Even before the construction of its
famous canal,
Panama 's
strategic location at the wasp waist
of the Americas and at the meeting
place of the Atlantic and Pacific
oceans made it one of the great
crossroads of the world. A narrow,
S-shaped isthmus that stretches some
750km between Costa Rica and
Colombia, Panama remains a vital
thoroughfare
of international commerce, but is
rarely visited by travellers. In
part this is because the land bridge
to South America, the Darién Gap,
remains virtually impassable; in
part because the use of the US
dollar and the relatively high level
of economic development make it a
more expensive country to visit than
other places in the region. But
above all it seems that Panama suffers from a serious image
problem. Although the last US troops
have now left Panama and the canal
is in Panamanian hands, to most
outsiders the country remains a
virtual colony of the US,
artificially created in order to
facilitate construction of the
canal, while its culture is seen as
a desperately compromised imitation
of North America: urbanized,
anglicized and Coca-colonized. Yet
while it is true that no other
country in Central America has been
so dominated by the US - Panama owes its very existence to US
intervention - in fact the North
American cultural influence, though
strong, is but one among many.
Spanish, African, West Indian,
Chinese, Indian, European - all have
contributed to a
compelling
cultural mix , creating perhaps
the most cosmopolitan, open-minded
and outward-looking society in
Central America. At the same time,
it is also home to some of the most
unassimilated and culturally
fascinating indigenous societies in
Central America - within 30km of the
high-rise banking district of Panama
City, for example, the indigenous
Emberá
still practise subsistence
agriculture in the rainforest and
hunt for their supper with
blowpipes.
Most travellers who make it down
to Panama are surprised by its
outstanding natural beauty.
With 1600km of coastline on the
Pacific and 1280km on the Caribbean
side, Panama boasts unspoiled
beaches and coral reefs to match any
in the region. And although it is
Costa Rica that has achieved world
renown as an ecotourism
destination, in terms of pristine
wilderness and ecological diversity Panama
has little reason to envy
its neighbor. A biological bridge
between continents, Panama supports
an astounding biodiversity,
including over nine hundred species
of bird, more than in the whole of
North America. Over half the country
is still covered by dense tropical
rainforest, and large areas are
protected by a system of national
parks and nature reserves.
Although the government is keen
to promote international tourism,
for the moment Panama remains one
of the best-kept travellers' secrets
in Central America. Of course, this
means that in comparison to, say,
Costa Rica, the infrastructure
for visiting the protected
wilderness areas is much more
limited. But while this may put some
people off, for others it simply
adds to the sense of adventure -
visitors to Panama's national parks
are unlikely to have to share them
with more than a handful of other
people. Moreover, wherever you
travel in Panama, the absence of a
travellers' "scene" means
you will be forced into much more
direct contact with local people, an
experience which, given the natural
warmth and open-mindedness of most
Panamanians and the fact that they
have not yet become jaded with
foreigners due to the impact of mass
tourism, is undoubtedly one of the
most rewarding aspects of any visit
to this underrated and misunderstood
country.
