Panama, Panama City

Panama is world famous. Not because it’s so big, but because of the Panama Canal. The French started constructions in 1881 but had to give up after over 20.000 workers had died from tropical diseases and accidents. But the idea was born. And America wanted the canal badly by the beginning of the 20th century.

Over 1 million ships passed through the Panama Canal
Through an aggressive move towards what was then still Colombia they created Panama so they could start building the canal. Work started in 1904 and the first boat, the Ancon, sailed through the finished canal in 1914. An amazingly impressive feat of engineering. In the meantime over 1 million ships passed through the canal that was supposed to be American for eternity. But the Americans handed the Canal over to Panama on the 31st of December in 1999. Since then the Canal is Panamanian and it brings in a lot of money for this lovely small tropical state.

I stumpled on a whole week of festivities

When I was in Panama I stumbled upon a whole week of festivities. Everyday parades started in the old town going down to the boulevard and all the way onwards to Panama City’s impressive new town with its, for Central America, unparalleled skyline. I really liked the old and the new combined in this image with all the young people dressed up and ready to hit the streets with their marching bands.