«Our driver in Panama City told us that as recently as five years ago, most of the city didn't have stoplights. There just weren't enough cars to require more than stop signs at intersections.»
In fact, every story here alludes to the rapid transformation of the city. The turnover of the Panama Canal to the Panamanians in 1999 propelled this rapid change, which includes the building of skyscrapers along the country's shores, the expansion of the Panama Canal, and the establishment of a fledgling arts scene.
We visited the Biomuseo (Museum of Biodiversity) on the first day, and closed our visit with a fascinating partial crossing of the canal on a private sailboat.
Panama City's Biomuseo was designed by architect Frank Gehry, who also created the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and the Experience Music Project in Seattle. All photos courtesy of the author
Watching other boats at a lock
Passing under the Puente de las Américas (Bridge of the Americas), which spans the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal