PANAMA: El Valle, Boquete, Bocas del Toro

---

03/07 - El Valle - the worlds longest inhabited town within a volcano crater.

It was quite bizarre thinking we were within a crater, El Valle is a small town but with plenty to do. We stayed at Bodhi hostel, a great communal setup with lots of hammocks and chill out areas. As standard we got a free pancake breakkie (with maple syrup, mango and watermelon). Mangos are pricey in Perth, here they litter the pavement.

Moza waterfalls

Today we walked to some waterfalls, a nice walk with no one else around.

On the way back we thought we'd check out a good viewing spot up the hill, on the map it didn't look far...
We got to the top red-faced and puffing after a seriously steep slog up the road. The calves were screaming! But like everywhere we've been so far, it was worth the journey for the view. Unfortunately we couldn't hang around long as there was a weird 'hills have eyes' type character stood on his own at the top, just staring. He might have just been having some time out from a nagging wife, or he may have been a serial killer, either way we made a quick exit.

Bodhi had a good kitchen so we made the most of it and cooked a pasta/stew dinner and drank the red wine we'd been lugging around from Galapagos. It was nice to have something other than rice and beans (although I'm not bored of it yet!)

4/06 - 'El Macho' waterfall and long hike to the top of the sleeping Indian girl.

Today was trekking day! There is a mountain you can see from the town that looks like a 'sleeping Indian girl' (not quite sure how they know she's Indian). There's different routes, to avoid paying the entry fee we chose the longer, harder route! It took a good couple of hours of fairly steep climbing and there was a bit of scrambling. The views looking down to the town were stunning. We were so lucky with the weather, it was clear and sunny all day so visibility at the top was perfect. It did start to rain on the way down which would have made it hard going up.

DOGS!

One thing I am loving about Central America is the number of dogs I'm meeting! Like SE Asia there's loads of strays but here they mostly look as healthy as the pet dogs. One dog (Chris) chose to hang out at Bodhi and managed to sleep in one of the empty rooms for the night, cheeky. But my favourite was Jerry, as he walked the whole trek where th us. Max didn't like him as he was a bit mangy but definitely grew to be fond of him, even helping me find something to pour drinking water into for him (half a coconut). I was really worried he'd get dehydrated, he looked wrecked by the top. We also have him a couple of snacks.

On the way down we swam in some natural pools (while Jerry rested under a rock). It was a great walk.

El Macho waterfall

In the afternoon we went to a highlighted tourist attraction, El Macho waterfall, 70m high. It was a short walk over hanging bridges and through rainforest. The waterfall was pretty, and the natural pool was good for a cooling off. We saw a huuuge stick insect, must have been close to a foot long. It was the same looking type that we had as kids, only ours only grew to the size of my little finger!

It hammered down with rain in the afternoon, when it rains here it pours! We were on our way back to the hostel and a bit sweaty so it was actually quite nice.

05/07 - travel day: El Valle to Boquete

Nothing to report here, just travelled from El Valle to Boquette. The highlight would be the bangers and mash that we cooked up in the hostel! We were staying at hostel Mamallenas, right in the centre of Boquete.

Boquete is pretty, with a similar feel to other mountain towns we'd stayed in Asia. It was the cheapest place we'd been to for groceries so far, and Max got his locks cut.

6th Boquete - day of the sloth!

We were desperate to see a sloth. And through a link on a travel blog that Max stumbled across, we found out about a crazy lady who rescued animals, including a couple of 2-toed sloths! She lived out in the sticks, it took us 3 hours on public buses to get there, but what an amazing experience! She was a retired travel computer programmer, who over time had saved a number of different animals and converted her home into a shelter. Some were orphaned, others saved from cruel conditions. Few would be able to be re-released into the wild. We're not a fan of zoos unless they have some conservational benefit, but this place was nothing like a zoo. Slightly worrying though thinking what would happen to the animals once crazy lady carked it.

When we rocked up she was lying in a hammock with 2 baby orphan monkeys wrapped around her neck. They wore nappies which made the alarm bells go in my head, but she explained that she didn't want 'piss and shit' all over her home. This meant they got free reign to run around the outdoor area and garden.

Sloths

She went off to fetch the sloths, and carefully uncurled their long claws that were wrapped around her neck and gave us a sloth each. They snuggled straight in, and even though their claws were slightly daunting they were amazing to feel. We were given almonds to feed them and they LOVED them, Max's sloth got right in his grill.

They were 2-toed sloths, very funny looking but we still want to see 3-toed as well - they have funny fringes that look like Max's fringe when it's not been gelled!

We spent a while with them before she put them in a tree to chill out. Then we went to see her other rescue animals. She has loads of raccoons, they were crazily running around and jumped all over us. A highlight was when I was taking a photo of Max and he had a raccoon on his shoulders, he started panicking asking what was in his ear, he told me later that he thought it was a raccoons wet willy! (It was its wet nose!). So funny I struggled to take pictures I was laughing so much.

She also had 2 really cool owls, one with a massive beak. She fed them slithers of liver and they were totally chilled. We were then introduced to a jaguarundi an animal is not even heard of. It looks like a cross between a cat and a weasel. It was shy so stayed mainly in a bush or in its little wooden hut. Crazy lady often put a domestic cat in there with him to keep him company.

The only animal I felt really bad for was the jaguar. It was owner by a local who had found her abandoned as a cub. He took her in but quickly she became too big and aggressive. So crazy lady said she would offer her a bigger compound to live, although still small it was clearly better than what she'd experienced. She was relaxed and comfortable with us gawping at her, just such a shame she couldn't be released into the wild.

Sloth facts:

• It is the world's slowest animal. It is so slow, that algae grows on its fur. (This helps it blend in though).
• They are excellent swimmers.
• They only come down to the ground to swim and go to the toilet.
• Skeletons of now extinct species of sloth suggest some varieties used to be as large as elephants.
• Sloths can extend their tongues 10 to 12 inches out of their mouths.

07/07 - Midnight climb up Volcan Baru (Panamas highest volcano at 3,500 metres)

We took a gamble with this one. We'd heard that the best time to climb the volcano summit was at sunrise as you can see both pacific and Atlantic oceans at the same time. This meant setting off from the bottom at midnight! There's a high chance you can get to the top only for it to be covered in cloud and see absolutely nothing, plus a risk of torrential downpours (its rainy season, or 'green season' as the marketers say!). And to add to the mix it we'd read that temperatures got down to freezing at the top...

Still we decided to do it! The hostel bus dropped us at the base at midnight along with a few other travellers. We'd managed a couple of hours snooze time and carbed up on pasta. We were unsure if we'd packed enough food/water/clothing but hoped for the best!

A steep climb

It was a steep climb, with the path very rocky and at parts muddy. Perfect ground to twist your ankle. Heart rates rose quickly but we were making good ground early on. We then realised that we were going too quick, at this pace we'd be at the top in 4 hours, 2 hours too early meaning we'd never make it til sunrise as it would be far too cold to stay at the top. So we slowed down which was actually harder to do than it sounds.

Hiking friends

It felt like safety in numbers having a few others doing it, and alliances quickly formed. There was a group of 3 solo travellers, a European guy maybe in his early 50's, a talkative girl and puppy dog guy, maybe early 30's. They spent the time talking about weirdly stuff, and early on asked us if we could turn off our head torches. I said I would if they promised to carry me when I rolled my ankle...they went quiet!

There was also a couple of giggling French girls travelling together, they were joined by a fellow French guy. We spent a lot of the climb with an irish couple, Brian and Anne. They were lovely and the chat made the time go quicker.

Max fell in a puddle!

On the way there were a few large puddles blocking the way, I asked Max how fucked off he'd be if he slipped into one of them, and what happened? He slipped in! His trainers and feet were soaking, and he said "in answer to your question, yes I'm fucked off!" He had to wear plastic bags in his shoes, adding to the white gangster rapper look he had going on...

Reaching the summit

We took 5 1/2 hours going up (including a 1/2 hour snooze in a creepy abandoned shelter just before the summit). It was surprising how quickly it got cold, I rationed layers as I got higher, by the top I had 5 layers plus a beanie and gloves I'd picked up the day before at a market (SO pleased I had them).

The last climb was pretty scary, had to traverse around boulders and hugged the rock hard! If it was windy or raining I wouldn't have attempted it. The view at the top was beautiful, we got there just in time as the colours started appearing in the sky. We were so lucky with the weather, it was clear so we could see both oceans. It was also frickin freezing!

Loooong way down

It turned out that the way up was easier than the way down as by this point I was really feeling the effects of no sleep. My knees were also burning. It felt like it took forever but it was just 3 1/2 hours.

Max kept admiring the tranquility, before letting out a trump and finding himself hilarious! Couldn't believe how much wind he had on that trek...

Quetzel spotting

We were so lucky to spot a quetzel. We heard it before we saw it. It's bright turquoise with a long tail. They're known for being elusive and at the top of 'must see birds' in Panama.

08/07 - Max's birthday - The Lost waterfalls'

We had an early start to go and visit 'The Lost Waterfalls' before heading to Bocas del Toro. Max had been up since 2am as he streamed the Lions game, then we were up at 6.30, so he was knackered.

'The Lost Waterfalls'

We took the local bus which dropped us off at the Waterfalls. It was a steep climb and my glutes were screaming after yesterday and my legs like lead jelly!

It was $7 entry and we did it quickly but it was worth it and better than we expected. They were all impressive, the second had a pool to swim in at the bottom of the cascade. It was definitely the coldest water we'd been in so far, it took my breath away.

A close encounter - Gross!!

On the slug up to waterfall 3 I felt something on my neck, thinking it was an old mozzie bite or something I started to pick at it. I thought about how my niece Missy (a dog) got a tic recently and how gross it would be to have one sucking my blood. Just then the 'mozzie bite' came off in my fingernail. It was a frickin tic!! Luckily it was whole so I knew there were no body parts in my neck. Blurgh!

Despite that it's a stunning little area where I could easily have spent longer than the 2 hours. We had to quick-march our way back (slipping all the way) to get back for the 11am hostel checkout. We then had a quick turnaround to get the local bus to Davide and then onto our next destination.

'Lost and Found' - a hostel in a cloud rainforest!

The hostel here was more expensive than what we'd normally pay but the accomodation was an experience in itself. So we didn't mind. It's perched high up in the jungle in a loud rainforest, meaning it's always in the clouds. Pretty cool. It's not easy to get to though. The local bus dropped us at a slightly hidden entrance to the jungle and we had to trek up a steep rocky path for 20 mins to get there. I was a hot mess by the top, and covered in mozzie bites.

It's a really chilled place, with the communal area full of hammocks overlooking the amazing view of the clouds and jungle, a proper Indiana jones experience.

The hostel had free activities to keep guests entertained, one being a maze which was quite good (I.e took me longer than what I was expecting). It also has a couple of famous treasure hunts, one of which we'd do the next day.

Rocky the honey bear (kinkajou)

Rocky is the resident honey bear, rescued by a local called Andrew who cares for it 'like a son'. He was previously kept in a tiny box by a local family and castrated, meaning he could never be re-released. Andrew let small groups meet Rocky who was now totally comfortable around people. A bizarre creature than hung from a branch with his tail and loved crawling onto people's shoulders.

An unexpectedly boozy night

We decided to get dinner at the hostel rather than cooking ourselves (withbit being Max's birthday). It was delicious pork, rice, salad and plantain. We had a couple of happy hour beers too and some sneaky wine we'd snuggled in.

Before we knew it we were playing giant Jenna, table football and a very boozy kings cup/ring of fire with a bunch of new friends! It was totally unexpected and great fun, we would go on to meet up with the same crowd in Bocas del Toro. There's Annie and Adam, possibly the nicest Americans I've met; Tanya and Fin, Aussie and English, a boozehound couple who loved drinking games as much as we did; Danny and Kevin, hilarious gay best friends who we labelled the princess and the queen (although sometimes Danny says he's the queen too) and Marcel ze German with impeccable English. A highlight from the night was when Kevin did an impression of a horny cat on the table top! A fun night all round.

09/07 - Indiana Jones treasure hunt!

Today we did the Indiana jones treasure hunt (with a slight hangover). We were given a map and a clue then left to it. The clues take you to all the best places in the area, a lookout point, swimming areas, Rapids, a huge hollow tree...a great way of seeing the rainforest. It was harder going than I expected but great fun.

My legs were tired and I kept tripping over vines. Every time I trip now Max asks' how was the trip?'.

10/07 - Travel in convoy from Lost and Found to Bocas del Torro

Today we left the jungle and travelled with our new group of friends to the Caribbean coast, to Bocas del Toro. It was a fun bus ride (apart from feeling travel sick). Locals jumped in and sold everyone all sorts of snacks, from empanadas, to tiny pots of caramel condensed milk, local sweets and big circles of sweaty cheese which the boys made the mistake of buying.

Isla Colon

The first 2 nights we roughed it in a dorm at Calipso hostel. The beds were clean but basic, and Tanya and Fin shared the room too (Fin previously saying how he'd come close to weeing himself in a dorm, then ending up sleeping in the bed above mine...).

Bocas town is touristy with a Caribbean vibe, colourful and weathered buildings lined the streets, reggae music and locals trying to sell tourists marujana.

We showered then headed to hostel Selinas where the boys were living it up. Their hostel was on the water, where you could jump from the bar into the water. We got there for happy hour and the guys were well on their way!

A few rums and games of flip cup later we got home, knowing we'd sleep better with a few drinks inside us.

12/07 - exploring Isla Colon by bike

Today we rented some bikes to explore the island. I had a bit of beer anxiety not helped by the shonky bikes that have no gears or brakes (have to reverse peddle to stop). We saw Pauncho and Bluff beaches, both pretty but with scary rips and messy surf.

We had a great lunch at Scullys, quesadillas with homemade chips, what a treat.

In the evening we decided to be sensible and just meet Annie and Adam for a drink at happy hour before having an early one. We actually left them to go home before turning to each other and deciding to flip a coin to make sure we'd made the right decision. 1st flip-go home, so we did best of 3...after grabbing a bottle of rum and our bathers we were off back to the others!

Annie, Marcel and Eric (worked at Lost and Found) got a water taxi to a nearby island where the boys were staying at a place called AquaLounge. It's basically a hostel/water playground! There's a jump, tight rope walk and Tarzan swing into the water by the bar. Great fun! A highlight was seeing Marcel slip on the tight rope walk, the rope going between his legs and being swung hilariously into the water. It looked painful but funny to watch! After a few smuggled rums we headed home, another late one.

13/07 - Flashpacking at Bambuda Lodge

Since we'd saved some dollar the last 2 nights we splurged on a night at Bambuda Lodge, located on a different island and costing 3 times the amount we'd normally pay. But like Lost and Found it's an experience in itself. The selling point is a long waterslide going from the hostel into the ocean! There's also a decent swimming pool and lovely outdoor area. Our room was amazing, a little private jungle bungalow that looked like a hobbit hole. This is the kind of hostel you can visit and not have to leave to do anything.

After a few hours swimming and zipping down the slide we thought we'd do a jungle hike to a place called Hospital point. I never expected it to be so hard! The path was really muddy, steep in parts and covered in annoying biting insects! It felt like we were in the proper thick of the jungle.

I've realised I'm a real flapper when it comes to insects, getting angry at the oversize flies buzzing around my ears and mozzies landing on me as soon as I stopped still. Max of course was always cool and calm!

Wildlife everywhere!

On the way we saw loads of bright red frogs, and a little turtle. We could hear things crashing in the canopy but didn't spot what it was, probably monkeys.

Snorkelling

Hospital point is supposed to be a top snorkelling spot, it was unfortunately quite disappointing. On the way back we got a bit lost and I had visions of us having to sleep in the mozzie infested jungle the night-is go mental. At one point we came across a dog that looked like one of the hostel dogs. He was whimpering so I wondered whether he was lost too. He joined us for the rest of the way back which made me happy!

Giant cane toad

Before dinner we had a cheeky glass of wine outside our jungle bungalow, we'd smuggled it in (making a habit of this now). We could see fireflies in the bush and then something jump in front of us, it was a cane toad and it was massive!

14/07 - Bastimentos island

It rained all night and morning, making us feel very lucky about the weather yesterday. So we just chilled at the lodge and had a few more goes on the slide. Then we headed by water taxi to the next island where we stayed at El Jaguar hostel. The little town is rundown and dirty, not somewhere you'd want to hang around at night. Even the sign to the beach said 'don't bring valuables'.

Our plan was to go to red frog beach. But after reading so many reviews about it being a bit dodgy and after finding out the price ($30US), we decided against it. Seemed a lot just to go to a beach. This is probably the only day that I've felt we've wasted, but tomorrow we'll be in Costa Rica and plenty more days to do stuff!

14/07 - Crossing the border to Costa Rica

Nightmare! What should have been simple enough was a royal pain in the butt!

We set off in good time, a water taxi to Isla colon (main island), then another water taxi to Almirante (mainland). Then a walk to the bus station, onto a local mini bus to changiola. We stopped early as there was a protest on a bridge and we had to walk across past lines of police, making us feel like refuges.

Then Into a taxi to the border. We waited in line at migration to get our passports stamped then went to a little hut around the corner to pay a $4 departure tax. Then we crossed another bridge to Costa Rica where we were met with a huge queue of people that looked like they'd been there hours. Apparently they had! 6 hours later in the baking heat and we crossed the border!

Costa Rica here we come!

---