Adios Amigos

 

 

The older we get, it seems the faster time flies by. It is hard to believe that our good friends, Tim and Jan's month long visit is at an end.

 

We have had a lot of fun, and as always, enjoyed some laughs. It will be lonesome without them.

 

 

 Many a great meal has been enjoyed at our casita. Alan and Tim also treated us to some of their delicious creations from the kitchen.
Great job guys!

 

We have also enjoyed many dining experiences at local restaurants, and especially our last meal out at Casono Del Cuzco, a Peruvian seafood grill here in Boquete.


The food was excellent, as was the service. We all enjoyed a different specialty from the menu, and each was something we would order again.



Olga's was one of our spots for breakfast, where they cook up a mean omelette.

Olga, the owner will include a beautiful flower on your plate, and give you a heartfelt hug before you leave.

Adios amigos. We will miss you. Safe travels.

Visit to Cerro Punta

A Sunday drive from Boquete to Cerro Punta for lunch.

Cerro Punta is a small, beautiful village located in the highlands of the Chiriquí Province, Panama. The area has an  abundance of natural resources, cool mountain  climate, and amazing vistas.

Here at almost 2000m  (almost 7000 ft.) above sea level,  and frequently bathed in a cloud forest, Cerro Punta, is  the highest village in the entirety of Panama. This crown jewel is situated in a bowl-shaped valley surrounded by densely forested mountains, and it's fertile volcanic soil produces about eighty percent of all the vegetables consumed in Panama.

Reminiscent of a patchwork quilt, there are little patches of cultivated land everywhere you look. The town's altitude gives it a very special, incredibly clean and crisp atmosphere.

This recent agricultural explosion has happened at the expense of the surrounding woods, but the population premises are beginning to understand the consequences of deforestation and try to preserve the abundant resources, remaining natural, with a view to eco- tourism development as an alternative for the future of the region.

 In Cerro Punta you will find many roadside fruit and vegetable stands, with the freshest produce anywhere in Panama (it is grown right here on the hillside fincas (farms).

 Tourist services available include, hotels, guesthouses, cottages, restaurants, bars, guides and tour operators and, if you want to stay for some time, beautiful properties for rent or sale.

For such a small village, it was a happening place, with buses, tourists and locals all visiting the market and produce stands. This could be a regular Sunday event. I'm sure that much of the visitors come from the city of David for a break from the searing heat.

Many of the local indigenous people (I believe they are Nogabe) were out walking with families and participating in a ball game at the community ply field. These proud, hardworking people work the farms and look like they were enjoying a day off with the family. It is not unusual to see an entire family, including young children working the fields and harvesting coffee.

The drive from Boquete is just about an hour, along good road. The scenery alone is well worth the drive, but our lunch at "Fanny's Bistro" a new restaurant on the left hand side of the road, just before entering Cerro Punta under the bienvenidos arch.

 

Fanny's opened in late December 2012. You will be greeted by Fanny, the chef, who will prepare a delicious, freshly made meal.
There is minimal indoor dining amidst the small  art gallery, but if weather permits (as it does most times) dine out on the terrace and enjoy the spectacular views.

 We dined from the daily offering from the "Executive" menu, which was a pre-set three course meal. For $20, tip included, we feasted on pumpkin soup, one fish and one chicken entrée, two slivers of fresh out of the oven chocolate brownie, all washed down with a local beer and 2 glasses of Chilean red wine..... awesome!
We'll be back.

 

 



 

 

 





 

Dinner at the Cosmic Crab, Careening Cay

Our trip to the Cosmic Crab Restaurant started with a short water taxi trip across to Careening Cay.

 Upon our arrival, we were greeted by Joan, one of the owners. She invited us to walk through the resort and visit the gift shop, then enjoy happy hour and sunset at the waters edge.
The resort offers several small quaint cabins amidst tropical fauna, and some right on the dock, directly above the water.

Our stroll through the resort found the pesky no-seeums out in abundance, especially as the wind dropped and the sun slid down, close to the water. As a result, we bypassed the gift shop and headed to the restaurant where there was still  a light breeze and less no-seeums.

Jan was delighted to find that they served sangria. In fact, Jose, one of the resort workers was also the breakfast waiter at our hotel and remembered us.

 Jokingly, Jan suggested a sangria might be good for breakfast the next morning. Be careful what you wish for, because Jose was waiting at breakfast with a sangria in hand for her. Once again, we are reminded of how kind and friendly the Panamanian people are.

Dinner was an enjoyable experience, enhanced by the company of good friends and an exotic ambience.





Once again, Tim enjoyed another lobster feed.

 
 



Prior to our water taxi back to Bocas Town, Tim and Jan posed for a photo op in front of the bar with their Burnt River Yacht Club Burgee, from back home in Fenelon Falls, Ontario Canada.

 Another fun and memorable day in Panama. Tomorrow, we face the 4 hour bumpy drive back to Boquete.

 

Bocas Town and Isla Colon

Isla Colon is the largest island in the Bocas del Toro group. Located at the north west corner of Panama, close to Costa Rica, over looking the crystal clear Caribbean Sea, aka the Atlantic Ocean.

Mike & Heidi, Mike's Global Grill

Mike's Grill

Tired and weary from Super Bowl festivities at Mike's Global Grill the previous evening, combined with the bumpy four hour drive to the ferry terminal at Almirante, we were happy to learn that our hotel, the Palma Royale, was directly across the street from the ferry terminal in Bocas Town.

 

We selected the Palma Royale, located towards the far end of town, after being advised that Bocas Town can be noisy at night, with the partying lasting
well into the early morning hours

 The hotel  was air-conditioned, modern, clean, with comfy beds, a good breakfast and a neat bar. Great value for the budget rate of $95 per night.

Bocas Town is a party town, and said to remind many of Key West, a few years ago. Certainly it has many small hotels surrounded by bars and restaurants, which we are told can be noisy, well into the small hours.

After checking-in at the hotel, we walked town in search of somewhere for a late lunch. Several blocks away, we found the Buena Vista, an outdoor patio, overlooking the water. The food was good and relatively inexpensive. So much so, we returned there for dinner after checking out several other spots. Tim was hoping for lobster, and Buena Vista offered surf and turf (filet mignon and lobster tail). Priced at $17.95, our expectations were not very high. Surprisingly, portions were more than adequate and food was very tasty and certainly great value. Some other establishments wanted upwards to $45 for a similar meal.

Bocas was not the paradise we had expected, and we were disappointed not to have beach outside the hotel (which almost none of the hotels in town have).


The staff at the Palma Royale Hotel were most helpful, and arranged a beach trip to Playa Bluff. The cab picked us up at 11am next morning and drove us the 25 minutes to Playa Bluff, a small beachside resort, complete with restaurant, bar, rain water pool and sandy beach.

Our $15 cab ride took us over some rough terrain, along the beach front at times, coming to an abrupt halt several hundred yards from our destination. In front of us was some deep loosely packed sand, that surely would have bogged down our van. Not wanting to have to push the van, we disembarked and walked the short distance to Playa Bluff.

We met Brahm, the Dutch operator/manager, who kindly waived the beach/facility use fee since we planned to have lunch and patronize his bar.

The sandy beach stretched for miles in either direction and was quiet, except for he few tourists that stopped for a visit and lunch.

The facility was clean and the pool refreshing. Service was friendly, food reasonable and we all enjoyed a quiet, relaxing day.

Our taxi met us, where he dropped us off  and took us back to the hotel, for  shower and change for dinner




Boquete and Surrounding Countryside

 

 

 

 

Road Trip, Boquete to Bocas Town on Isla Colon

 

Monday morning, immediately after our routine cups of Boquete mountain grown coffee, and breakfast, we set off in the car for the 4 hour drive to Almirante, where would catch a water taxi to Bocas del Toro.

 

 



Our first stop was at a mercado (grocery store) in the town of Caldera, where we purchased some insect repellent, in preparation for the mosquitoes and no-seeums we might encounter, if the wind dies along the coast. Although common place in the small rural towns, it still seems strange to see someone arrive on horseback.

As the crow flies, the distance from Boquete to Bocas  Del Toro is not much more than about 40 miles, but with all the zig-zagging up, down and around the mountains, the actual distance is about 115 miles or so

Much of the trip was on narrow, bumpy road, with some particularly dangerous areas, such as rounding a sharp bend, to find that the new road  has shifted and fallen into a sink hole, as shown in the photo to the left. The driver certainly needs to remain alert at all times.

We encountered many single lane bridges, as well as some ninety degree turns across the rivers and streams. Needless to say, Alan, our driver found his heart in his mouth on more than one occasion

Panama, especially the mountain regions, have numerous microclimates, where conditions and temperatures can vary drastically within just a mile or two.
Our journey took us through many such areas. On one side of a mountain, one would find lush green tropical foliage and warm temperatures with banana fields and other agriculture. As soon as we crossed the peak, we might find hot, windy, dust, arid conditions.
Much of our travels took us through many cattle and dairy grazing pastures, and it was not uncommon to find  a stray animal grazing alongside the road.

Still travelling in the Western Chiriquí Highlands, we
came upon La Fortuna Dam, a hydro-electric project that supplies 35% of the entire electric power in Panama.



Unlike most hydro-electric dams, there was no evidence of generators etc.



Later research revealed that there are 3 very large generators  and turbines located in a tunnel, down hill from the dam.



The road travels across the top of the dam.


After four hours driving, we arrived in the port of Almirante, and were ready to get out of the car and stretch our legs.
Finding the ferry terminal proved more challenging than expected. We discovered the large ferry that transports trucks and vehicles, but discovered that was not the passenger ferry. Thankfully a man on a bike waved us down and took us to the secure car park compound and then down to catch the ferry across to Bocas Town on Isla Colon.

 Prior to departure, the boat needed refueling. A large barrel of fuel was rolled onto the dock and siphoned into the boat's fuel tank.



Fueled and ready, passengers boarded for the 30 minute trip across to Bocas Town on Isla Colon. Instruction was given for all to don their life jacket prior to departing the dock.

Almirante was a poor, dirty port town, with garbage strewn all along the streets. Certainly not a place one would choose to stay. We were hungry, but opted to wait until we arrived in Bocas Town for lunch.

The crossing was smooth and uneventful, and it felt good to be back on the water again, even if it was aboard someone else's boat.