Traveling through Panama is a study in contrasts. From the Pacific side to the Atlantic you drive through coastal beach areas and Panama city, with all it's modern buildings etc, into virtual rain forest and small towns with housing dating back to the early 1900's. You can read all you want on the history of the country and the building of the canal by going to the internet, so I won't belabour the point here. But just to see the Canal and the towns along the highway from coast to coast is well worth the trip.