He pillaged, killed, sacked and burned things--
completely. He did such a complete job the monks lost heart and
came to the present Panama and set out building again.
Old Panama is a shambles. Pieces of stone wall stand out
everywhere, as do crumbled stone pillars of foundations. All is
desolation. The ruins, I am told, extend far back into the
present jungle. Nobody seems to care to preserve what is left. We
drove the car into the convent. There were the square holes where
floor supports of wooden beams used to enter.
We don't particularly like this hotel. It is a mammoth sort of a
wooden building. Big rooms, high ceiling, big doors, big windows,
big halls, big slow elevator, big bathrooms, all of wood and
everything could stand painting. Somehow I feel if the termites
would let go hands, the place would crumble. We are on the third
floor and I hope no Henry Morgan comes along.
Sightseeing, we passed government buildings, government
tile-roofed homes for canal workers and PXs. Whenever you see
government property you see order and paint. You fellers up there
are paying for it.
We went to the San Jose Church, one of the oldest in Panama. It
contains the gold altar the priests painted black on the occasion
of an invasion.
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