Our Discover Panama Trip

Of course every single one of our adventures together for my husband Matt and I have started with flight delays.  Not just a couple hour delay - more like 12-24 hours at least.  So I'm not sure why I expected any different for our trip to Panama in November.  Instead of arriving Saturday evening and checking into our hotel, we arrived the following morning an hour before our Gatun Lake tour was to begin.  We had spent the night on flights and sleeping from 1am-4am in the San Jose, Costa Rica airport.  Bonus - Matt can now say he's been to Costa Rica!
We make it to our tour of Gatun Lake and motored up the Panama Canal - hopefully not looking to sleep-deprived.

We spend about a hour cruising around the small island in Gatun Lake and watching the monkeys on shore. The Titi monkey is the smallest one in Panama and they were very curious about our boat as we passed on by.  Such cute little creatures that look like they could be a in SciFi movie.

As we turned around and headed back to the dock, we noticed several large boats that were dredging the canal with huge machinery.  You don't realize how much maintenance goes into the canal on a daily basis but it is a constant process of clearing the sediment that continues to settle down in the trench.  

At the end of our trip we had the opportunities to visit the Miraflores Locks and go through the visitors center.  We chose the wrong day to go through however.  It was a Friday morning and apparently all of the schools come on that day for educational tours.  You begin at the first level and walk your way through the ecology of Panama and up to the canal construction.  They also have several interactive exhibits and videos as you go along.  

At the very top there is a viewing area and we walked around for a bit to take photos.  We missed the ships passing but they told us our tickets were good for the day and there was another ship scheduled for 2pm that afternoon.  Unfortunately it was only eleven in the morning so we did not have time to wait.  Instead we went downstairs and saw the ten minute video on the canal's 100 year anniversary in August 2014.  All-in-all our Panama Canal experience was good and exciting to tell friends and family, however, I wouldn't say it was the highlight of our trip.  I'll get to those in my next posts.

 

One of the highlights of our trip was amazing cuisine and coffee in Panama.  It began with our coffee tour in Boquete and our knowledgable guide Plinio, who has working in the sustainable tourism industry for the last fifteen years.  He continues to work diligently in his community to promote tourism and to bring excellent service.  
We toured Finca Lerida first - one of the main coffee plantations around Boquete.  

The coffee was magnificent.  We tasted a type of bean called the Geisha coffee and it runs roughly between $30-$100 per pound.  I could see why after sipping it - a very smooth and robust type of coffee.  It made me feel alert but not like my heart would jump out of my chest. 
Our second stop was the much smaller local production at Finca La Milagrosa where Plinio used to work as a teenager years ago. He showed us the process from handpicked and sorting the fruit, to washing the beans, to roasting and grinding.  

My favorite part to watch was the coffee washing process (see below).  It was fascinating to learn that all the machines were invented by the owner who used tractor pieces, car parts, and other machinery around the farm to invent his own devices.  The coffee was widely rejected by the Panamanian distributors for years.  It was much later that the owner was approach by a businessman from Japan who loved the coffee and wanted to purchase his coffee exclusively.  The Panamanian companies realized their mistake too late.  Matt and I ended up purchasing several bags of coffee for friends and family to take home.

Also in Boquete, we had the chance to tour an organic lettuce farm behind our hotel Villa Marita.  They supply the majority of the organic lettuce in Panama City.  The watering system developed by them enabled the farm to recycle 90% of their water back into the system.

In Panama City I was surprised that our guide took us to the mall at Albrook for typical Panama cuisine.  We went to El Trapiche and it was a fantastic meal in the end.  When we walked in, the restaurant was packed with Panamanians instead of tourists so that was a good sign.  We ordered a dish that had a little bit of everything on it.  They had fried plantains, something like a pork rind, fried rice, and something similar to creamed corn.  One of my favorites on the plate was something called a Carimañola (lower righthand side on plate below).  It was fried yucca (the consistency of mashed potatoes) on the outside with cheese and ground beef on the inside.  Another favorite were the Almojábanos - an S shaped corn and cheese fritter (upper middle of plate).  We also tried a wonderful drink with lemon and honey.  This is where Matt tried his first Balboa beer. It is darker and has more substance than the other Panama beer they also serve.

Our best breakfast of the trip was on Villa Marita in Boquete.  We had been traveling for about 48 hours straight before arriving to the hotel the night before.  So we slept in until eleven the following morning and then walked up to the main house.  One of the desk attendants greeted us and asked if we were hungry - Yes!  She called in the cook who took down our order in Spanish with a few English words she had picked up.  The end result was great!  Pancakes, omelette with ham and cheese, fresh fruit, pineapple juice, and amazing coffee. I really like the soft white cheese on the side as well.  I mixed it with some jam on the pancakes and it was the perfect blend of savory and sweet.

Our last meal at Traquilo Bay was chicken and pasta.  They try very hard to cater to the tastes of Americans and make them feel at home in the lodge. So the majority of the cuisine at Tranquilo was American.  They always began with a soup or salad option, following by a main course, and dessert at the end. After working with their kitchen staff over the last decade or so, Renee said they had now found a good system to purchase and cook these types of foods.  The owners and their family along with the entire staff ate the same meal that was prepared for guests. 

 

Everything at Traquilo Bay was organized and executed by the staff with such care.  We arrived to the lodge and walked down the dock, through the mangroves and up to the main lodge.  They welcomed us with an excellent lunch and chocolate chip cookies for dessert.  

Then we walked through the jungle to our private cabana behind the lodge.  One of the owners took us through and showed us all the amenities of the room and property.  They added a special water filtration system so that you could drink it out of the tap.  You didn't even have to worry about swallowing water in the shower!  Their AC was also eco-friendly and cooled down the room quickly.  Throughout our stay we had some muddy shoes and sweaty clothes to deal with.  Luckily, the owners of Tranquilo Bay had thought of this.  They cleaned your shows and put them in the generator house to dry (when left out in the humidity, your sandals would be just a wet the following morning).  Also, laundry was included in your stay.  We left a bag in the morning for housekeeping and it was available the following day!  They also had bug spray available on our cabana porch.  That was a relief because my travel-size bottle would not make it through the entire trip.

For the honeymooners or those just wanting to relax in their cabin, the staff would pack a cooler of drinks and ice to take with them.  They were available in the main lodge as well if you had a hankering for a midday cocktail.  The Lodge was stocked with a wonderful library on the flora and fauna in the area.  They had posters along the walls so you could pick out each bird and frog you'd spotted that day on a hike.  The guides Natalyia (from Colombia) and Ramon (from Spain) were a wealth of knowledge on just about every topic or question you had.  The first evening at Tranquilo, we met Ramon at the top of the bird tower andwatched the pairs of parrots coming back home from a day out on the islands. The viewing tower was a unique and wonderful experience that brought you so much closer to the canopy tops to view the birds, sloths, or whatever else you found in the trees.

Renee said that just about every guest at Tranquilo could see a sloth if they wanted to.  And the sloths did not disappoint us!  One day when we returned from our excursion to the beach, there was a three-toed sloth hanging out next to the cabanas.  It hung out and scratched and swung on it's tree limb as we took photos and video.  I didn't realize it before but Ramon explained that the sloths have different moths that lay in their hair and only breed in the evenings when the sloths come down from the trees and mingle together.  It was fascinating to think of that synonymous relationship - who thought of that?!  As we were watching the sloth, we could actually see the moths fluttering around as it scratched it's head.

 

Our favorite excursion at Tranquilo Bay surprised me.  It was our trip to the bat cave!  If you had asked me before traveling to Panama what I was most excited to see, nowhere on that list was a bat cave.  Since it was a rainy day, Ramon our guide suggested the bat cave as a good alternative to the beach.  The other guests opted for a more low-key excursion and decided to walk around the jungle for some wildlife watching.  And so Ramon, Matt, and I headed off with our boat driver into the jungle.  After about 45 minutes, we drove into the mangroves and put the kayaks in to continue up a small channel through the jungle.

As we kayaked through the mangroves you could hear the click click click sound of the small crabs as they climbed ran up the mangroves away from us.  We spotted several other animals along the way including white cranes and a two-toed sloth!  Every bend seemed to produce a new discovery so what should have been a short 30-45 minute kayak ran into a two hour expedition.  We didn't mind and enjoyed the attention Ramon gave to each question we asked. We arrived to a dock up the river and stashed the kayaks on the bank before beginning the hike into the jungle.

 
The bat cave was located on private land so Ramon paid the owner for entrance to it.  We walked through their property where several families lived and cultivated the land for their livelihood.  Their houses were basic but Ramon explained that this was one of the richest families in Bocas and the surrounding area.  We walked through and continued deeper into the jungle as our guide told us about the flora and fauna we passed.  He was barefoot (which he did not recommend to guests) but halfway through our hike I was envying how he didn't get stuck in the mud like we did.  I don't think my sensitive feet could have made it however.
At the entrance to the cave, Ramon offered us a snack and we paused to get out the waterproof flashlights he brought for us.  Then we descended into the mouth of the cave where we were greeted with the sound of hundreds of bats just feet above our heads.

After a few minutes I relaxed and became used to the high pitched sounds they made along with the rush of air to your face as they flew and darted past you at the last moment. I captured the photo below of Matt and Ramon as several bats flew on either side of them. I asked Ramon if he had ever been hit by a bat and he said no. Whew!

The farther we explored into the cave, the deeper the water became.  The footing was very uneven and at time difficult to navigate with sharp rocks.  Part of the way in we had to stash our backpack and cameras to continue with just our flashlights.  A few times we swam along the canals in the waters or wedged ourselves like a climber with feet on either side and our arms bracing and pulling us forward.  I was surprised and relieved that I never lost hold of my flashlight into the water and down to the bottom of the cave.
After about an hour of exploring we climbed up a waterfall and into a small chamber with a small pool and another waterfall above.  Ramon called it the "hot tub" because of its size and invited us to set our flashlights on the ledge to explore it.  It was a small but very deep pool where you could not touch the bottom.  Once Matt and I were swimming in the pool he turned off all the flashlights and let us experience the complete darkness of the cave.  It was an adrenaline rush for sure as my mind conjured up images of alligators and cave monsters grabbing our toes and dragging us into the depths of the water.  At the same time my imagination was running wild, I felt a sense of peace and awe at our surroundings.  Who knows how many people had swam right were we where and experienced the awesomeness of this same pool over the last hundred years.
Time passed way too quickly for us as we explored the cave and soon it was late in the afternoon.  As we emerged from the cave a large group of Spaniards was walking up the path.  We were so lucky to go early and have it all to ourselves.  The hike and kayak back to the boat was spotted with wildlife sightings.  The two-toed sloth finally showed his face for us.  What an amazing day of discovery.

We had some time at the beginning and end of our trip to explore Panama City.  One of the things that struck me about Panama City was the huge differences from neighborhood to neighborhood.  In most of the districts you would see construction going on and the city being revitalized.

Ancon Hill

A short drive from the Albrook domestic airport and the Albrook Mall where we had just dined on some typical Panama cuisine, is Ancon Hill.  We drove most of the way up the steep hill to a parking lot and then set out on foot for the last hundred feet.  The view from the top was worth it!  We looked out through the trees on downtown Panama City with the giant skyscrapers and beautiful waterfront.  Our guide pointed out a toucan in the trees above us and we spent a few minutes to get this photo before moving on.  At the very top of the hill, our guide told us to look above us.  Circling around where a couple hundred condors.  Our guide introduced us a to a few volunteers who's job it is to count the condors.  They travel up and down Latin America during their migrations and Panama City was the perfect intersection to see their movements.

The Waterfront

The Waterfront in Panama City was another great highlight.  We spent a few afternoons and evenings walking along different sections to see the many faces of the city.  

Casco Viejo 

Casco Viejo or the Old Town of Panama City was a unique experience.  This part of the city had been abandoned at the beginning of the 1900s.  Since then the neighborhood had been inhabited by squatters.  Only recently in the past decade has Casco Viejo become popular again.  Now there is a flood of people scrambling to develop in this area.  It is an odd mix of old and new.  I would recommend staying or at least visiting this neighborhood on your tour of the city.  It would be a great foodie mecca as several internationals have come to set up unique restaurants, coffee shoes, gelato houses, and brew pubs.   The sad part was seeing the squatters who would eventually be evicted from their homes in this district.  Walking around we saw a newly renovated five star hotel next to a dilapidated colonial building next door.  The old town looked like a checkerboard of old and new.

Metropolian National Park 

We hiked through the Metropolian National Park one morning with my friend and her family.  It is located right in Panama City but once you are inside the park, you feel like you could be miles and miles outside the city.  Traffic noise is apparent everywhere we had been thus far.  The sounds of the forest - the birds, the monkeys, and the millions of insects - created a white noise backdrop that drowned out civilization around us.  We hiked up to the mirador at the top and once again had a lovely view of the city and waterfront.

Fish Market
 

Our final stop before leaving Panama was to the Fish Market down from Old Town.  Our friends told us this was a typical Saturday for Panamanians to head with their families to the market for fresh ceviche.  Each little shop had several types of ceviche to chose from.  Our friends bought four different cups for us to share and taste.  They give you a small cup and some saltine crackers to scoop up every delightful bit.  We had the typical ceviche with fish, onions, peppers, and tomatoes.  It was so fresh and we knew they had caught those fish earlier this morning.  We also tried a shrimp ceviche, mayonnaise based ceviche, and a tomato paste and calamari ceviche.  All were amazing and washed down very well with a Balboa beer.
Panama you did not disappoint us!  We loved your people, your food, your animals, and your oceans surrounding you.  We hope to return someday soon!

I asked Renee which excursion was the most popular at Tranquilo Bay with different groups or individuals.  She answered the by far a day trip to Isla Bastimento National Marine Park was the most popular. It had a little something for everyone: hiking, snorkeling, paddle boarding, fishing, or simply chilling on the beach.  So we waited until we had a clear day with less chance of rain, and our group at the lodge decided to head to the beach!  It took about 30-45 minutes to motor out from the lodge to the islands.  Our driver and boat dropped us of on the beach and we chose to hike around the island before the afternoon heat arrived.  The walkway was falling apart a bit as we went across the island.  Natalia mentioned that it was such as shame. We had to pay a fee to use the park but they didn't provide any maintenance for the walkways or rest of the park.  

On the other side of the island we walked down the beach looking for sea turtle nests.  Ramon and Natalia used to live on the island for months at a time researching and helping the turtles during hatching season.  She showed us how they used to dig out the nests to see if any of the babies were stuck in roots or other debris.  If they found a baby, they would point it in the direction of the water to crawl to safety away from land predators.

Farther down the trail we came to a point on the island that had a dock.  We encountered a few other travelers there but for the most part we felt that we had the island to ourselves.

Back at our beach, we had the option to do whatever we wanted for the remainder of the afternoon: snorkel, paddle board, hike, fish, or chill and have a beer.  We decided to take advantage of the paddle boards.  Matt and I each took turns on our first paddle boarding experiences ever.  The calm waters around the beach gave a perfect canvas to practice on and the waters along the beach were not too deep.

After a bit of paddle board and some fishing on Matt's part, we settled in an enjoyed a few beers on the beach.  The clouds flew overhead with promises of rain but it never came while we were at the beach.  It waited until later that night and then the heavens opened in a downpour.  Thank you Panama for allowing us to enjoy your marine reserve in the sunshine.  We won't forget it!  I wouldn't forget the peaceful noise of the rain pouring down on the roof of our cabin later that night as well.