Boquete to Volcan Road Trip

We have heard and read much about Volcan, also known as Little Switzerland, and decided to take a day trip. The trip took us a little over an hour by car, taking the Pan American highway south, to the new Route Sur, to Volcan Road. Route Sur twists and turns as it crosses rivers and mountains, including some very steep grades, the new road surface however was in excellent shape.

The views and scenery were stunning, taking us through rural agricultural orange orchards, coffee, cattle and dairy farms. The landscape was very reminiscent of the rural areas of Switzerland and the photos certainly do not do it justice.

About the half way point, we crossed one of the many new bridges, and this particular one still had the old suspension bridge right alongside.
The cool, crystal clear rivers provide swimming havens for those seeking respite from the hot, sunny days



New bridge and old suspension bridge



Volcan, a quiet mountain town of about 10,000 inhabitants is home to many local farm workers, with three supermarkets and sufficient infrastructure to support the town. Unlike the compact community of Boquete, Volcan is quite spread out.
We stopped at a local realty office for some information, and learned that Dalys' Restaurant, where we hoped to have lunch and meet some ex-pats, was closed. "Manna" was suggested as a good spot to eat, but unfortunately we did not heed that advice. We elected to stop at "Kids World" and wine bar, which looked modern, clean and charming, which was all correct. Charming as it was, the food certainly did not meet expectations.

Our home bound trip included a beer break in a small rural community, where some of the local  patrons rode in on horseback, tied the horse under the shade of a tree, then crossed the road for an adult beverage.



Horse parked across the street from the bar
 

 



Local watering hole
 

It was a great day, capped off with a local Balboa beer, in a neat local watering hole.

Tim, Jan and ourselves have tipped an ale or two together, in numerous different and unique bars in several third world countries. This was just another of those fun and adventurous experiences with the friendly locals.

 

Las Lajas on Panama's Pacific Coast



We spent the past two days at Las Lajas Beach Resort with the "Chops", our good friends Tim & Jan from "Lamb Chop".
Las Lajas, pronounced loss leshoss, is located on the Bay of Chiriquí on the Pacific coast, just south of the city of David. It is a 2 hour drive from Boquete. From David to Las Lejas was a pleasant drive along the Pan American highway, through agriculture and cattle country.
Las Lejas appeared to be a small, rural l community with hostels and occasional hotels along the beach.

We stayed at the Las Lajas Beach Resort. It is a small but very clean hotel, built about 4 years ago.



Located directly on the beach, the rooms were air conditioned, clean and comfortable. Our room had two queen beds and one single. Each room had a comfortable hammock outside ready for a siesta or quiet read .

Being just 8 degrees north of the equator, the temperature was 93 F, so the shaded cabanas were a godsend, and the ocean breeze much appreciated.

The resort restaurant appeared to be the only place to dine within walking proximity, and the food was excellent. Dining was al fresco, overlooking the ocean and pool.

Most of the staff spoke English very well, and whenever we practiced our limited Spanish, immediately conversed with us in English.

Free Wi Fi is available in the bar and restaurant area.


 One can walk for miles in either direction along the sand beach.

Periodically throughout the day, we saw a tractor with trailer loaded with hay bales travelling along the beach. I suspect they opted for this route, since the road up to the hay field was rough and very bumpy.
 

Inspite of some big surf, we, along with many others sought respite from the heat and sun in the ocean. The two heads bobbing in the surf are Alan and Jan.

Day two, Alan lost hi prescription sunglasses when a large wave knocked him over. He and Tim spent close to an hour diving and searching for them, without success. That's the second set of prescription sunglasses that Alan has lost on this trip.

Throughout the day, large flocks of pelicans would glide gracefully over the water surface in search of food, then circle back over the resort. Susann finds them fascinating and could watch them for hours.

 
 



 This was an awesome two days at the coast, and far exceeded our expectations. We plan to return again before we depart Panama.


 

Friday Festivities in Boquete

The Flower & Coffee Festival ends this weekend. Traffic was certainly busier than normal today, with lots of cars coming North from David (Daveed) for the weekend.

We spent the afternoon visiting the festival grounds, admiring the flowers and vibrant splashes of color that greeted us upon our arrival.

 

Aside from the stunning floral displays were the usual food and beverage stands and endless booths selling, hats, native works, leather goods, hammocks etc. The dry season here is January, February and March, with January being particularly windy each day, and today was no exception. As a result of the strong breeze and dust, we were ready for a cold local beer (Atlas) later in the afternoon. 

 

Friday evening, we went out to the "Fuzion Grill House", located in Alto Boquete, just south of Boquete, on the main highway from David. The new owners, Roger and Mariella are locals who have just returned from 20 years in Toronto, Canada, and seem to be doing a fine job with their new venture. Most Fridays, they feature a band or DJ from 5 - 9pm. We paid a $3 cover charge, but received a ticket for a free drink. Local beer and rum are just $1. They offered a selection of dinner specials at $8.50 per plate. Susann had the grilled trout, Tim and Alan had the chicken wings and Jan had the spaghetti primavera. All were excellent. We ate, drank and danced over a 4 hour period and the check was $75 for all four.

This week, they featured a Latin band, "Bahia Orquesta" which we thoroughly enjoyed, and at the end of the evening, Jan was enticed to sing with the band, while Tim experimented with the salsa and meringue with Karin, the female singer.



A Day of Local Exploration

Late morning, we headed to town with Canadian guests Tim and Jan. Tuesday morning  is always  busy, due to the influx of ex-pats for the local market and gathering. This morning was no exception, so after finding a parking spot, we walked town, introducing Tim and Jan to Boquete, and sharing what little knowledge we have gleaned about life here.
We visited Anavilma (who speaks English) at the travel agents office, just before crossing the bridge.
She booked Tim & Jan's return trip to Panama City, and her bookings are almost 50% less than those available on Air Panama's website. Due to their early morning departure from Panama City, they will leave Boquete the day prior. Anavilma recommended a hotel near Albrook Airport and made the booking for them.
Lunch and adult beverages followed at Mike's Global Grill (across the street from Sugar & Spice bakery and Casa Solutions). Food was good and prices reasonable. We met Heidi, one of the owners, she was a delight and most interesting to chat with, telling us about her experiences working at the South Pole.

The afternoon was exceptionally clear and sunny, so we seized the opportunity to drive up towards Volcan (volcano) Baru.

The scenery was stunning. We were only able to travel to the end of the paved road, leaving us about 10km short of the summit. From this point on, one must hike or have a very sturdy 4x4 vehicle. One can see the rough, unpaved road behind Jan, although not clearly visible in this photo, the road from here on reminded me of the moguls on the ski slopes.


We enjoyed the views and clean fresh air, before heading back to Volcancito via Cerro Punta.

 The trip home took us up to Cerro Punta, where much of the local coffee is grown, along with a substantial portion of the country's fruits and vegetables. Up in the hills sit many farms and market gardens. From a distance, they look like greenhouses, but instead of glass, the growing areas are protected by netting, which I assume is to keep the birds and animals from destroying the crop. The photo below shows one of the farms down below our vantage point. The local indigenous people work to cultivate and harvest the  crops.

 Summer months here in Boquete has brought flowers and blooms on the trees. Our tour today saw many of these magnificent orange blooms on the trees.

We saw these birds in the lemon tree this morning, but still have to determine what they are.

Friday morning, we ventured into town, so Alan could get his hair cut. Traffic was noticeably heavier than previous trips, due, I'm sure to the start of the 10 day Coffee and Flower Festival.
Waiting for Alan, Susann ambled across the new bridge, towards the festival grounds.

 Crossing the bridge, one enjoys a wonderful vantage point to see and hear the crystal clear waters as they roar down from the mountains. The festival park, across the river is also clearly visible from the bridge, and a glimpse of resplendent splashes of extreme color from the many flower beds and displays greets the eye .

 

Returning to the car to meet Alan, I stopped at a small store to buy fresh tomatoes. $1.25 later, I had 4 lovely tomatoes and 4 nice bananas.

In keeping with cost of goods and services here in Boquete, Alan was pleased with his $3 hair cut.  

Traffic was congested on the way home due to police check points, which we are told are common. Traffic was stopped in both directions as trucks carrying goods and supplies (likely for the festival) were checked.

This morning, we learned that our good friends and fellow cruisers, Tim & Jan will arrive on Monday for a visit. After spending the last week recuperating from colds and flu, we are ready for some excitement and company, and will enjoy our explorations and visits to the festivals with them.

 

Panama is well known for the many species of birds that reside here, and is a popular destination for bird enthusiasts. Apparently there are upwards of 800 different species, including many rare and exotic ones.We enjoy watching nature, but know little about birds, especially those native to this area.  This morning, Susann spotted a large bluish, teal bird on a tree in the ravine outside the kitchen window, and was able to get this not so clear shot. A little online investigation leads us to think it may be a type of MotMot. We have a lot to learn!

Normally, we are not juice drinkers, preferring to eat the entire fruit, but this is harvest time for local oranges, and we have an abundance of fruit from the trees in the yard, so most mornings, we enjoy freshly picked and squeezed OJ. It doesn't come any fresher or better.



Getting Acquainted

Following breakfast, we set out in the car for David, to visit Price Smart, Panama's equivalent to Costco. Although smaller, it was similar and offered a good selection of cheeses, meats and other products we were more familiar with. Wine, beer and spirit prices here are significantly better than Boquete.
David is about a 40 minute drive from Boquete on the new, almost complete Panama American Highway. Basically, we followed our nose and signs to Centro Commercial, where most of the retail businesses are found. Although it was a short drive, the temperature in David is about 20 degrees (F) warmer than Boquete, and humid. Saturday was not necessarily the best day to visit Price Smart since everyone was on their weekly shopping run.
Susann found whole  beef tenderloin, smaller than we get back in the US, but it was only $16.

Somewhat skeptical about the quality, we had chateau briand for dinner, and it was every bit as tender and tasty as back home, and a whole lot less costly.

After loading up with meat, cheese and wine we made a quick exit, and on to look for Rey, a large, modern supermarket, offering much greater selection than Boquete. Don't misunderstand, Boquete has most everything one needs, just not a big selection, and being new here, we were unfamiliar with brands etc. Parking was a challenge on this busy Saturday.
Susann has been fighting the flu, and sent Alan into Boquete to one of the small Legumbres Fruitas for some bananas, onions and carrots (which actually taste like a carrot used to, and not like an orange piece of cardboard). For $2, he came back with 4 bananas, 6 large carrots and 6 onions.

Life has been quiet here with Susann recuperating, but we have enjoyed the tranquility and beauty surrounding our new digs.

Along with the casita, we inherited India, a black cat. She shows up to be fed each morning and evening, and lets us know if we are running a little late. With Susann's allergies, and not being cat lovers, we don't let her in the house, but she does lounge on the verandah when we have our morning coffee and evening happy hour.

We are still in the get acquainted mode, and have lots to learn. It is apparent that meats, fresh baked bread and local produce are very reasonably priced, but as one might expect, gringo comfort items are considerably more costly. A big jar of multi vitamins at Price Smart was about $25, and at Costco would have cost less than $15.

This weekend is the start of the Coffee and Flower Festival. It runs for 10 days, and we are told they import 2 large, portable discos so the Panamanians can party on into the wee hours of the morning. We are looking forward to partaking in some of the festivities and seeing the flowers etc. It is a big thing here and we are told that to date, 100,000 tickets have been sold. Boquete, a town of 15 - 20,000 people will be bursting at the seams.

Boquete, Day One

We awoke this morning to blue sky, sunshine and the wind rustling through the tall pines surrounding the house. Excited to take in the beauty here, Susann made coffee and we sat out on the verandah, enjoying our morning coffee ritual and listening to the birds and wind whispering through the trees. Apparently, most mornings are like this throughout the dry season (December – April).

Marni’s cottage is comfortable, quite delightful and certainly reflects her artistic flair.

 The yard is as she promised, park like with awesome views and we are thankful that we found this haven.

The house sits back from the quiet road and on a clear day we can see the Pacific Ocean in the distance from the rear verandah. The front of the house looks out towards Volcan Baru (extinct volcano) and highest peak in Chiriqui province.

 

Following coffee, we ventured into Boquete, looking for the Sugar and Spice restaurant for breakfast and a loaf of fresh baked bread. The restaurant is a gringo favorite and was busy as always. Next door is Casa Solutions, a local realty office. We stopped by to pick up our complimentary map of Boquete and chatted with Nonito, who gave us some insight into the realty market here, and the many locations, all with their own microclimate. We have a large learning curve ahead as we try to hone up on our Spanish and learn about local culture and life here in the mountains of Panama. Locals are friendly and a warm smile goes a long way when one has not mastered the language.

Our morning exploration took us through town and around the square to the cell phone store, where we got a sim card for Susann’s phone and purchased minutes. This was easier than we expected, but given that there are about 2000 ex-pats living here, plus the volume of visiting tourists, I’m sure they deal with this on a daily basis. Our next stop was the bank, where we deposited our rent money into the landlady’s bank account. All banks have armed guards as you enter, and it is a requirement to remove hats and sunglasses. This transaction went without a hitch, the fact that the banker we dealt with spoke English was certainly a great help. Next stop was the grocery store (there are 3 or 4 in town) and they were reminiscent of ones we visited in the small towns of Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Cuts of meat were different, cheese selection poor, a disaster for Alan, who lives on cheese. Given that this area of Panama is where most of the fruits and vegetables are grown, I was shocked at the limited selection and poor quality available in this store. We later learned that there are small produce stores and a weekly market, held every Tuesday morning with selection and quality more in keeping with what we have been used to in North America. This initial cursory stroll through the store indicated that a trip to David City might be more fruitful, no pun intended. Prices seemed more expensive than I had anticipated, many being on par with the states.

Later that evening we ventured out for dinner since we were not yet set up to cook at the cottage. Not knowing the area or our way around proved somewhat challenging. Based on internet reviews, we drove out to Il Pianist, a recommended Italian restaurant, only to learn upon our arrival that Thursday was the day they closed. We headed back to town and settled on "Big Daddy's", a favorite of the tourists. The fare was mainly fish, which was fresh and good and the redeeming fact was that beer was $1 bottle.

After a busy few days, we were not long out of bed upon our return. The climate here in Boquete is described as eternal spring, with daytime temperatures between 70 & 75F, and night time lows dropping about 10F. This makes for wonderful sleeping, especially in the dry season. Heat nor air conditioning are required here and it is cool and calming to sleep with the windows open, being lulled to sleep by the sound of the wind rustling through the trees. Tomorrow is a new day and another adventure.