I doubled over, gasping to catch my breath. The humidity of the Panamanian jungle pressed me down, sweat dripping from my face, back and legs. My wife's face contorted with worry as she watched. Barely ten minutes had slipped by since Chavelo Rodriguez, the hotel’s gardener and our hiking guide, said, "This is where the trail really gets steep," and I wasn't sure I could continue. The slippery rock we'd have to climb to continue our ascent of El Cerro la Vieja (the Old Hill) loomed directly above. Then I glanced down at the precipitous trail below me. I wasn't sure I could make it up, but I knew I couldn't go back down. The pristine rainforest I loved so much had suddenly become an adversary. I pulled a bottle of water from my oversized backpack
... read more