Scroll down to see all pictures Saturday, March 23, 2008 Panama City
We found the place where the ordinary people shop today. We took a taxi to China Town, aka Barrio Chino, in the Santa Ana area near Casco Antiguo. China Town’s entrance is designated by a gate, Chinese sytle, and there’s a sign painted on the wall of a building denoting the area. It’s old and run down, dirty and noisy, like a lot of city neighborhoods. There are apartment buildings with stores on the street level…lots of stores with lots of stuff. We walked up a narrow alley lined with vendors set up in the middle and barely enough room on the sidewalk to pass by. We passed stores with religious paraphernalia, gift shops full of knick knacks, and a seamstress shop with polleras (traditional Spanish colonial dresses), peasant skirts and blouses. Many vendors and stores are selling books, notebooks and school supplies because the kids just returned to school. We went into a jewelry store so full of necklaces and beads and bracelets it was just crammed! As we walked from one street to another we came to a park. China Town merges to the Barrio of Santa Ana and Parque Santa Ana, according to a sign and even a map of where we were. The park has a large, round gazebo in the middle, with paths and benches all around. Several big trees provide plenty of shade. The obligatory Catholic Church stands on one side, and there are lots of people sitting in the park. On the other side of the park there’s a row of shoe shine stands (manned by adults, not small boys, thank goodness). Looking down one side street we saw the pale blue of the Pacific Ocean. In the direction of the water extends Casco Antiguo- the old city. This is really an interesting and scenic place and I took photos all over. It must be unusual to see tourists taking photos, because I got a lot of looks. It’s hard to interpret those looks and imagine what the residents of these areas think of someone like me taking photos!
The former school buses painted in bright colors are known as "diablos rojos"- red devils. They represent the major means of transport for the residents of Panama City and they rule the road, like it or not. I tell Al you cannot win a showdown with a diablo rojo. On some, nearly every inch of surface is painted and they can be quite creative! Portraits of family members or famous people are often painted on the back doors.
The park also marks the beginning of a pedestrian mall that is paved with cobblestones and extends for several blocks right through the middle of Santa Ana. This is Avenida Central, and this is where the Panamenos shop. Oh my gosh- stores of every kind on both sides of the street for blocks and blocks! And low prices- it’s a bargain hunter’s paradise! Fabric stores with samples of the fabric the Kuna ladies wear for their skirts and head scarves, and the fabric the Embera ladies use for their skirts, all so colorful. And El Machetazo Department store- a mall in and of itself. Then we went into my favorite store- Sol de la India, with imports from India, China and elsewhere. I will furnish our new home from this store! (It felt like déjà vu, too, with all sorts of things I used to have or wear when I was a young hippie! I’d forgotten how comfortable and attractive Indian style clothing is. P.S. Thinking of you, Nikki!)
Al got a big, toothless grin from the harmonica player sitting on the curb when he placed a dollar in the man's cap!
A few words about El Machetazo. Our first week here while we stayed at Hotel Marparaiso we went to El Machetazo to get a few groceries. I asked the women at the hotel desk where I could find a store and they sent me there, just about five blocks from the hotel. The store we went to in Calidonia occupies an entire city block, streets on all four sides. We entered at street level and went through the grocery section, not realizing there was anything else. When I asked where to find something I was referred to the 4th floor, and soon found stairs and a directory indicating the contents of the five separate floors of the store. Everything from groceries to clothing, housewares, garden supplies, yard goods, musical instruments, cosmetics, appliances, hardware, auto parts, kids toys, incense, kitchen ware, linens…it’s unbelievable! This is the largest store I have ever been in! It makes Wal-Mart look like a 7-11! We learned later from our friend Andre that the store was started back in the 60’s by emigrants from Cuba. The name is from the word machete and refers to something cut by a machete, as in slashed prices-clever! Now it’s a chain with stores all over the country and great prices.
And just two blocks from the shopping area in Santa Ana/China Town is the Mercado de Mariscos (Seafood Market), with fantastic fresh shrimp, corvina, robalo, snapper, grouper, octopus, squid, scallops, and more.
We are getting to know Panama City, learning our way around and feeling more at home. And now we know where we will be going for our serious shopping excursions.
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