while sipping a Panamanian fruit flavored mojito, looking out across the harbor, past the old city churches to the modern city’s sky scrapers, I decided that 
I needed to stay here. November is independence month for Panama, the country celebrates its independence from both Columbia and Spain in November. I vitsited Teatro Nacional and the Museo del Canal Interoceanico. After walking through the rest of the town and stopping to enjoy the music from an independence month inspired celebration in one of the plazas, I went back to check out of my other hostel and checked into Luna’s Castel (built in 1905) in Casco Viejo. The view from my dorm room alone was perfect, floor to ceiling double door that opened up to a view of the Old and New cities and of the harbor. I enjoyed the sun set and conversation with other travelers from the balcony of the hostel.
More pictures of Casco Viejo
