Panama Day 4: A sightseeing break

After what was an emotional and eye-opening day of work yesterday, we took the first part of today off and switched roles from journalists to tourists, making our way to the colonial section of Panama City known as Casco Viejo.

It was pretty neat to walk along the narrow brick streets of old Panama City and imagine what it must have been like just 100 years ago when the new, modernized section of the city did not exist and Casco Viejo was the place to be.

Here are some pictures from our trip over to Casco Viejo:

Vendors along an oceanside street in Caco Viejo. Yes, they sold the infamous 'Panama hats.'

A shot of the narrow brick streets that make up Casco Viejo.

No, that's not downtown Miami. It's downtown Panama City from across the ocean in Casco Viejo.

Luis, Alcione, Ligia and Prof. Garrison walking along a sidestreet.

Four young girls singing and dancing on a Casco Viejo sidestreet.

That's me.

Yup, more water issues (even when we're not working). This flooded street (it rained a bit earlier in the day) was shot from the car as we are making our way back to the hotel. While the Panama City sewage authority likely isn't happy, the local children were having fun with it.

Unfortuantely the day won't be all play as Natalia and I have a interview scheduled with University of Panama biologist Ariel Rodriguez in about 50 minutes. He's supposed to be meeting us in the hotel lobby at 6:30 p.m.

Rodriguez figures to be a key source in our first story, focused on fresh water salinization associated with the widening of the Panama Canal. He has been quite outspoken about the issue and, unlike the Panama Canal Authority (as we found out Thursday), Rodriguez believes the addition of the Canal's third lock may pose a serious threat to the quality and supply of drinking water in Panama's future.

I'll check in later and let you know how our meeting goes. Adios!