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Published: June 16th 2007
Sitting at 6,000 feet surrounded by rainforest gives your mind clarity and lots of napping time. Fortunately the place where we are staying has awesome comfortable hammocks with views of the surrounding beautiful valley. Check this place out and get here sometime in your life. http://www.losquetzales.com/ We had a morning guided hike in the national park Volcan Baru looking for birds and smelling oxygen. Awesome peace and beauty. We are the only ones here and keep saying how if this place was in Costa Rica there wouldn't be a room open. I can't figure out for the life of me why people don't come to Panama. But it is nice being here before the crowds get clued in on how nice it is.
Thoughts on a dog....
Solana I hope you never read this ( Solana is our dog at home)
When we were staying at the Mira Olas in Pavones - http://www.miraolas.com/
we arrived in pouring rain at night to the barking of two dogs seemingly intent on making damn sure that we did not stay there. They seemed to be competing for who could bark loudest and look most ferocious. One was a skinny mutt with a big head we named big head and the other was a small mutt who resembled the Quiero taco bell dog. We named him several names like spunky, spud, small head and others I can't remember. I had to be reminded for several days that he was a she by the always observant Midori. This dog turned out to be a one of a kind spirit that we meet during a lifetime. Her named turned out to be Chickie. Until I went for a hike on the property, I had no idea how unusual this creature was. As I started out on the trail to the top of the mountain to check the surf, she bounded up from her self appointed position as our guard dog ( one foot high, maybe 20 pounds) at the door and proceeded a spirited jog just a few feet in front of me. The trail was not an obvious one and she stopped several times to look back with her button eyes and look at me like I was an idiot. I swear she was thinking, "come on dummy, how hard is it to folllow a trail up this hill". I got the message and decided to let her take charge. It turned out to be a wise choice. She took me to check the surf and on the way back went down a side trail. When I hesitated, she gave me the look again and I obediently followed the guide. Yes, Ma'am. So we hike a short distance down the cliff and arrive at a perfect clear river with steep walls. I am hanging out saying out loud like she cares, "hey, this is very cool!" As I stand there she starts swimming upstream. Let me say that again, she starts swimming upstream. The taco bell dog in a serious current. I am wondering what the heck is going on and she arrives at a small rock island, turns around and gives me the look once again. O.k, boss. So I walk upstream with her swimming just ahead. I started laughing hysterically at this ridiculous scene wishing I had some kind of documentation. The fiinal craziness was when we reached a bend in the river where the water was really rushing along. She hesitated just for a moment and I went to help her out, figuring I could lift her and carry her across. I mean this was waist deep to me and I am six feet tall. Her eyes said, don't even think about it pal! With me approaching, she plunged in and charged ahead in the current. It was crazy and I really started laughing now. Once we reached the other side, she kept on going. I had to tell her no way, I am not going up the river anymore. We turned around because I woosed out. Not the dog. She was definetly dissappointed and when we returned to the cabinas I found out why. Chickie was doing her best to show me around and we had been heading for an Indian Reservation up the river. But this was not the last of this amazing dog. Over the next week, she spent every moment with us either walking around the village where everyone would call out as we passed " Hey, Chickie!", she walked and ran for a few hours as the girls went horse riding, she walked 7 miles with us along the beach and to the end of the road and guarded our room night and day. Finally as an indication of how amazing Chickie was, when we were on our way out to meet the bus, she got up to come with us, but when Midori asked her to stay, she stopped midway, turned to give us a final goodbye look and headed back to her home. When you stay at the Mira Olas, ask for the cabina that comes with one of the best people/dogs in the world - Chickie.
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Brother Jon
non-member comment
Midoris payback for the rat Shower place?
Los Quetzales looks very nice! What is my brother doing staying there? Has to be a story as to how the tight ass ends up shelling out $120 per person for accommodations. I suspect it has something to do with taking his wife to a place where the main feature is having a shower with a rat. You are all legends!