Blogs from Boquete, Chiriquí, Panama, Central America Caribbean - page 10

Greetings! Writing with some very soar muscles, we´re happy to tell you guys we climbed a 3480m Volcano yesterday (not active!). We arrived in Boquete on Wednesday the 7th after a boatride from Bocas and then a 6 hour bus drive through the center of Panama to the mountains of Boquete. It is very beautiful here with mountains and hill surrounding the valley town. At night it cools down a little but we´re sure it doesn´t compare to any of the winter chills you´re having now:) On the first full day the boys went on a little adventure hike checking out the country side. There are a few coffee farms around town and tons of development with the many american and candian retirees coming into this region. It´s really a nice town to end up in ... read more

Well we made it to Boquete and found a room right away at hostel Palacios right in the center of town. We were on the bus there with a girl we had met already in Boca Brava and when we arrived met a guy from Saskatchewan and had an instant bond. So the four of us (Sara and Eric) spent the next few days hanging out together. We cruised the streets and checked out the fair, which I was expecting to be something like a farmers market only with flowers for the so called ¨Festival of Flowers¨ but instead it was more like a carnival/amusement park with HUGE bars built with multiple stories on stilts and rides and food and booze and then there was the odd garden throughout. The grounds were fairly empty during the ... read more

(con't from Boca) After picking up a rental car, a small Hyundai SUV, at David airport ($90 day with insurance!) i headed to Boquete and the area around Volcan Baru' (mountain). This area is stunningly beautiful. Boquete sits in a beautiful valley of cloud topped mountains but the road past it towards Volcan Baru through pristine tropical cloud forests past coffee fincas was amazing. Exploring the road system throughout this region made the auto rental expense worth it as you really need a car to explore it. I stayed the night for $32 at a local cabana in lower Boquete and then resumed exploring. The town center of Boquete has a problem with diesel fumes that churn the stomach. However, i roamed around town on foot and found the intersting mix between local and expat businesses. ... read more

We travelled from Panama City to David on the 7:30am bus. It was a slightly old single decker bus but quite comfy. The driver and his helper were friendly as were the other people on the bus. We definitely got more smiles here than in Venezuela. The scenery was fantastic, so lush and green with patches of forest interrupting the paddocks of cattle and the crops. We had two movies during the trip, 'I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry' and 'Evan Almighty'. Both were in English because they were made by filming a movie screen. It was really funny watching the heads bob in front of the movie and to hear the audience laugh. After a pleasant lunch break we arrived in David at 3:30 pm. During the last hour of the trip we had ... read more

Back in beautiful Boquete to fulfill one of our trips missions, volunteer work!! After talking to the owner of Spanish by the River in Boquete, while out in Bocas, we decided to head back in this direction to teach English at an after school program called Casa Esperanza, and for Adam to take some Spanish classes. Casa Esperanza is a program that serves the indigenous Ngobe Bugle population of Panama. It is an after school program for children who may otherwise be unable to attend school due to insufficient family funds. It was set up to decrease the level of child labor in Panama, and allow these amazing kids the chance to get an education. The program provides transportation to and from school, home, and Casa Esperanza. They offer classes in health, psychology, government, and ... read more