The Bus to Boquete

Exhausted and bitten up, we headed from David to the town of Boquete. For most of our stay in Panama, it had been very hot and humid until we reached this town in the clouds. I remember the day well as I walked off that school bus onto the center square.  It was actually cold and rainy! To top it all off, our hotel was just a couple footsteps away from the bus stop! In fact, there was a beautiful supermarket by the name of Romero, several banks, a language school, bars, ice cream shops, and a lot of other places that would make our stay in Boquete convenient.  Now if only the rain would cooperate every once in awhile.  Bring an umbrella!   

Boquete celebrated its hundreth birthday this year.  They moved one of the old railroad cars in front of the post office at the center square.  Boquete is a beautiful city that has an educated feel to it.  While it didn't take my breath away like Coiba or Gamboa, the weather and people made it very appealing.  In fact, we ended up staying a bit longer in this cool weather and it was here that we felt like we were on vacation since our trip had begun.  Plus all the conveniences that one takes for granted at home are all right at your doorstep.  We could cook our own meals.  We could walk everywhere.  We could walk around at night without getting killed. We could sleep with our windows open without sweating up a storm in our bedsheets.  There was warm water, delicious pastries, activity centers to plan day trips.....and coffee!!  It took very little effort to live here and because of it, we kinda lost track of time so be careful if you're on a schedule.  Boquete's convenience is alluring.

I'd go for walks along mountain slopes and there were times that I felt like I was in Europe. The Caldera river winds through this town and brings with it a cool breeze. Today this town is not only attractive to Panamanians but it has become home to retired Americans and Europeans as well. English is spoken all over.  You can drink the water from the sink. And Boquete seems like a good investment for all people interested in living here.  

It is cloudy much of the day and will rain forever.  For this desert dweller, I rather enjoyed this misty change of pace. Picture it.  Raining. Coffee.  My kindle.  So while my friends pressured me to go go go......I just wanted to stay stay stay by my open window and breath in the fresh air.  In fact, they thought I was funny because I didn't do much at all in Boquete.  Well to be honest, it's true.  I forced myself to move from my rocking chair overlooking the stormy woods to go and do some reports for this blog.  Well, the word "forced" sounds negative and it wasn't a negative experience at all.  Everything was fun, but I found myself needing to take a break from blogging.  I just wanted "to be" and left alone to read my George R.R. Martin series. Yes, I'm currently on the "Fire and Ice" books which I started about 2 years ago. Now I'm reading the 5th book, "A Dance With Dragons". These books are mammoths at around 1200 pages each!  LOVED MY KINDLE for this trip!!  They sent me my book over the whispernet.  No need for bookstores anymore which is kinda sad but that's for another discussion. Some of you who blog 24/7 understand what I mean.  Sometimes, you just gotta take a break.

This is also a great place to study Spanish.  I'd recommend visiting Boquete at the end of your Panama travels as it's the perfect place to relax and hang out with friends.

We enjoyed our time here and saw gardens, did some rafting, and had some coffee.  My friends took a scooter ride up into the hills.  You can do as much or as little as you want, it all depends on you. I met a lot of interesting travelers.  In fact, they sell a boxed wine for $2.50 cents.  I enjoyed my mojitos in the muggy tropics, but I also enjoyed my boxed wine with others during our numerous and delicious dinner conversations.  If you want to make this place a work out, there's always that midnight run to Volcan where you hike the entire night to see both the Caribbean and Pacific side of Panama from on top this super high volcano.....but seriously?  There's no way I was doing that again.  It's dark and uphill. At the end of our trip, we were exhausted and so glad Boquete was there to offer us some down time.  Until tomorrow.....

PS.  The architecture and design of this town is really interesting.  And breakfast is cheap and delicious.

Identity Crisis

The Ngöbe are very active on these islands and can be seen everywhere you go. It was great to see that they have found a way to make their way in this world among the crazy tourism projects sprouting up all over.  

Ever meet someone who hasn't figured it out yet? Maybe you're one of them.  I'd like to think that those are good traits because I'm still figuring it out myself.  When we moved from Coiba Island National Park and headed over to Bastimentos National Park in the Bocas del Toro region, I got the sense that things had changed a bit....and I got the sense of "uncertainty". We passed near La Amistad National Park as we headed over to these hot and tropical islands on the Caribbean side of Panama. The road trip was wonderful because we entered some cloud forest which cooled things down quite a bit before we descended back into the moist soupy temps.  I pulled out my kindle and read looking out my window from time to time. We passed many Ngöbe villages. Most of their homes were on stilts and high above ground.    

We spotted two 3 toed sloths clinging to the mangroves in Bastimentos National Park

Eventually, we got to the port of Almirante which was the hopping off point for Bocas Town. It was quick and easy.  The boat ride was about 4 bucks and so we shot off to Isla Colon.  Within 25 minutes, we arrived at a colorful Bocas Town.  Most of the old homes were painted in hues of blues, pinks, yellows and greens.  This place definitely had a lot of history and charm.  We spent several hours on the main street seeing a lot of tourists for the first time since Panama City.  Bocas is a place for everyone.  If you like to party, there are bars.  If you like to shop, there are stores.  If you like nature, there are national parks.  If you like snorkeling, they have pristine coral reefs. If you just want to chill, tranquilo is the mood you'll find:)

Crabs everywhere. Look all over.  I spotted this quite large crustacean at night.

We ate lunch on the pier and waited for our wonderful guide Karen to take us to Isla Bastimentos where we would spend several nights.  Bocas Town had a cool vibe, but we were looking forward to escaping the tourist scene and exploring a new park.  Another 15 minutes later, we arrived on the secluded part of Bastimentos island.  The place we stayed was La Loma Inn which was located near mangrove waters full of jellyfish and caiman.  It was absolutely beautiful as we hiked our way on a wooden path up the hill towards our place. The lodge was located on the edge of the National Park and had lots of wildlife like sloths, the red frog, butterflies and plenty of birds.

This island is really interesting.  I titled the post "Identity Crisis" because of the development going on.  Bastimentos is quite beautiful and because of this attraction, tourism is wanting its share of this 20 square mile island.  Over half the island is covered in primary and secondary rain forest.  The other portion of the island is covered by nastiness. A little suburb of homes have popped up around the infamous beaches where surfing is premium.  It was irritating going from the lush green and secluded parts of the island to the noisy and trashy beach known as Red Frog.  There were young hopeful surfers and drunk nasty tourists hanging out all over the place. At one point, we needed to catch a truck back to the pier and this gross guy had women all over him who were just as drunk.  Prostitution?  My eyebrow went up which usually means that my gut was dead on about what I had observed. I've learned to trust that instict over the years. So I got off the truck and hiked back to the pier on my own with several newly made friends.  It's amazing the stupidity that will take over certain places of this world.  Luckily we didn't stay long, but we did get a glance at what was going on with a part of the island.  Reckless idiots shot off on their motor boats as they ignored the 20 km signs in the mangrove area.  As a result of their careless action from just the pier, several jellyfish were killed.  We, along with one of the Ngöbe guides, had also found a dead sloth on the beach which was very uncommon. He was clearly upset by the days discoveries. Several kids had the endemic red frogs in their hands charging tourists a quarter to sneak a peak at these beautiful creatures.

These ecosystems are fragile.  Watching a piece of rainforest made me wish we protected more places because the animal and plant life was phenomenal. Our ecolodge was run by 2 people from England and  several people from the nearby Ngöbe community. There was a small cacao plantation that made some delicious chocolate.  They have also been planning on getting their butterfly farm back up and running again. 

A river converts into fresh water as we leave the mangrove forests.

Speaking with many of the people, there seemed to be a general consensus that the island and communities were trying to figure out how they were going to divide things up.  Due to recession, progress has been slowed for now.  The entire Bocas region ten years ago was a secret, but today it has been discovered by the tourism industry and development has taken off.  Capitalists see lots of money signs.  

However, we enjoyed our stay on Bastimentos and there's plenty to do.  We went to Nivida Cave where we discovered bats galore!!  We hiked through water up to our necks. Guides will take you into this dark place so don't enter alone.  Don't bring your cameras as they'll get wet and if you do, PLEASE do not use flash because there are a lot of bats on the cave ceiling. Your guide will provide you with helmets.  Make sure you wear swim trunks and watershoes.  There are plenty of crabs and other scary looking insects all over the cavern walls....also watch out for bat guano:)  I stuck my hands in a pile:) Isn't it supposed to be a good fertilizer for plants?  And aren't they using this stuff on our skin now?

I also met several birders on this trip.  This trip, for me, was more interesting botanically as I read a lot about several tropical trees that grew around the area.  We learned about the cacao plant as well as the Lipstick tree.  Karen's husband Steve, our host at La Loma, knew a lot about plants because he is/was a landscape architect.  We had some great discussions at dinner and they provided me with some wonderful reading material.  I also really liked both of them because they were scifi/fantasy geeks like me....so we got along very well:)

Note the colors at Bocas Town

Apparently there was a funny issue for a couple of my female friends on this trip. They had noticed several ladies with tight shirts.  A question, which I never thought about until that time, popped up.:)  Should women wear bras when they are so uncomfortable to use in humid and nasty weather? The conservative ones definitely agreed that a "nip and tuck" was in order.  However, the other ladies thought it was okay.  I wish the topic had never been brought up because I don't like those things in the back of my mind while I'm trying to have a conversation with someone.  It's like someone who has food on their face.  Do you tell them?  I would, but that's just me.  As for this sensitive issue, I think it's okay.  Traveler tip.  Be ready for many different conversations with many different people during the course of your trip. They can be very educational:) 

If you go to Bastimentos, bring plenty of  bug repellent. The mosquito spray doesn't work with the chitras. There was a coconut/citrus oil we used that kept the chitras off of us.  They sell it on Isla Colon at one of the hotels. These sand flies will ruin your vacation so investigate possible solutions to keep these irritating bugs off of you. Mosquitos are the least of your worries:) We ran out of this magical lotion during our turtle conservation program and then we were slowly attacked on what would be the most difficult of our journey to Panama.  More of that coming soon....

I like both of these pics a lot and couldn't figure out which one to choose so I picked both of them:)

the Entrance to Nivida Cave

The Red Frog

Endemic. Unique. One of a kind. Only found in one area.  One island.  Today we're going to the area known as Bocas Del Toro!  But specifically to the island known as Bastimentos.  I'll write about this island tomorrow, but today it's all about the red frog!

The province of Bocas Del Toro has several large and many smaller islands that are surrounded by the Caribbean waters.  It is one of the top areas for tourists, naturalists, and the indigenous communities of the Ngöbe-Buglé.  And guess what?  The Smithsonian also has a research station on one of their own islands studying these amphibians:)

These little guys were all over the place chirping and hopping on trees, rocks, and hanging out in bromeliads where they were laying eggs or fertilizing them.  It was really amazing to see so many frogs around one area.  This strawberry red frog is endemic to Bastimentos.  In fact each of the islands in the archipelago of Bocas Del Toro has its own colored frog which ranges from a gold color, blue color, red body with blue legs, etc.  You see, on Bastimentos, the red frog is symbolic.  There is even a beach with the name Red Frog where drunk people and surfers reside.  Before you cross the bridge onto this beach, you'll find several local kids with red frogs in their hands.  Traveller tip from Rohrer.  Do not encourage these kids to do this.  They will show you the frog and then expect you to pay them a quarter.  Many times these kids will remove the frogs from their natural area, and being that they(the males) are extremely territorial, will have a difficult time readjusting to being released somewhere else.....if they even survive with all the handling that they have to endure all day long.  Please don't encourage this behavior if you go and visit.  PLUS Red Frog Beach is a tourist trap unless you are going there to surf.  Luckily we weren't on that part of the island...just passing through:)  For a frog that is supposedly toxic, you have to wonder:)

Red poison-dart frog (Dendrobates pumilio)

 In Arizona, we have several frogs and toads, but it's not everyday you get to see them.  All we had to do is step out of our cabin and within a few steps, there would be several hopping around.  It is my hope that this island takes better care of itself as tourism has carelessly carved a chunk of land from the pristine rain forest that still covers most of it.  The recession put an end to the construction happening at the resort leaving only a few homes near the Red Frog Beach instead of several hundred as had been originally planned.

The Bastimentos color morph of Dendrobates pumilio or "Bastis" typically comes in three morphs, being either red, yellow, or white, with black spots on the back and legs. They are all found together on Isla Bastimentos in Panama, and have been reported to be true breeding to a certain degree, despite the ease of mixing with varieties.  The most important part is that they have the plants to lay their eggs.  Bromeliads found around the rain forest all contained at least one of these beautiful red frogs.

                                 

They eat smaller anthropods like formicine ants and other tiny insects. If you head to Bastimentos or other islands in the Bocas del Toro province, keep your eyes open for these colorful gems.  Below is a video I snapped from a trail.  More on Bastimentos tomorrow....

Molas

Molas are sold on the street from the Kuna tribes of Panama

What is a mola?  So many people have asked me that question over the years during my teaching career.  I'd reply that they were from Panama.  Other than that I didn't know much more than that basic information.  This summer I was finally able to get the specific answers that I needed on this unique cloth created by the Kuna tribe of the San Blas islands.  Depending on the design, a mola may sell for 15, 20, or 25 dollars.  The less intricate the design; the less you'll pay.  Panama is very interesting in that many of the indigenous peoples have learned how to retain their cultural values while adapting to the ways of the modern world.  We saw Embera, Kuna, and Ngöbe(Ny-oh-be) walking around the streets.  No one seemed to notice and I found that refreshing.  The Embera stuck to their communities in the rain forest more, but the Kuna and Ngöbe people were everywhere.  I've said it before and I'll say it again....diversity is a good thing!  Just a side note....don't snap pics of people without their permission first:) I only bring this up because I saw people doing it and then the reactions people were giving them.  It's kind of a photography taboo that is full of controversy. It's difficult for photographers because when a moment presents itself, you never hesitate getting that shot.  But when it comes to people, always think twice. Imagine if random people came up to you and snapped pics.  Actually, I'd probably react two ways.....I'd laugh or be suspicious.  Why does the US government want me? LOL!  I have an active imagination.   Back to the molas:)

Molas are cool...but molas with cats are better!!  This mola is now placed above the dresser where our cats sleep at night.  It is now officially the kitty shrine.

From my interviews with several of the very polite and soft spoken Kuna at Casco Viejo and in Boquete, I discovered that this was a family process.  Women generally make the designs with family members helping out.  The young man that I purchased my kitty mola from also helped create some of the designs.  However, I got the impression that he travelled Panama selling his family molas.  He was very proud of his mother's work.  A sister also helped her sew and stitch the designs.....but always with the close eye of his mother. Molas are interesting as they require a difficult fabric layering technique that requires imagination, patience and extraordinary stitching skills. Mola designs reflect the natural environment of the Kuna, including animals, local vegetation and the shapes of Caribbean coral reefs. So it was very lucky on my part when I discovered one with a kitty design. Who knew kitties were so important to the Caribbean?  I did:)  A complicated mola can take up to 5 weeks to create! A lot of stitch work is involved to create just one design.  By the time a piece is finished, there could be thousands of hand stitches. Whether I am in France, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, or Italy, I ALWAYS purchase fabric designs for gifts, my home, or classroom.  It's easy to carry or ship home.  Fabric goes well over furniture, the bed, on walls (framed or not), or as an accent to an appliance.  One last piece of information on this amazing art form.  Molas are created for Kuna women's blouses. When new molas are created, they unstitch the older pieces from their clothes and add the new molas to their outfit.  The older pieces are sold to the public. Who knew? Lastly, the Kuna women decide how much they will charge for each mola.  The mola that has an original creative design will go for a lot more money.  My Kuna friend also explained that the money he makes from his family molas go back to their community.  He originated from the San Blas Islands where the Kuna Yala tribe resides. More tomorrow from the amazing country of Panama......