Pan American Highway, near David Panama
Here is some video driving down the Pan American highway, heading towards Panama City from David
Month: July 2021
Volcanito Road – Boquete Panama
Picked up my rental car today. Drove it up the Western ridge overlooking Boquete on Volcanito road. One difference from the United States is that all the schools have fences around them with barbed wire at the top. When I asked my guide why just the schools had barbed wire on their fences, he chuckled and said that’s the only way they can keep the kids from escaping. I don’t know how true that is, so take it for its worth. And, of course, I finished my drive in the mountains by trying another Panamanian restaurant. All that food again for less than $5. You can eat really well down here for not a lot of money. Tomorrow I think I may head down to the beaches, so stay tuned for those pictures tomorrow.
Another Walk in Bajo Boquete, Panama
Here are a few pictures from my walk today. Stopped for a late lunch at Big Daddy’s and often mentioned the eatery on YouTube and Facebook channels that I have followed planning this trip. Thought I would try a local beer while I was there. The Balboa reminded me of Samuel Adams but not quite the same flavor, enjoyed it it was a good beer. Almost forgot to take a picture of my food. That was a buffalo chicken sandwich with fries
Video tour of AirBnB
Here are links to videos showing my casita. That contraption for a showerhead at the end of the longer video is commonly referred to as a "suicide shower" those are 110v wires leading up to it, and it heats the water there. No hot water elsewhere in the casita.
Inside tour of AirBnB
Outside tour of AirBnB
I had intended to rent a car for the remainder of my stay, BUT there are no rentals available until after I leave. 😟 I guess I should've researched that better. So I walked up the mountain to the main road to the fruit and vegetable stand nearby, grabbed a bunch of fruits and vegetables, came back, and had those for lunch. Unfortunately, dinner turned out to be a bust as well. A nearby restaurant that I had not been to yet was shut down when I got there, so I went back to the same local place I was at a couple of days ago and got a similar meal, strawberry juice instead of mango tonight.
Rainy day at Alto Boquete, Panama
We had rain and thunder and lightning all day so I never really even got out of my casita. Did sit on the front patio under the covering and watched the rain as I read for a good share of the day so very relaxing day overall. We had rain and thunder and lightning all day so I never really even got out of my casita. Did sit on the front patio under the covering and watched the rain as I read for a good share of the day so very relaxing day overall.
Walk About Bajo Boquete
My first day in Panama without my guide. After church took a walk down to Bajo Boquete, Panama, I grabbed a pastry and coffee at a well-recommended shop, Sugar and Spice, on the main strip and meandered down to the town square. I enjoyed some people watching there as well as the beautiful blue skies with their white clouds as I looked to the north and the Caribbean side. Then I noticed the temperature was rapidly dropping, so I turned around and looked south towards the Pacific, and dark skies and rain clouds were rolling in fast. I tried to beat the storm by heading back up the mountain, but I didn't make it. I got rained on for about 40 minutes of my walk. After I got back up on the Alto Boquete and the rains stopped, I went to a local Panamanian restaurant about a 2-minute walk from my Airbnb and grabbed dinner. I got headed back just a time to watch it rain again, and now I'm sitting on the front patio enjoying a cold drink of water and watching the clouds fall on the town.
Day Two of Guided Tour – Boquete, Panama
I know I seem to post a lot of food but seriously I am only eating once a day because the helpings are so big but the food is so good! Today's entree is from The Fish House in Boquete, Panama, it is grilled Marlin with a Greek sauce, grilled vegetables, and coleslaw. This side of the volcano is mostly coffee plantations. It is known as the valley of coffee and flowers. Even though it was raining all day and the clouds were hanging low the views were absolutely breathtaking. We went up into the cloud forest. I didn't know there were such things as cloud forests I knew of rainforests and those are further north of here but that is not fog you see in the pictures it's actually the clouds.
More Volcan Baru Footage
Some more footage from today’s touring on the Eastern side of Volcan Baru, Panama. These are from the Eastern and western ridges of the valley that is Boquete ( the valley of coffee and flowers )
Some Volcan Baru Footage
Some footage in the mountains around Volcan Baru, Panama
Guided Tour in David and Volcan Panama
Landed in David, Panama this morning and Gerardo my private tour guide picked me up at the gate. He took me up to Volcan and we stopped for some local coffee at Black Mountain Coffee shop. We also saw Cerro Punta, Bambito, and Guadalupe all on the western side of Volcan Baru the highest point in Panama. We dropped the luggage off at my Airbnb in Alto Boquete then Gerardo gave me a brief pre-tour drive-by of downtown Bajo Boquete. Had Gerardo drop me off so I could walk around downtown before climbing back up the mountain to my Airbnb. TIRED thanks to Fitbit I see that I have as many steps today as I normally get in a whole week and these were all either up or downhill no flat areas. Looking forward to my last tour day tomorrow. Gerardo is going to take me through all the towns on the eastern side of Baru Volcan with Boquete. Oh, the strawberries are from Guadalupe and they are terrific. They remind me of the ones I used to snitch from my grandma’s garden as a kid.
Lounging at Panama City Hotel
Thursday ended up being a day of rest at my hotel, Crowne Plaza. Wanted to take some day excursions to see some of Panama City but everything was basically same price for me as a couple. Too rich for my blood. Turned out to be a good thing, I think I experienced an adrenaline dump after landing in Panama after the months of planning and felt overly tired. Found a a deck chair out back and of course more Panamanian food and coffee.
Breakfast in Panama City
This is the breakfast that came with my room. I couldn’t even finish it all. The chicken had a spicy sauce, not quite a buffalo sauce but close. Very good eats! 😁This is the breakfast that came with my room. I couldn’t even finish it all.
