One Beautiful Day in Panama

Photographer: Sharon Where? There’s something about mountains and palm trees that is especially appealing. They shouldn’t fit together, but they do. Perhaps it’s because the mountains are older and gentler now, having survived centuries of wind and rain. Let us hope we do as well!

Photographer: Charlene Where? Panama City is nearly 500 years old, but Panama City is also one of the “newest” cities of the western hemisphere as a result of all the construction of the last few years. In this photo, Charlene stands in the “old town”neighborhood of Casco Viejo and shows us both the ancient and the modern in one photo.

Photographer: Beth Where? Before they first visit Panama, many people think only in terms of tropical rain forests and ocean beaches. A scene like the one above near Volcan in the western province of Chiriqui just doesn’t “look like Panama”, but that’s exactly what it is, along with the rain forests and the ocean beaches.

Photographer: Vic Tanner Where? Like any great urban area, Panama City is crowded, noisy. and choked with traffic during the workday. But then there is Casco Viejo, the old neighborhood that reflects Panama’s colonial past. As the sun sets on another day in Casco Viejo, we see why this urban neighborhood is so well-loved, an island of tranquility in an ocean of urban life.

Photographer: Alan Hawkins Victoria Where? Like so many nations, Panama’s country folk love their fairs. One of the most popular is the Azuero Fair (Feria de Azuero) held in Villa de Los Santos in Los Santos province of central Panama. Azuero is the name given to the “hump” of central Panama that sticks out into the Pacific. Along with all the standard country fair events, there are plenty of vendors selling crafts. Here’s one kind of craft that is well appreciated by all of us!

Photographer: Sieg Pedde Where? Chiriqui province in the far west of Panama is our equivalent of America’s Texas. It’s in the west, local folks are extremely proud of their province, and there are plenty of cattle. This fellow is very typical. Most Panamanian cattle are hybrids, but you can see the influence of the Brahma family in this gentleman.

Photographer: Charlene Where? It’s not the Olympics in China. It’s the island of Cameros in the province of Bocas del Toro in northwest Panama, but the enthusiasm is just as great, even if they come up short on “style points”. Charlene said she took a whole series of photos because “their delight in this activity was incredibly contagious”.