Fuerte Amador on the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal is an artificial peninsula that connects three small islands to the mainland and to Panama City. The skyline is amazingly long and modern, with the "corkscrew building" being one of the more unique structures.
We took a local tour through the city, and saw the old colonial buildings and churches in the Casco Viejo (original part of Panama City) which are in the process of being restored; walked on the remains of the wall of the old Spanish fort that had prison cells under it; drove to the top of the mountain where the huge flag flies proudly over the city, and is replaced every three months, and enjoyed the panoramic views; stopped at the gazebo and park the Chinese community donated to the city commemorating 150 years of settlement there; and visited the memorial to the different ethnic communities in Panama -- Spanish, American, Chinese, Italian, Greek and Jewish.
We also crossed over the Bridge of the Americas, part of the Pan American Highway that starts in Alaska and ends in Ushuaia, Argentina, and stopped at the old canal zone and observation center where we watched, up close and personal, as two tourist boats passed through the Miraflores Locks.
Returning to the ship, we felt that we had had an excellent overview of this important city in Central America.
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