There is something about the cloud forests that surround Boquete that takes the breath away. I'm not sure if it is the pleasing song of the Rio Caldera rushing down the valley, the multitude of brilliant hues of green that surround you every step of the way, the calls of the Quetzal that echo through the canopy overhead, the soothing scents of the diverse flora, or the great people that inhabit this country. I think it's a combination of everything. Your senses are brought to their senses in this wonderful place.
The day begins at 5am...start brewing the cafe, jump in the shower, get the camera gear ready, and prepare a light breakfast consisting of Zucaritas con guineos (for my english speaking friends, Frosted Flakes with bananas) .....making sure I am ready to depart by 7am, when my friend and guide for the day would arrive at my home in Jaramillo Abajo.
7am....Not a minute too soon or late, Raul pulled his bright red Land Cruiser up to the entrance of mi casa. I quickly finished my cafe, put out my smoke, grabbed my bag, and jumped in the truck with him...the adventure begins...
We made our way down the mountain, crossing Puente Wilson (Wilson Bridge) before reaching the main road that would lead us through downtown Boquete and onward to the trail head. As we headed into town with the windows down, Raul honked and waved at almost everyone we passed along the way. "Buenos!" Waving back and repeating the same or some other friendly greeting, the people smiled and laughed, checking out the bald gringo in the seat next to him. Panamanians are by far the most friendly, welcoming, and curious people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Here in this place, they know how to live...to truly enjoy life and love, and I am blessed to have the opportunity to live this way.
Passing through downtown we start our ascent into Alto Lino, a picturesque area of small homes and coffee plantations. The first stop we make is at Cascada San Ramon (photo top right). Raul and I joked and discussed the basics of photography while I set my camera on a tripod for the long exposures to create the silky look of the waterfall. We spent about 20 minutes there, and then headed up towards the start of the Cascada Roca Blanca trail. We reached the trail head about 10 minutes later, parked the truck, and started making our way up the trail.
As we moved through the rain forest, Raul would make the calls of the quetzal (photo right) and howler monkeys. We were fortunate to see many male and female quetzals on the hike, along with a dozen other avian species. The bird is considered to be divine and a great omen, and I can see why it would be thought of in this way. The brilliant colors and long tail feathers are unrivaled. We did not hear or see any howler monkeys this trip, but did find the leftovers from a feast of fruit they had the day before. Along the way my guide would stop and turn over the half eaten leaves of plants, revealing the beautiful but very poisonous caterpillars underneath (photo below).
About 2 hours into our hike we reached our destination, Cascada Roca Blanca (photo below right). Raul handed me some jugo de naranja (orange juice) and a small package of chocolate covered galletas (cookies) as I set up my camera to capture the beauty of this 90+ meter waterfall. The cascade was light on this day, because we had barely any rain so far. He explained to me that later in the afternoon, the place we were standing would be under water and the cascada (waterfall) would be raging. That is the beauty of the rain forest, it is constantly in change and nothing is the same from day to day, hour to hour, or even minute to minute at times.
After a nice rest in the shadow of the cascada, we started our way back down the mountain. Raul and I made calls for quetzal, monkeys, and a variety of other fauna (his calls were much better than mine), spotting many of the birds, mammals, and insects of the area. We even saw an enormous tree fall on the trail where we had just been seconds before. Raul looked at me and said "lucky". We laughed and headed to the truck. It was great way to spend my morning, and i enjoyed every second of it. Muchas gracias a mi amigo Raul. His knowledge and his character embody the Panamanian culture, and are a great asset to his people... and gringos like me. Me encanta mi vida y me encanta Panama!
