Panama

Thursday 1st November 2016 – It was so lovely to awake in our honeymoon home…the exact same room as where we spent three nights, just three years ago almost to the day. Cahuita had been Aaron’s favourite location in Costa Rica and today we would venture out again down memory lane to see what gems awaited us. After buying breakfast essentials at the local supermarket, we sat on our terrace looking out at the Pacific Ocean. We definitely had a room with a view and watched mesmerised as the waves gently caressed the shore below us. We were eager to do more animal spotting so around 11am we walked to the entrance of Cahuita National Park…one of the country’s smallest protected areas where the coral reef is just 500m offshore. Cahuita shelters the coastal rainforest, a lowland habitat of semi-mangroves and tall canopy cover which frames the beautiful white sand beaches at its heels. We couldn’t wait to see some of the abundant life that dwelled there. We set off on the 7km trail…on one side of you lays the golden beach leading to the inviting, shimmering Caribbean Sea while on the other side the rich tapestry of rainforest life awaits for its wonders to be seen. It was to be a treat day for us in terms of the nature we would encounter. Aaron was keen to spot some snakes…in particular an eyelash palm viper…known as the most exquisite snake on earth. I couldn’t believe it when he spotted one coiled on a branch within the trees not far from the path. It was a stunner…a yellow and white variety (they come in many colours) with its trademark eyelashes clear for us to see, waiting to ambush its next prey. Wow…what a find! Aaron couldn’t resist and got closer in order to study its beauty and get a wonderful camera shot of this superb creature. Meanwhile, I watched it for any sudden movement in his direction…they are extremely venomous…so not to be taken lightly at all. All seemed calm and Aaron stood thigh high in the jungle and eventually got the shot he was after. We continued on…spying toucans, blue morpho butterflies, capuchin and howler monkeys, coatis, agoutis and numerous land crabs. At one point we saw three ladies with binoculars looking intently into the top of a tree. They signalled to us what they were looking at. As we scanned the trees we noticed a small flaxen coloured mammal with a long, bushy tail wrapped around a branch seemingly sleeping. We just couldn’t work out what the creature was…it was very unusual…we had never seen anything quite like it before. Aaron took on the Sherlock Holmes role when we got back to our terrace and used the oracle otherwise known as the Internet to identify this intriguing animal. He was delighted to inform me that we had seen a Silky Anteater, also known as a Pygmy Anteater…the smallest anteater on Earth at only 35cm long which includes a 20cm tail. They are nocturnal and committed to a life spent entirely in the trees and one of the cutest things I have ever had the opportunity to see. What a find…we had been so lucky to see one asleep so low down in the branches…Mother Nature had been truly generous with us today. That evening I remembered why I had fallen in love with Costa Rica the first time we had visited…abundant wildlife, soft golden beaches, a treasure chest of a land sandwiched by the Caribbean and Pacific Oceans…to me…paradise.

Wednesday 2nd November 2016 – Up at 5.30am we hoped that an early morning walk in Cahuita National Park would offer us more amazing sightings of wildlife. We planned to walk the 14km round trip at a leisurely pace. What we hadn’t anticipated was the overcast, grey, cloudy weather that greeted us that day. It seemed to have frightened all the animals away apart from the multiple squirrels we saw nibbling coconuts high up in the rustling palm trees…it was a sparse days pickings from Mother Nature…amazing how different one day can be from another. On our return journey, following the line if the coast, at last some life decided to show its face…eagles, pelicans, monkeys, butterflies and many spiders. For seven hours we had examined and scoured the trees for even a glimpse of one of my favourite animals…a sloth…but it was not to be…a little disappointed, we had lunch in town and then wandered the other way along the coast where we were treated to a troop of howler monkeys swinging happily through the treetops. Passing a romantic restaurant, overlooking the ocean on our way back, we decided to return that evening for dinner. It turned out to be the best decision we had made all day. As we sat with our candle lit dinner, the owner of the restaurant asked if we had noticed the mother sloth and her baby at the bottom of the tree right in front of us! I immediately jumped up from my seat…and there…on the beach…at the foot of a palm tree…right in front of us was what we had been searching for all day…a sloth. We couldn’t believe our eyes, what a surprise. It is so rare to see them on the ground especially as she had such a young baby clinging onto her tummy, it was surreal. Luckily I had my phone with me and Aaron managed to video her as she started to climb up back into the foliage of the trees that were her salvation. She was a two toed sloth and a stunning specimen…it totally made our night…Mother Nature had saved the best till last…the best gift she could have given us. Strolling back we had goofy grins spread right across our faces…expect the unexpected when travelling…you just never know what you’re going to see or do next.

Thursday 3rd November 2016 – Up at 5.30am, we packed, had breakfast on our lovely balcony and caught the 7am bus to the border crossing at Sixaola. The Panama border is renowned for being very tricky to cross…they insist on evidence of flights out of the country and various other explicit regulations that have to be adhered to. We had heard of many horror stories from various travellers having real problems at this border. Consequently I was rather nervous but surprisingly relieved when we managed to cross relatively hassle free after paying minimal dollars to exit Costa Rica and enter Panama as well as present our onward flights…not what we expected at all. What we hadn’t anticipated was that today…the 3rd November…was a huge festival in Panama known as ‘Separation Day’ from Colombia. This occurred in 1903 with the support of the United States, under Theodore Roosevelt whereby Panamanian leaders declared the Republic of Panama a fully sovereign nation. November is known as Independence month with no fewer than five national holidays being celebrated. The festivities were already well under way all around us…processions, dancers, drummers and all manor of different affiliations of Panamanian life. As colourful and fun as this was to watch, what this meant for us was limited or no public transport whatsoever. After wandering the streets for a while trying to get more information we managed to find a private shuttle for $10 each to transport us to the next big town. There we picked up a bus destined for the city of David. En route we disembarked at the sign for ‘The Lost and Found Hostel’ which is located up in the Cloud Forest. This jungle hostel is Panama’s only hike and jungle hostel positioned in the cloud forests of Chiriqui Province. It has a wonderful eco friendly set up, nestling on the side of a mountain with stunning views of the valley below. The bus dropped us off at the foot of the path leading up to the hostel. It was then a gruelling 20 minute hike steeply upwards to our sanctuary. Once at the top we were warmly greeted by the staff, given refreshments and led to our private room. After a much needed siesta we chatted to fellow travellers, had dinner, met Rocky the adorable rescued golden kinkajou and started reading ‘Lost and Found’ by Patrick McGreer. The book is written by the owner of the hostel…an amalgamation of reality mixed with fantasy all set in Panama with the added flavour of crime, horror and thriller intertwined. The story is closely related to the treasure hunts and trails on offer in and around the hostel itself. This whole experience seemed an interesting mix of nature and interactive fun and games. I must admit that originally it felt a little cult like…a little unusual…a book and jungle hostel walking hand in hand together. However, it was different, so Aaron and I immersed ourselves in the potential thrill of it all. After a good nights rest we would be ready for some trails and treasure hunts hidden deep inside the Fortuna Park within the province of Chiriqui…

Friday 4th November 2016 – Sunshine filtered through the window of our mountain hideaway. We slowly uncoiled from our peaceful sleep, waking up to real cloud forest fresh air. After breakfast, looking out over the clear skies, being watched by the Baru volcano, we decided to go on our first hike. It was not for the faint hearted…starting with a 45 minute precipitous, sheer climb up a stony, rock strewn trail. Good for the cardio, not so good for the joints! Arriving at a lookout point beautiful butterflies danced, oscillated and fluttered around us…it was bewitching to watch them. Aaron…known as the champion insect photographer, with a speciality for butterflies…took his time in capturing some of that splendid radiance before us. He possesses the calm patience that I do not. Myself preferring to photograph larger, fast moving, elusive subjects such as mammals and birds. By now I was feeling particularly lethargic after four hours or so of convoluted climbing and descending so we returned to the hostel, collapsed in hammocks and revived ourselves with lunch and cold beverages. Aaron had a spring in his step so while I relaxed and watched hummingbirds flit around me, the strong one ventured out again on a treasure trail…spurred on by the promise of free beer if he solved the puzzles of the jungle.