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Written by Aliza Elbert
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Thursday, 18 June 2009 |
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I returned to Panama as my first stop in my 3.5 month backpacking trip about a week ago. Having lived and worked in Panama three years ago for a short 6 month stint, I was very curious to see how the city was looking these days. I lived in the El Cangrejo district three years back, but decided to stay in Casco Viejo this time around. 3 years ago, Casco Viejo was kind of a scary place that I didn't really spend too much time in as I was warned about the dangers in that area. Having researched it with a bit more recent information, I decided to give it another shot.
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Written by Matt Landau
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Monday, 01 June 2009 |
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In driving through Panama's Avenida Balboa, home to six of Panama's most expensive real estate projects, I found myself entertained by one construction worker, dangling from his harness, drinking a can of beer. He had a sense of method about him, as if this was part of the job description he originally signed up for. At the time, nothing struck me as unusual.
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Written by Matt Landau
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Thursday, 26 March 2009 |
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As a minority, an American in Casco Viejo, I'm often faced with the fact that many people know my name yet I don't know theirs. A number of these people are either squatters, gang members, or homeless folks but seeing as though it would be totally rude to ask them their formal names now, after about two years of saying hi to them on the street, I sort of adopted in my mind individual nicknames: names not that anyone would recognize them by, but rather that I'd simply use to sort them out in my head.
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Written by Matt Landau
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Wednesday, 25 March 2009 |
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Arriving back to Casco Viejo after trips home or abroad, I'm constantly reinvigorated and reminded of how fast the neighborhood is evolving. When settled and comfortable in a set of surroundings, it's easy to lose sight of the big picture, to look over the small details of progress and development. But in returning after a week or month abroad, the changes often hit me like a new fad.
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Written by Matt Landau
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Wednesday, 25 February 2009 |
 In Panama, one of the most off-putting things you could say on a first date is that you're a squatter in Casco Viejo. While certain aspects of the neighborhood have elegantly evolved to catch the eye of gourmands and appreciators of the arts, there are persisting facets that still represent the underbelly of a downtrodden and dark society. With the turn of the mid-century, Casco Viejo devolved into a crime-ridden wasteland home to unkempt streets, ruthless gangs, and stray animals with nowhere else to go. While Casco's future reflects far more than that, the local squatters represent a link to its past.
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