Into the clouds

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We had taken onboard a glowing recommendation from a Swedish couple that we’d met in Boquete to include three nights in Panama’s only cloud forest on our itinerary. A great opportunity to hone our wildlife spotting abilities ahead of Costa Rica and three nights for the price of two had us sold.

Hostels can attract some very awkward blends of folk but equally they have an uncanny ability to provide an irresistible concoction of travellers with whom to share a beer or two. Lost & Found our tree house like home dished up the latter. A heavy helping of two very musically talented guitar playing French Canadian’s (Sebastian and Serg); Andrew the Canadian hostel owner; Tania and Katie a couple of Americans on holiday celebrating their 30th birthdays; and last but certainly not least Greg a New Yorker and former ex-rhythm guitarist from some band who didn’t quite make it and is now running a hostel in Panama. It made for a very entertaining music filled alcohol fuelled night.

The wildlife spotting was less successful than the socialising. Taking the advice that you have to keep still and let nature come to you would have served us well. With the French lady who spent the majority of her time looking into the forest from the relative comfort of the hostel seeing more wildlife than the combined total of the other hostel residents (including us) who diligently plodded the bulk of the available jungle trails. However, it was a good introduction to the nature of the cloud forest and we became closely acquainted with the hostel pet a rescued kinkajou, Rocky, who enjoyed nothing more than chewing human elbows and clawing hair.

So that was it our Panama time was up. Panama and its happy locals had placed the country firmly in number one slot as our favourite country thus far. Now North to San Jose to rendezvous with the parents and to embark on a somewhat different style of travelling for a couple of weeks.

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