The trail ascended through the dense jungle of Panama. As we neared the peak a ruined fortress came into view. My guide, Jason cautioned me to avoid the main doorway and led me in through a cannon port. From a safe distance we checked out the doorway.

The repair crew on the back street worked like a team of museum curators or fine art restorers. They hand-cut stone blocks to fix the ancient eroded curbstones. It had been done this way in Ollantaybambo, Peru, since the time of the Incas.