The First Impression Our arrival in Panama City packed a walloping surprise. The Third World Country label –applied to the cluster of nations and islands of the Americas, with the solo exception of North America- was rendered null and useless as soon as we stepped on Panamanian soil. This is a cosmopolitan city teeming with contrasts that really meet the eye.

Since our landing at the Tocumen International Airport we caught sight of a huge building revolution going on all across the country. The air terminal itself is being enhanced and refurbished with an investment of some $70 million. Once in the city, that first surprise gives way to admiration and respect toward a nation that proudly shows off its development and growth in a number of social and industrial fields.

Traipsing around Panama City, the country’s capital, is a walk in the sun. First of all, because it’s small –though huge as far as dreams, aspirations and willingness to grow are concerned. Secondly, because both buses and cabs –boasting pretty cheap fares- are ready to serve all visitors.

We started out our grand tour on Balboa Avenue, stretching out along the Seawall. Right behind us, the Pacific Ocean, so different to our Caribbean Sea. It was precisely there, next to the seawall, where we stopped to watch a curious phenomenon that happens twice a day: the sea retreats nearly a thousand feet during the 11:00 am ebb tide, letting visitors take a peek at the rock-covered sandy bottom. That sea comes back in the late afternoon as the tide rises again.

Right on this same avenue, in a picture-perfect park that features a monument to Vasco Nuñez de Balboa –the discoverer of the South Sea (Pacific Ocean)- we took our first curious look at the Kuna Indians. Wearing their typical garments and speaking in their original dialect, these aboriginals showcase the marvelous handicrafts they make. You bet we bought some keepsakes from them.

The Historic Center The new Panama City, founded on January 21, 1673 by Don Antonio Fernandez de Cordoba y Mendoza, embraces what is known as the Historic Center, in the San Felipe neighborhood. We headed there to get the knack of the those old colonial times. Right before our eyes, the former government’s headquarters, the churches (especially the Santa Maria La Antigua Metropolitan Cathedral, across from Main Square, also known now as Independence Square), museums that treasure items and artifacts that speak all by themselves, classical balconies, narrow alleys, cobblestone streets, the French-Spanish heritage at its best.

In 1997, the old part of town was declared World Historic Heritage, especially as a result of its valuable eclectic architecture that features French, Italian and American influence.

Like all visitors, we sauntered down the cobblestone streets of Bolivar Square, today turned into a cultural center that boasts fancy cafés with throbbing nightlife and refurbished facades –a major allure for any tourist. Then we moved on to the Paseo de las Bovedas, running above a fort built by the Spaniards to protect the city.

Below, from the so-called French Square, we watched the former vaults that served as jailhouses and today feature a restaurant and a number of art galleries. Right in this plaza, there’s an obelisk built to pay tribute to the French heroes who started building the Panama Canal.

We had the chance of stopping by the Government’s HQ Building, also known as the Palace of Herons, and take a look at the Andalusia-styled patio with its caged herons.

In Old Panama, just 5 miles from the downtown area, the architectural vestiges of what once were the city’s foundational buildings speak the language of time and reveal a clear picture of how the city was ransacked in 1671 by English pirate Henry Morgan. The belfry of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Asuncion has stood still through centuries.

On our grand tour around the city’s main avenues, we noticed the real-estate boom that’s currently sweeping Panama from coast to coast. The abrupt and energized wakeup call this city has taken –keen on showing its cosmopolitan face to the world- is no doubt one of the things any visitor can tell to a naked eye.

International franchises of restaurants –inserted in these malls- serve the best food money can buy and play a role of their own in making shopping far more fun and more of a laidback experience.