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The most enduring symbol of Panama’sinternationalism is the Panama Canal. Mostlocals will insist you visit it, with good reasontravellers’ talesamateur street photographer, the chaotic hustling of differentcultures – best observed in the gritty working-class neighbourhoodsof Santa Ana and Calidonia – is a fascinating spectacle.But the most enduring symbol of Panama’s internationalism isthe Panama Canal, constructed by the United States in a singularact of bravado. Most locals will insist you visit it, with good reason.Standing at its locks, watching the giant ocean-going vessels riseand fall, few travellers fail to be impressed by the sheer scale ofits operations. For a really intimate encounter with this marvel ofengineering, you can jump on one of the regular boat trips from thecapital. Alternatively, the Panama Canal Railroad runs parallel tothe canal and supplies exciting views of the locks, passing cargoships and the vast freshwater sea of Lake Gatún. One of my favouritetrain journeys, it takes you rushing past walls of tangled junglefoliage, crossing from the Pacific to the Caribbean in just one hour.Escape to the countryPanama’s social diversity is matched by its natural diversity. As a vitalland bridge, it represents the range limit for scores of species fromboth American continents, and is one of the most biologically diverseplaces on the planet. Encountering its exotic flora and fauna is aseasy as heading a short distance out of the capital: the ParqueNacional Soberanía is less than 40 minutes away and boasts worldclassbirding trails. I’ve spotted toucans, hummingbirds, hawks,vultures, falcons, woodpeckers, cuckoos, tanagers and trogons –not to mention scampering monkeys, sloths, agoutis and coatis –all in a single visit. Go at dawn to be immersed in a lively orchestralperformance of whistling, tweeting and chirping bird songs, allbursting from the branches as the sun’s first rays wake the rainforest.Panama may be an international crossroads, but it boasts a strongsense of its own identity, too. Heading west of the capital on theInter-America Highway takes you deep into the country’s interior,skirting diminutive farming communities and slow-paced cowboytowns that are a world away from the power-charged frenzy ofthe city. The so-called central provinces are the geographic andspiritual centre of the nation, the cradle of folklore and traditions,OUTDOOR ADVENTURES IN PANAMATrees and trails – True adventurershead to the virgin wilderness of Dariénprovince, but for the less intrepid,there’s a corridor of easy-to-reachprotected rainforests skirting the canaljust outside Panama City, where youcan hike old trans-isthmian gold trailsand discover world-class birdwatching.Sea life – There are plentiful divingand snorkelling sites off both coasts,many of them undiscovered. The watersaround Isla Coiba are the haunt of largesea animals such as sharks and whales,while Bocas del Toro has calm, shelteredreefs that are good for beginners.Surf’s up – The rambling and ruggedPacific coast has fair surf at mostbeaches, but for outstanding actionyou should head to Santa Catalinaand the friendly town of Pedasí.Going fishing – Panama means‘abundance of fish’ and freshwaterangling is possible in many of thecountry’s 480 rivers. Prize marlin, tuna,dorado and other big game fish canbe snagged off the Pacific shore.River thrills – Chiriquí province is a landof rugged mountains and white-waterrapids, promising some of the mostexciting rafting in Central America.a conservative heartland where many Panamanian presidents havebeen born. Cigars, sugar and seco – a feisty tipple made fromdistilled sugar cane juice – are all produced here.The local culture, grounded in the rhythms of agriculture,is known simply as típico. It’s at its purist form in the AzueroPeninsula, a land of lost-in-time colonial villages, tiny white-washedchurches and terminally sleepy plazas. Come fiesta time, the regionexplodes with fireworks, pageantry and troupes of spirited dancers,including Panama’s most beautiful women, all adorned in stunningpolleras – the flowing and intricately embroidered national dressof Panama.Whenever I’m in need of rest and relaxation, I head to Chiriquí –a friendly, laid-back and staunchly independent province oframbling green valleys and flower-festooned villages, aromaticcoffee fincas and cheery highland homesteads. Where the landscapevolume thirteenSummit27