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Published: September 26th 2007
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Lucky I know the Latin American long distance bus systems, I took my sleeping bag on so could easily brave the freezing air con climate. Still didn't get too much sleep though.
Arrived at 6am and had a quick nap till 9, not realising the hike I'd read about was made up timings I though I had plenty of time. I caught a minibus from the supermarket and after 30minutes we were all kicked off. I rechecked my book, and yes, Cerro Punta is 2.5 hrs away. I quickly eat some breakfast and go back to the boy at the minibus, he confirms yes I have to get back on to get to Cerro Punta, what a bizarre method of transport! People continually get on and off as we rise into the clouds, at one point I have a large housewife sat on half of my leg!
I arrive about 12 and am told to go talk to the man in the hotel if I want to go to respingas. He asks if I'm sure, it's a long way... He confirms my book's tale, 1hr to the summit then 4hrs to Boquete, I agree and he calls a 4WD taxi to
take me to the start at Respingas. We go about 10minutes up a rocky path and he stops at the first sign, I can see the path continues but he assures me this is where he drops off. So I start my climb up the path and cover myself in tons of insect repellent. After 25minutes I see another sign, Respingas!!! I knew the taxi driver had been lying! Another 30minutes and I reach the park entrance where I pay an old man the $3.50 entrance. He tells me it's only 3hours to Boquete. Finally the path takes a turn downwards and the trail begins to ease. There are hundreds of birds and butterflies of all colours but there is an eerie feel in the thick set clouds. The path is marked by log sections in the mud, in some parts these are the only way across as the mud is so deep. They each squelch as I stand on them which reminds me of the bog of eternal stench...
After another hour I see my first hiker of the day coming the reverse direction, this later turned out to be the only hiker of the day! We had reached
a point where the fallen trees had destroyed the path, she was climbing a land slide bank so lucky she saw me and knew it was not the correct route. After a muddy climb over the tree routes I find the rest of the path. She advises me that it gets a bit confusing further back and to make sure I go over a metal bridge and in front of the house.
After another hour of uphill climbing, traversing the river multiple times and stopping to take photos of birds and waterfalls, I stop for lunch, trusty peanut butter sandwiches. I decide there can't be much more to go so carry on the trek. The path is always quite obvious but I'm waiting to reach the river to cross the metal bridge. Finally I get back to the river but there is no metal bridge, in fact there is NO bridge! The path ends completely and I can see it start again on the other side of the river... I'm thinking the girl would have surely mentioned walking through the rapids of a river! I decide there is no alternative as there were no other paths on my way through.
I take off my trainers and socks and start the scary wade through the freezing, rushing water. Every rock is slimy and the water is passing fast I was sure I would fall, smash my head open and be found as a corpse down river... I made it across but with numb feet. I then reach the house she mentioned, but then start to panic that maybe I was supposed to cross the metal bridge before I got here and am now accidentally in the reverse circuit going back to Cerro Punta! I speed up the trek and obviously fall flat on my arse, as I always do. There are paths everywhere, I am in a major panic now that I am lost in the jungle and the light is starting the fade. I rush onwards taking the largest path every time and finally there it is, the metal bridge! Phew! Also once over the bridge I can see people and houses in the distance through the trees. At last I must be near Boquete and can always shout to them if I am lost. I carry on at speed and find the exit, the sign says 3km to Boquete
Phew the metal bridge...
a bit Indiana Jones though! with no indication of direction, I check the book which says downhill to Boquete so I start the trek to the right.
After my estimation of 3km the path gets steeper and steeper uphill, I suddenly think I'm going the wrong direction and I should have gone left towards the local people I'd seen earlier. I back track up the hill I've just come down and take the other road but around the corner is a dead end, I was going the right way all along!!! I start my weary trek back but after 20minutes of up hill climbing I get very annoyed, I finally reach a house so think that civilisation is on the way back, there is also another sign to Boquete, the distance has been rubbed out but I can see it used to say 4km!! I trudge on further and finally an hour from when I began the road turns to tarmac and another sign says 3k to Boquete, I don't even get my hopes up this time...
There are houses/shacks sporadically places down the hill side, no people in sight but the odd chicken and cow. It then starts to rain so I put my lightweight jacket on, it made no difference once the real rain started. I pass 3 people waiting at a bus stop and am tempted to wait with them but I've not seen a single vehicle since I started so decide to keep moving while my legs still work. After another 30minutes I reach a T junction, at last I must be near Boquete. There is a sign which nearly makes me scream, It says Boquete with no distance, but arrows in both directions!! Ridiculous! There is a man approaching with a huge fisherman's, yellow coat on. I ask him which direction to Boquete, he seems confused and doesn't understand right or left but finally points me to the flatter route.
Each corner passes with no greater sight of a town, the houses are more regular but no vehicles are passing. I ask a teenage girl how far to the village, she says she has no idea! I then find a family and they say 40minutes more! The small girl wants, my now empty, water bottle so that pleases her. 3 cars pass me and beep but when I wave them down they just wave back and carry on. Another beep sounds which I am about to ignore when I notice it's a collectivo! At last, I don't even ask a price I just get in. I ask a man at the back what time buses go back to David, it's now 6.15 and I'm panicking that they stop at 6. The light was already fading an hour ago and I left my head torch in the hostel. He thinks there are buses until 7 so they rush me to the town square which takes 20minutes in the taxi (the 40minute walking estimation would have been way out), and then they find me the correct bus, all for the cost of 1 dollar for the ride, I was so worn out I would have paid 20!
The ride back is in an American school bus, most buses around cities are like this but they have been customised with pictures and stickers, this one seems to have come straight from a school, still bright yellow. For the measly price of $1.40 I complete the 1hour ride to David. I walk to the advertised mexican restaurant and quickly have a large glass of red wine. They chill it here due to the extreme heat outside. Very refreshing. I finally get back to the hostel at 9.30 where the owner has been worried about me, she hadn't realised I was starting the hike so late.
The hostel is called The Purple House, and it is, literally. All the walls, cupboards, shower curtains, toliet brushes, everything is purple. The air freshner is lavender and the owner and cleaners all wear purple! She must really like that colour...
Quick shower and bed, I am officially shattered.
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Susan
non-member comment
Yipes!
Wow, lost in the jungle! I admire your tenacity and ingenuity in finding your way out and back to the hostel.