Ah, Ceviche!

Another beautiful day in Panama!

Our first stop was Panama Viejo, who we wandered through ruins while learning about the history of Panama City.

The ruins of Panama Viejo

 

For scale 

From there we made a quick stop at the Mercado de Mariscos. We past small, wooden fishing boats bobbing like a brilliant mosaic on the waters behind the fish market.

Fish face

Fresh off the boats

It was here, amid the hubbub and odors of the fish market, that I had my favorite food in Panama so far, ceviche. It was so fresh, and so many choices! I couldn't decide on just one and ordered the combination. It was definitely a combination, sea bass, shrimp, octopus, squid and more with onions marinated in lime juice. The prices were so inexpensive. A cup of ceviche cost any where from two to three dollars.

Ceviche vendor at the entrance to the Mercado de Mariscos

We had lunch in a lovely little restaurant whose name I forgot to note. We had a meal of Panamanian food including lentil soup, sweet plantains, rice and beans and shredded beef called "ropa viejo" or "old clothes". The beef tasted awesome and had none of the qualities of old clothes except that it was shredded. Dessert was coconut flan.

We went on to the BioMuseo, the Museum of Biodiversity. This extraordinary museum celebrates the flora and fauna of the region in a building designed by none other than Frank Gehry. The displays were informative and entertaining. We were provided with audio tours.

Our final stop before we headed back to the hotel was the Smithsonian Tropical Research Center. My  favorite sighting here was a sleepy young sloth.