Every six of seven years the water is drained out of the locks on the Panama Canal for maintenance and repair. Here the Pedro Miguel locks get some repairs and maintenance to it's locks. Casco Viejo...in Spanish, that's old fort. Casco Viejo is the oldest European settlement on the entire Pacific Coast of the Americas. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Founded January 21, 1673, Casco Viejo, a walled city much of which is still visible today, was built as the new Panama City after Panamá Viejo was completely destroyed by the English pirate, Sir Henry Morgan...Casco Viejo was home to many of Panamá's founders as well as its most affluent citizens. Panamanians are fond of sharing memories about spending time with their grandparents in the district. Once upon a time, no address was needed as everyone knew each other. Strolling was always a social outing where it was customary for men to walk around plazas in one direction and women the other. Music outdoors was in the fabric of society in Casco Viejo for its residents to enjoy on a pleasant summer evening...While the residents may have changed, upon arrival, Casco Viejo visitors immediately sense that they have entered another world. You can't help but be transported to another time, to another culture, to another world that Casco Viejo always has been and still is. Once you begin down its narrow cobblestone streets teeming with life, you can't help but admire the unique blend of architecture that spans not only influence from the French and colonial Spanish, but also blends eras spanning from the late 17th century to the mid-20th century. Genteel balconies spilling over with traditional bougainvillea (called verenera here) somehow blend beautifully next door to a peeling facade revealing an equally beautiful patina of the ages on a once glorious home now lying in wait for new owners.