Portobelo is an out of the way town on the Caribbean coast. During the 16th and 17th Centuries the Spanish fleets carted the Inca treasures from Peru to their homeland transporting gold by Ship to Panama City, overland to Portobelo and by ship back to Spain. A third of the world´s gold was weighed and taxed in the Portobelo Customs House before it continued on it´s (its) voyage to Spain.
Portobelo was attacked seven times by a mixture of pirates and the English Fleet, with such lofty names as Sir Francis Drake amongst them. Drake died of yellow fever in 1596, and was given a burial at sea just outside the Bay of Portobelo. Anthropological groups have identified the coffin and offered to send it home, but the British Ministry of Defence has declined, saying Drake should, quite appropriately, be left in peace.
Portobelo itself is a small town, yet with lots of life. Our balcony over the central plaza provided a good view of the passing human traffic. Kids playing soccer, old men on the corner, people waiting for buses and rotissery chickens. With minimal shops and no bank (which led to a priest being mugged for the collection plate money, the town is best known for its Iglesia de Cristo Negro (Church of the Black Christ). This statue inspires an annual pilgrimage with a strong African (Congo) influence on the festivities.
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