Panama With Oren

Wednesday, August 30, 2017 A hike in the cloud forest. Today is our last day on the Panama adventure; we fly home early tomorrow morning.  Before getting to today’s hike, I need to post a photo of something remarkable.  A lighthouse on the road from David to Boquete.  Now this road goes directly inland from the Pacific coast, and there isn’t a level portion on it, it’s all uphill into the mountains.  It takes about 25 or 30 minutes to drive, and we’ve done it a number of times.  Well, almost all the way to Boquete, probably 20 miles inland is this: Adjacent is a large unfinished building with no work going on.  The most plausible explanation we’ve had is that it was planned to be the signature attraction for an entertainment center or a bar or some such.  In any case, there it sits, far from the sea, looking out over the countryside. This morning’s activity was a somewhat rigorous hike up into the cloud forest.  Joyce opted ...

Tuesday, August 29, 2017 Today’s adventure began with a drive east on the Pacific coast of Panama on the Pan American highway.  On the way we stopped at a roadside vendor to buy rambutan fruits: Our goal was Chiriqui Bay, where we boarded our ocean-going boat: We went about 45 minutes out to sea in that vessel, to a group of islands where humpback females come to give birth in the early summer.  One of the islands has a rookery for blue-footed boobies, which we saw in abundance: We also saw Frigate Birds and American Oystercatchers among others.  Our search for humpback whales was quite successful, but photographing them is not easy.  They are truly enormous: Here’s a mother and baby: Here’s one spouting: Here’s one diving, showing its unique tail: And here’s a photo of the only leap we saw which I didn’t catch.  This photo was taken by our driver with his cell phone: After abo...

August 28, 2017 Rafting the Chiriqui River Today’s adventure took us west along the Pacific coast of Panama almost to the Costa Rica border, where we turned inland and went up into the mountains along the Chiriqui River.  The adventure was 10 ½ miles of class 1, 2 and 3 rapids down the river. When we arrived at the departure clearing, the rafting guides unloaded the raft and pumped it up: We had a small kayak with us, and one of the guides came along in this very versatile and maneuverable craft to be our “rescuer” for “just in case.” We put on our life vests and helmets, and we were ready to go.  Here we are; next to me is Christian, the guide who is with us for the entire trip: About half-way through the trip, we stopped at a quiet rocky beach for a buffet lunch: The river was just perfect for this kind of exciting journey, as it alternates brief stretches of calm water with long stretches of aquatic turmoil.  Just when ...

August 27, 2017, Boquete We flew into the city of David yesterday afternoon and drove into the mountains to the town of Boquete.  The weather is distinctly different, cooler and more humid if possible.  The mountains are dramatically beautiful and the town is lovely.  Our hotel, the Panamonte, is delightful, with extensive gardens:     This morning after breakfast we went into town and boarded this truck for a ride up to Bouquete Tree Trek, about a half-hour up and up and up on gravel and dirt roads.   We arrived at the lodge and were fitted for out zip-lining gear:     You’ll notice Joyce’s absence; she opted out and took a coffee farm tour instead of zip-lining.  After signing forms which basically said if we died it wasn’t their fault, we got back into the truck and went higher and higher and higher, into the clouds of the cloud forest.  We reached the first of 12 lines, and made preparations to ...