I have seen
almost every part of Panama at this point of my trip but what could you
really expect in a country the size of South Carolina. I can tell you
probably every place you would want to visit from Ancon to Veraguas and
yet I am constantly surprised by the small niches and towns of Panama
we constantly discover when we honestly are not looking. Maps in Panama
are practically non-existent and the ones that you can find look as
though it was a 5th grade art project (my parents can vouch for this).
The maps are difficult to read most likely due to the constantly
shifting road systems and absence of roadsigns that remind me more of
Pans Labyrinth than a highway so getting around even if you “know where
you are going” is nearly impossible. As an appropriate way to prove
this point, here is what happened last week.
From November 3rd through the 10th, Panama celebrates 4 major days of independence (November 3rd- Independence from Colombia, November 4th- Flag Day, November 5th- Colon Day, and November 10th-
First Call of Independence) and essentially shuts down all schools,
businesses, and restaurants for a week of relaxation. What did this
mean to me? Basically, I have to find a way out of the city and
hopefully stumble upon something different. Luckily I was able to
convince a few of my roommates the same idea and we decided to rent a
car and head out to an undecided location. We planned like any good
college students (hung the map on a wall and threw a dart at it) and
decided on visiting a small mountain town near Volcan Beru called
Boquete. Now, as my previous travels have dictated, when Lonely Planet
describes a village in Panama as “small mountain town” it usually means
desolate broken down third world shanty with no water or a place to
stay but I am just going to assume this was because its hard to pass
“piece of shit” through the editing board. So, throwing caution to the
wind, we decided to go for it and make our way out to what we thought
was going to be another nightmare (at least it would be a good story to
write home about right?). Passing through David (about 6 hours away
from Panama City and 2 hours from Boquete) on the Pan American highway
does not exactly make you much more confident about what you could be
getting yourself into considering it is the 2nd largest city in Panama
and looks a lot more like a small rural town in North Dakota. We
decided to stay there for the night which was probably one of the best
decisions we could have made over the week because it just so happened
that the night of our arrival was the city’s annual Festival de Luz
(Festival of Light) which, to keep it short, reminded me of the last
blog (drinks, cockfights, bulls, etc). All of us slept in probably one
of the sketchier hostels we have been in since arriving to the country
which is honestly saying a whole lot considering the last hostel our
group stayed in was owned by a nearly insane German ex-pat and his
collection of dead stuffed animals. After a quick breakfast the next
morning, we made our way back to the car and straight into the
mountains where we would eventually reach Boquete.
Thirty minutes into the second half of the trip we wanted to turn
around. The road up into the mountains closely resembled the surface of
Mars (we had a 2WD 4-door Yaris) and the towns in between the Pan-Am
and Boquete were hardly towns at all. The trail only looked worse and
worse as we proceeded and wanting to continue was becoming less of an
option. All of a sudden, the scenery did a complete 180 degree spin.
The trail smoothed out to concrete, the shanty towns turned into large
community developments, and the backdrops changed from thick desolate
jungles to large mountain passes and an occasional gigantic waterfall.
I swear to you I thought we entered Narnia (minus the wood-nymphs and
Aslan). My guidebook may have put it best when it stated Boquete was
“an outdoor lover’s wet dream.” Rock walls, white-water rafting, hiking
trails, and hot springs are easier to find in the valley than books are
in a public library. The town closely resembles a sort of posh mountain
township you might find in Virginia or Tennessee, largely out of place
from Panama’s traditional beach cities. Originally, Boquete was very
much intent on remaining a small community, but was faced with changes
beyond anyone’s control – Baby Boomers started getting old. When Modern Maturity magazine
(great read by the way) of the American Association for Retired Persons
chose Boquete in 2001 as one of the four top places in the world to
retire, a flock of foreign retirees started snatching up mountain
plots. Today, the population has only gotten older and richer, and the
indigenous people of Boquete seem almost out of place (most Panamanians
are not too fond of pricey French bistros). To sum up Boquete in a
quick statement, if you are looking for a party town, this place is
simply not for you. Although, if you are tired of Panama’s
everlasting heat and feel like you might need a chance to relax and
recuperate from a tough week, you will definitely want to give this
place a second glance.
The area is filled with vibrant gardens, most likely due to the high
altitude allowing for more oxygen (GO SCIENCE!!) and constant rain
showers. One of the most impressive gardens, named Mi Jardin Es Su Jardin,
boasts over 96 different types of orchids and a volunteer staff of
nearly 35. The garden is maintained year-round and constantly evokes an
Alice In Wonderland vibe (they have flowers growing out of
shoes and a really cool hedge maze). The mountains are astoundingly
vibrant, the views are breath-taking from almost anywhere in the city,
and the wildlife is some of the coolest you will probably ever see in
your life (honestly, how many of you have seen a quetzal?). There is
also a huge amount of coffee plantations dotted along the hills
providing the area with some of the freshest coffee in the country and
nearly 50 percent of the country’s bean exports. I even enjoyed a cup
and this is coming from someone who hates coffee. On every corner you
will find something new to check out whether it be a small creek,
restaurant, bar, or a simple view. The possibilities are quite honestly
limitless if you take the time to enjoy your surroundings.
So, what did I get myself into this time? To be honest, an
experience I truly did not expect. It was mind-blowing that we could
have somehow just stumbled upon this place without ever hearing a word
about it. Why had we never been told? Because Panamanians love keeping
this place a secret and although they have begun to realize the word is
slowly leaking out, they want to enjoy it for as long as they can. I
realize this blog is not exactly helping the Panamanians with the
secret keeping but I am just going to assume the majority of my readers
are not planning on jumping out of their seats and rushing to their
nearest travel agency. But, one thing I can say for sure is that it was
a major relieve to discover a new part of Panama that often requires a
sweater.
I know, I know. You all wanted some crazy story about how I ended up
in a terrible situation and narrowly escaped right? Well, believe it or
not, this time I actually just had an amazing week and I felt like this
is one place that needed to be talked about whether or not there was an
amusing anecdote involved. My time is quickly coming to a close in
Panama and as I begin to realize this, I am becoming aware of the fact
that there is simply not enough time for me to discuss every adventure
I have had (some of which are due to the small detail that they are not
“blog appropriate”). I am still traveling with the little money I have
and trying my absolute hardest to uncover every little part of Panama
just in case a place like Boquete has somehow slipped through the
cracks. Whats next for me? Hopefully, planning one more large trip out
to Santa Catalina and making a return to Boquete where I would like to
hike the Volcan Beru (something I did not have time for on the first
trip). Maybe then I will have that heroic story you are waiting for but
until I suppose these mediocre blog entries will just have to tie you
over.
“Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths.” Etty Hillesum
