In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this financially independent lifestyle, they invite you to take advantage of their wisdom and experience.

Vieja Havana

Casco Viejo

Panama City, Panama

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli

Arriving in Panama City, Panama, we were greeted by a thundering tropical rain storm with sheets of water pouring down from the sky. However, when we reached our hotel, amazingly, the streets were dry! We must have traveled through a pocket of weather that didn't affect the main city.

Unpacking and getting settled in our hotel room, we decided that the next day we would go to Casco Viejo. Casco Viejo, or Old Town, was built in 1672 and is the second Panama City. The first city was built in 1519 and was purposefully burned to the ground in 1671 to prevent the pirate Henry Morgan from attacking and looting it.  

Vieja Havana in Casco Viejo

A $3 taxi ride from our hotel brought us directly to Old Town and we wandered around this section of the city. Renovation has been going on for some time now, and much of Casco Viejo has been restored. The town now showcases Colonial buildings from the 1600s that are clean, upscale, and nicely painted.

Old cobblestone streets have been updated to new flat brick pavers which make it easier for walking and getting about this area of town.

After having a couple of cappuccinos and sharing a huge chocolate brownie in a French bakery, we walked around and discovered Vieja Havana.

Vieja Havana advertising the local Botran Rum

Vieja Havana sits on the corner of the street close to the Presidential guard station and in an unassuming manner, blends in with the neighborhood.

Walking inside, it is like walking back into old time Cuba. 

Inside this old Havana Bar

One can enjoy a Cuba Libre or the traditional Cuban highball called a Mojito. Both are made with Havana Club rum. At $9USD a shot, the Havana Club rum is a bit pricy for being in Central America, and so are their $4.50 beers, but the atmosphere is terrific. We imagine that if you are coming straight from the U.S. or Canada, those prices would seem reasonable.

Their bar menu offers sandwiches including the expected Cubano, and the salsa/Latino soundtrack will get your hips swaying.

Photos from Old Cuba

The walls are filled with photos from the life of Old Cuba. Here you see a young child who is smoking a Cuban cigar, something very common from days in the past.

Modern mixes with memory lane

Being a bar, Vieja Havana also offers sports on a flat screen TV for patrons to watch while they are sipping on their drinks.

For a convincing flash of Cuba's past, visit Vieja Havana

Vieja Havana, Avenida B and Calle 5

Tele: 507. 212. 3873

Open daily 11:30 am to 2:00 am

For more stories and photos of Panama, click here

About the Authors

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli are recognized retirement experts and internationally published authors on topics of finance, medical tourism and world travel. With the wealth of information they share on their award winning website RetireEarlyLifestyle.com, they have been helping people achieve their own retirement dreams since 1991. They wrote the popular books, The Adventurer’s Guide to Early Retirement and Your Retirement Dream IS Possible available on their website bookstore or on Amazon.com.

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