Boquete

In the highlands of Panama, life is relaxing, rich and mellow. The lush valleys and mountains are constantly fed by a refreshing afternoon shower that leaves the foliage glowing with a vibrant green and the multicolored flowers blooming. Touring the rolling hills on quiet, winding roads outside of town by scooter, I whizzed past coffee plantations and breathtaking scenery. I felt like I was taken back to a time when people lived simpler lives; Indigenous families in their colorful dress walked down the roads and worked in the rich, fertile lands that sprawl in all directions.

Boquete has attracted travelers from all over the world, many of which have come to settle permanently. Although this has caused rapid economic growth here in Boquete, the foreign influence has made parts of the town very Americanized and the local culture seems to have faded significantly.

That being said, Boquete is a pollen-dusted flower for a bee that enjoys adventure. Volcan Baru looms over the city and is readily visible from my hostel, Mamallena. As soon as I arrived here I knew I had to see the views from its summit at 11,398ft. The best way to climb the Volcano is by starting around midnight and hiking up the steep 4-wheel drive road with headlamps. After ascending 5,250 feet in elevation over 8.5 miles (one way), I reached the top just before sunrise. Wispy, white clouds draped the wavy mountains and hills and within minutes I witnessed one of the most beautiful sunrises I have ever seen. Due to how narrow the isthmus of Panama is, we were briefly able to glimpse both the Pacific and Atlantic ocean at the same time. The sun appeared out of a horizon that was so faint that it was impossible to differentiate between the sky and the sea. On the Caribbean side, the islands of Bocas del Toro were visible to the west with the Costa Rican border lying just beyond.

In Boquete I also had the opportunity to volunteer at a wildlife rescue called La Jungla. I worked here for five days in exchange for a place to sleep in the incorporated hostel, helping out in daily operations like feeding the animals, cleaning and maintaining the cages, giving tours to visitors and children from local schools, and taking photos to be used for the website. At La Jungla I worked with parrots, macaws, toucans, coatis (a relative of the raccoon), goats, and four different kinds of monkeys: Capuchin, Squirrel, Tamarin and Spider. Daisy, the Spider monkey, had just been adopted by the rescue from an ex-pat owner (American) who had decided to give her up after being bitten numerous times. But this was likely due to how she was treated, which was less than ideal considering she wore a tight chain around her neck that had caused permanent scarring.

After only a few days at La Jungla, Daisy was already showing signs of improvement, as we were able to enter her cage to give her food and hold her. If anything her previous mistreatment has caused her to become overly affectionate, as she would wrap her lanky arms and dexterous tail around me for almost an hour at times. As I wasn´t sure how she would react to being pried off of me, I always had to wait patiently until she was content with the hug session, or find a way to distract her in order to leave her cage.

I had spent nearly two weeks in Boquete and had made some great friends at the hostel and La Jungla but alas, it was time for me to continue my travels and move on to Panama City. This was quite a change, to say the least... but that´s another story.