0:00:11 > 0:00:14GRUNTING
0:00:14 > 0:00:20Canals, hats - you thought you knew Panama? Think again.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50'A young Central American nation of four million people,
0:00:50 > 0:00:56'Panama links two of the world's biggest oceans.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01'It's long been a key transit point for global commerce,
0:01:01 > 0:01:06'now it's being recognised as a travel destination, too.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09'And its claim to fame apart from the Canal?
0:01:09 > 0:01:11'Well, try this for size - without Panama,
0:01:11 > 0:01:17'life on Earth would have taken a very different course.'
0:01:18 > 0:01:19Christopher Columbus, in his final voyage,
0:01:19 > 0:01:24came here to the northwest coast of Panama, in search of Asia.
0:01:24 > 0:01:29He died only three years later still believing he'd found it.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32'Instead, he'd chanced upon Panama.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35'But never fear, Christopher, I'll explore the rest
0:01:35 > 0:01:39'of this spectacular country on your behalf.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44'On my travels I'll cross Panama from the Atlantic coast,
0:01:44 > 0:01:48'where the world-class surf, spiced up with Caribbean Creole
0:01:48 > 0:01:54'and dense tropical rainforest, create a heady cocktail.
0:01:56 > 0:01:57'Then it's into the highland interior,
0:01:57 > 0:02:03'where nature provides the ideal arena for incredible acrobatics...'
0:02:03 > 0:02:09So, he expects me to do that? Come on(!)
0:02:09 > 0:02:14'..before finally heading for the big city,
0:02:14 > 0:02:15'the only city, the capital,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18'where Miami meets Havana and the world's most famous short cut -
0:02:18 > 0:02:19'the Canal - celebrates its centenary
0:02:19 > 0:02:23'by preparing for the next big shipment - tourists.'
0:02:26 > 0:02:28But I start my journey here
0:02:28 > 0:02:31in the idyllic archipelago of Bocas del Toro,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34so laidback it's almost horizontal.
0:02:34 > 0:02:42Unless, of course, you're here to ride the next big wave.
0:02:44 > 0:02:51'When it comes to pure, raw surf, they say Bocas has the lot.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55'Consistent swell, rip tides, crazy barrels -
0:02:55 > 0:02:59'if you know what those terms mean you'll be in seventh heaven.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02'Beach resort tourism has long been big business
0:03:02 > 0:03:04'in neighbouring Costa Rica,
0:03:04 > 0:03:09'but local aficionados say the breaks here are world-class.'
0:03:11 > 0:03:14The first time I came to this beautiful island there was nothing -
0:03:14 > 0:03:17one hotel, just the people that live here,
0:03:17 > 0:03:21and it's bloomed a lot and now we got hotels, attractions,
0:03:21 > 0:03:24more development, more tourists living here.
0:03:24 > 0:03:30And we have more flow of tourists year round.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32'Juan David is not only a prominent surf instructor here,
0:03:32 > 0:03:37'he's also a qualified life-saver. Very reassuring for someone like me
0:03:37 > 0:03:42'who feels out of his depth in a puddle.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46'Check the grace and fluidity. I'm a natural(!)'
0:03:46 > 0:03:50Paddle. You feel the tail lift. Power stroke. And pop up!
0:03:50 > 0:03:55Keep going, bring that front foot forward.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57Low, low. That's it, perfect.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01Always remember to look up so we don't lose balance.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05If you do that, we're surfing already.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08Is it harder in the water than here? Yes.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13Water time, brother.
0:04:13 > 0:04:20OK, this is a journey into the unknown. I am genuinely nervous.
0:04:26 > 0:04:32'Man clambers onto surf board and clings on for dear life.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35'Man hates being out of his depth.
0:04:35 > 0:04:40'Getting to standing position? In your dreams.'
0:04:45 > 0:04:51'Meanwhile, just a few hundred metres away...'
0:05:02 > 0:05:09'The good news on the novice is... he hasn't drowned! Hooray.'
0:05:09 > 0:05:11OK, I've done it.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15I've got to say, I was nervous, it was exhausting
0:05:15 > 0:05:18but exhilarating and I did ride three waves - didn't stand up -
0:05:18 > 0:05:20but rode three waves without falling off.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Now listen, I have gone upside down in planes in the sky,
0:05:23 > 0:05:25climbed to the top of mountains,
0:05:25 > 0:05:31but this was the most nerve-racking thing I have probably ever done.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35And it's over. Phew!
0:05:40 > 0:05:43'The main town of the 68 islands that make up Bocas del Toro
0:05:43 > 0:05:46'was originally built by the United Fruit Company
0:05:46 > 0:05:52'in the early 20th century. Today it's backpackers-ville.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58'But where the young, trailblazing, adventure-seeker first arrives
0:05:58 > 0:06:02'with only a rucksack, a few dollars and a passion for fun,
0:06:02 > 0:06:08'is inevitably where the masses follow.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11'Colourful clapboard houses line the streets
0:06:11 > 0:06:18'and evenings here almost always turn into apres surf parties.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20'This, believe me,
0:06:20 > 0:06:25'is Bocas' equivalent of a quiet night in with a good book.'
0:06:31 > 0:06:36'But many travellers come here for educational reasons, too.'
0:06:36 > 0:06:39SHE SPEAKS SPANISH
0:06:39 > 0:06:42'Students in this class alone hail from as far and wide
0:06:42 > 0:06:47'as Singapore, the USA and Germany, all to learn Spanish.'
0:06:47 > 0:06:50One of the advantages to learn Spanish in Panama is that
0:06:50 > 0:06:53the people here speak a little slower.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55SHE SPEAKS SPANISH
0:06:55 > 0:06:58SHE REPLIES IN SPANISH
0:06:58 > 0:07:01'Spanish language schools in Panama are few and far between.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03'Mind you, the lingo spoken round these parts
0:07:03 > 0:07:07'isn't necessarily straight from a textbook.'
0:07:07 > 0:07:13THEY SPEAK SPANISH
0:07:13 > 0:07:15"That man is sexy..."
0:07:15 > 0:07:19'Because right here don't forget we're next to the West Indies.'
0:07:19 > 0:07:22HE SPEAKS SPANISH
0:07:22 > 0:07:24I've got a question but in English.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26There are lots of expressions that sound English
0:07:26 > 0:07:30but are actually Panamanian Spanish, aren't they?
0:07:30 > 0:07:35For example, I've heard "I like you" means... I love you.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Means "I love you"? Correcto.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40So, innocently, an English person could say, "I like you,"
0:07:40 > 0:07:45to a Panamanian and they would get the wrong impression. Correcto.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47LAUGHTER
0:07:47 > 0:07:50We have a lot of words this way because we have a lot of people
0:07:50 > 0:07:53that came from Jamaica, Barbados, from other countries,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55so we adapt their language
0:07:55 > 0:08:00and we have a combination of a new language now.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02'Teacher Iveth herself is a classic example
0:08:02 > 0:08:06'of the cultural and racial mix of her country.'
0:08:06 > 0:08:10I have, um, black, I have Chinese in my blood.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15I also have a little bit of French from Barbados.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19Oh, and also I have the Native Indian people.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22# And if your mother and your wife was drowning
0:08:22 > 0:08:25# I'd like to know which one you won't be saving... #
0:08:25 > 0:08:27'The Caribbean heritage is one very important aspect
0:08:27 > 0:08:29'of Panamanian identity.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32'Ten minutes by boat to Isla Bastimentos,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34'past the seafront houses on the stilts,
0:08:34 > 0:08:38'and you can see the legacy of that time.'
0:08:42 > 0:08:47It all really start in the 18th century, really.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51Jamaican come around here. People from England,
0:08:51 > 0:08:54from all part of the world, come here to work on the railroad,
0:08:54 > 0:08:58work on the Canal, and the banana plantation.
0:08:58 > 0:09:05They end up working here and that's the way my relatives come.
0:09:05 > 0:09:10# You can never get another mother in your life... #
0:09:10 > 0:09:12'Take a hike from this community up along the makeshift
0:09:12 > 0:09:15'machete-cleared pathway in Bastimentos and within a few yards
0:09:15 > 0:09:19'from the coast you suddenly find yourself in jungle territory,
0:09:19 > 0:09:23'and evergreen rainforest.'
0:09:23 > 0:09:27This island has more animals and plants that's only from this place,
0:09:27 > 0:09:30you know? Like the red frog.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34'And then my guide showed me this fellow, the perezoso,
0:09:34 > 0:09:37'or "lazy one" as it's known in Panama.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40'The three-fingered sloth to the rest of us.'
0:09:40 > 0:09:44How long could it spend up there? Weeks. Weeks?
0:09:44 > 0:09:47Yeah, sometimes he has the leaves in the tree, he's eaten over there.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49And he will come down one time
0:09:49 > 0:09:55in the week for use of the toilet. Use the toilet, yes.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00'In many ways Panama is a freak of nature.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02'Millions of years ago it rose up from beneath the ocean,
0:10:02 > 0:10:06'connecting the continents of North and South America
0:10:06 > 0:10:10'and then hothousing an amazing wealth of biodiversity.'
0:10:10 > 0:10:15And that's what makes Panama unique.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21So, from the Caribbean coastline, the next stage of my journey
0:10:21 > 0:10:26takes me south into the interior of the country,
0:10:26 > 0:10:28Panama's tallest mountains, longest rivers
0:10:28 > 0:10:32and most fertile valleys.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37'Some of the most lush and green scenery you'll ever see.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39'About a third of Panama is set aside
0:10:39 > 0:10:43'as protected or national park land.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47'Bananas and plantains used to be Panama's biggest export.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51'And in areas like this, a simple, rural life is still the norm,
0:10:51 > 0:10:53'although a quarter of the population
0:10:53 > 0:10:58'live below the poverty line.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01'And the higher up you get, the crisper the air,
0:11:01 > 0:11:06'and the mistier it becomes as rain and cloud forest surround you.'
0:11:09 > 0:11:12When you come across rock formations like here in this mini canyon,
0:11:12 > 0:11:17you realise what a haven Panama can be for outdoor types.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20If hiking, rafting or climbing is your thing,
0:11:20 > 0:11:24you're going to be in your element.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27# I'm so fancy
0:11:27 > 0:11:30# You already know... #
0:11:30 > 0:11:32'These guys certainly are.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36'Don't be fooled by how easy they make this look.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39'Extreme activities like these are relatively new to Panama and
0:11:39 > 0:11:44'their growing popularity is largely down to the inspiration of one man.
0:11:44 > 0:11:50'A man who, as I'm about to find out, can appear to defy gravity.'
0:12:03 > 0:12:06This is a rock formation that arrive with the last volcanic eruption,
0:12:06 > 0:12:08about 100 years ago.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11And what is interesting about this rock is that it's very geometrical
0:12:11 > 0:12:13and it's very solid rock.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17Its structure is stable and this is what we're looking for as a climber
0:12:17 > 0:12:23when we're finding a new location for doing the sport.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28'At 31, Cesar Augusto Melendez Castillo
0:12:28 > 0:12:33'is Panama's first and only professional climber.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35'Boquete was never fully developed as a climbing destination
0:12:35 > 0:12:41'until Cesar arrived on the scene.'
0:12:42 > 0:12:46My father and I used to go on a lot of exploration trips
0:12:46 > 0:12:49around our home town, and then we always see these rock formations
0:12:49 > 0:12:52and I would always have this feeling that I wanted to climb them.
0:12:52 > 0:12:57and I would always have this feeling that I wanted to climb them.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00But we didn't have the knowledge how to do it.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03So then when I was 21 years old I had the opportunity to meet with
0:13:03 > 0:13:08this Canadian climber. And through him is how I got into the sport.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13'My turn to scale this rock face like a wild mountain cat.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15'Or not.'
0:13:15 > 0:13:20OK, let's go for it. OK, let's go for it.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23So, you're constantly making choices here...
0:13:23 > 0:13:26We're going to show you the different points for climbing
0:13:26 > 0:13:29and the different locations for feet and hands.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32I'm going to give you, like, the most basic ones.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35'I found three things in particular difficult about this.
0:13:35 > 0:13:40'Firstly, gripping the rock with my fingers.
0:13:40 > 0:13:47'Secondly, lifting my legs up. And thirdly, well, climbing, full stop.'
0:13:47 > 0:13:51Yeah. And maybe two hands together.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56Very nice, very nice. Bring your right foot up higher one more step.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58I'm not going to be able to do this.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01You can let go any moment, he got you down there.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03Now, THIS is fun.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05'Just maybe I'm not a natural...'
0:14:05 > 0:14:07No hands.
0:14:07 > 0:14:12'..unlike this guy, a genuine rock star.'
0:14:12 > 0:14:16Free climbing demands the maximum level of skill.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19And you have to face your fears.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22But this is what is the beauty about it, you know,
0:14:22 > 0:14:25when you face those fears you kind of bring up those inner strengths
0:14:25 > 0:14:26that sometimes you don't think you have.
0:14:26 > 0:14:32And it's just a beautiful journey.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37'From the rugged wilderness of the interior it's a trek across country
0:14:37 > 0:14:41'and the very different environment of Panama's capital city.'
0:14:41 > 0:14:46The Panama railroad, the classic train line into the big city.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50Built in the 1850s by Chinese, Indian,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53and Jamaican migrant workers, it actually was part of the journey
0:14:53 > 0:14:56for gold prospectors from the north of the United States
0:14:56 > 0:14:59to the Californian gold rush. Today, thought, it's helping me
0:14:59 > 0:15:05straddle two of the world's biggest oceans -
0:15:05 > 0:15:10the Atlantic in the north, to the Pacific in the south.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17'Panama City's construction boom.
0:15:17 > 0:15:23'The country shouts from the rooftops about its prosperity.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25'From the brand-new Museum of Biodiversity
0:15:25 > 0:15:29'designed by the internationally renowned Frank Gehry,
0:15:29 > 0:15:32'to the flashy skyscrapers built on the proceeds of offshore finance,
0:15:32 > 0:15:37'manufacturing and shipping.'
0:15:39 > 0:15:41'Mind you, Panama has yet to shake off the reputation
0:15:41 > 0:15:44'that some of the cash swilling around is not entirely,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47'well, clean.'
0:15:47 > 0:15:50There are some big parallels with the story of Miami.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52Especially in terms of the drug trade.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55Miami became a big hub for drugs and especially money laundering.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58And it got a really nice skyline,
0:15:58 > 0:16:03which we're seeing replicated right now in Panama.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07'And it's in this area, the Casco Viejo, the old town,
0:16:07 > 0:16:10'more Havana than Miami, where there's now greatest upheaval.'
0:16:10 > 0:16:14As you can see, there's a lot of really beautiful buildings
0:16:14 > 0:16:18being renovated over here,
0:16:18 > 0:16:20very expensive,
0:16:20 > 0:16:23it's being one of most luxurious neighbourhoods in the city.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26At the same time, people live here, and people have been living here
0:16:26 > 0:16:29for a long time, and most of the people are poor,
0:16:29 > 0:16:32you know, this is kind of like a ghetto.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35But if you look at this, you look over there, and a couple of blocks
0:16:35 > 0:16:39down the road you can get to one of the most dangerous areas of the city
0:16:41 > 0:16:43'But transformation offers hope, too.
0:16:43 > 0:16:48'Ten years ago a revitalisation project was set up here to create
0:16:48 > 0:16:51'a walkable neighbourhood for both rich and poor.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53'The new kid on the block -
0:16:53 > 0:16:57'this splendid colonial building converted into an upmarket hotel.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00'But only until recently it was like the whole square,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03'run and occupied by a notorious gang.
0:17:03 > 0:17:08'Today, several reformed members actually work in the hotel.'
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Panama City is a capital on the move,
0:17:17 > 0:17:20from new public transport systems to an expanded Canal
0:17:20 > 0:17:24and a drastically transformed skyline.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28And the best way to see that is to join a running group.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30'This group, one of many sprouting up the city,
0:17:30 > 0:17:34'is led by this doctor, who's run marathons around the world
0:17:34 > 0:17:39'and who, despite the accent, was born and bred here.'
0:17:39 > 0:17:42AMERICAN ACCENT: Good job. Woo-hoo!
0:17:42 > 0:17:44I want to see all the different faces of this city.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Can you do that for me?
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Absolutely, there are great places to run in Panama.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53There's flat, little hills, whatever you want. It's Panama. Let's go.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57Lead the way. Let me show you. OK.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05While you've been running here,
0:18:05 > 0:18:07how much have you seen the city transformed? Totally.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11I remember running here when there were almost no buildings
0:18:11 > 0:18:15and now we just see the incredible development of the city.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17We have grown incredibly.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20But when you go in the city there's so much more to see,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23especially the people.
0:18:23 > 0:18:24When you ask somebody for something
0:18:24 > 0:18:29and you get that really nice Panamanian...just warmth.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32The warmth of the country is something
0:18:32 > 0:18:34and the warmth of the people, that is Panama.
0:18:34 > 0:18:41Thank you, bye.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46'The name "Panama" literally means "abundance of fish".
0:18:46 > 0:18:48'And there's certainly lots of it here in the city's
0:18:48 > 0:18:53'main seafood market, right next to the Pacific.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57'Local master chef Julio set up a pop-up kitchen
0:18:57 > 0:19:00'to give me some insider's tips
0:19:00 > 0:19:05'on how to make the raw fish speciality - ceviche, local-style.'
0:19:05 > 0:19:07Just get a piece of fish.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09This side will be cooked
0:19:09 > 0:19:13as fast as half an hour.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15And then one of the main ingredients
0:19:15 > 0:19:19just to be consistent is the onion, OK?
0:19:19 > 0:19:23The onion will give it that sweetness.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25The process is just mixing it.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29You're going to season it with some habaneros.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31Very, very intense flavour.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33But it will be cut up with limes
0:19:33 > 0:19:38and this one is very intense.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42This one gives it the power to cook the fish. OK.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45You see right away the fish sort of became whiter.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49That means it's getting cooked as we speak.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54Listen, I love ceviche anyway, but that tang...
0:19:54 > 0:20:01that extra, you know, acidity, gives it everything for me.
0:20:01 > 0:20:06We are a country which has a lot of cultures coming into it.
0:20:06 > 0:20:11So we are the kind of people that we accept all things around
0:20:11 > 0:20:14and make it our own, OK?
0:20:14 > 0:20:17We're not a big country, we're a very, very small country
0:20:17 > 0:20:19but with a lot of culture.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24'There's no doubt that when it comes to culture the USA has played
0:20:24 > 0:20:28'a major role in Panama, a legacy of its huge and sometimes
0:20:28 > 0:20:33'controversial political and economic influence here.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36'It enabled Panama to achieve independence from Colombia
0:20:36 > 0:20:39'more than a century ago, then bankrolled
0:20:39 > 0:20:45'and controlled the strategic Canal zone until the millennium.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47'And today the Canal still stands
0:20:47 > 0:20:51'as a remarkable feat of engineering.'
0:20:51 > 0:20:52Isn't this amazing?
0:20:52 > 0:20:55The iconic Panama Canal and I'm cycling along it.
0:20:55 > 0:21:00Fantastic!
0:21:00 > 0:21:08'Another container ship rolls in through Panama City's locks.'
0:21:08 > 0:21:10Where you from? Philippines.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12'This 80km waterway brings in billions of dollars
0:21:12 > 0:21:18'a year to the economy.'
0:21:19 > 0:21:23'Some locals say this isn't a city that happens to have a canal,
0:21:23 > 0:21:29'it's a canal that happens to have a city.'
0:21:29 > 0:21:35So, my journey across Panama is nearly complete
0:21:35 > 0:21:38and I've ended up here in the Canal on the Pacific side.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42This, inevitably, is very much the future of this county,
0:21:42 > 0:21:44not least because expansion promises the prospect
0:21:44 > 0:21:48of mega cruise liners docking here.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51Panama is used to the world coming here as a trading hub
0:21:51 > 0:21:57and the next precious cargo will be tourists.
0:21:57 > 0:21:58'Nobody wants to miss the boat
0:21:58 > 0:22:04'but mass tourism does present a big challenge for countries like Panama.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07'Will the unspoilt wilderness where Cesar teaches his disciples
0:22:07 > 0:22:12'the ropes really be able to handle a huge influx of travellers?
0:22:12 > 0:22:15'Similarly, the tranquil shores
0:22:15 > 0:22:17and beaches along the country's Caribbean coastline.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21'On my trip from Atlantic to Pacific Oceans across this country,
0:22:21 > 0:22:23'I got the impression people here won't welcome
0:22:23 > 0:22:28'their pace of life being drastically disrupted.'
0:22:28 > 0:22:30I would suggest enjoying their hospitality
0:22:30 > 0:22:33sooner rather than later,
0:22:33 > 0:22:42before Panamania sets in.
0:23:09 > 0:23:10I'm the Doctor.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12I've lived for over 2,000 years.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17I've made many mistakes.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20And it's about time that I did something about that.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22Where are we going?
0:23:22 > 0:23:23Into darkness.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28Am I a good man?
0:23:28 > 0:23:29I...don't know.