Escaping to Panama

Posted By: Panama Expertos on 09.04.2007
Views: 691, Published in sections: Life in Panama ::

Panama has been a great hiding place to many famous people right from the Shah of Iran, Juan Peron, former Argentinean President, Patty Hearst, Graham Greene, General Cedras of Hati, John Wayne, and Billy Carter, Jimmy Carter’s brother as well as Hamilton Jordan, Carter’s Chief of Staff. One can remain anonymous from outside world for many years in Panama avoiding trouble elsewhere. Visitors come to Panama for many reasons – for studies, sight seeing, retiring, business etc. and Panamanians have always welcomed foreigners as tourism has been an important contributor to Panama’s economy.

When visiting Panama, you can choose Hotel Ideal which is an inexpensive but reasonably good place to stay in Panama City. The hotel has air-conditioned rooms, cable TV, hot water, poolside and a restaurant providing quality cheeseburger and fries. The residents of the hotel are international in character with many Americans, Costa Ricans, Nicaraguans etc. preferring to stay there. Once upon a time the hotel was filled with American soldiers when Panama was home to the Southern Command of the U.S. Army. The hotel’s surroundings are a visitor’s paradise. Avenida Central the popular shopping district is close by. It is the place where poor Panamanians do the shopping. J Street, famous for its strip joints is located down the street from the hotel.

One end of Avenida Central is the Café Coca Cola where Che Guevara once stayed on way to Guatemala. It is the place where the opposition was beaten up by Noreiga’s men after the former had won the elections in 1989. The place is also home to many Gujarati Indians who run a flourishing business. They came to Panama with virtually empty pockets but have since prospered, thanks to their money lending business called ferri. They charge exorbitant interest rates for giving petty loans to the poor and the middle class Panamanians. There is also Muslim population living here and one can see the minarets of a mosque and also a Koran School.

Regarding good getaways in Panama, Contadora Island which is 15 minutes by flight from the capital is a good place to visit during the season viz. November to March/April. The beach town of Santa Clara on panama’s Pacific coast is a popular tourist destination and has white sand, blue water and a sunny weather. Cerro Azul is a mountain town near Panama City with cool weather and great views. The Los Santos province in Azuero Peninsula has a no. of festivals celebrated throughout the year. The remote beaches of Los Santos are good for surfing.

Apart from sight seeing, students also come to Panama for studying. Two famous places for studying in Panama are FSU-Panama and the Smithsonian. The former, established in 1957, is the second oldest University in Panama. It offers majors in many disciplines including Latin American and Caribbean studies. FSU-Panama offers reasonable fees and housing for its students. Classes are held in English and one can learn Spanish also. The degree is recognized in the U.S. The Smithsonian is also a popular place for studies and they have many research projects underway country wide.