Tag: birds

Today, Let’s explore El Valle de Anton

Today we are researching what we may find in El Valle de Anton. This village is located about 2 hours west of Panama City. It offers sports like hiking, horseback riding, and ziplining through the rainforest. We will also find sightseeing adventures such as the El Nispero Zoo and Serpentario (snake habitat). El Valle de Anton is the site of the worlds second-largest extinct volcano. We will also find a well known open air Sunday market.

The Sunday market is one of the biggest draws to El Valle de Anton. We will be able to shop for vegetables, fruit, ornamental plants, flowers and orchids. We will also find handicrafts such as wooden bowls, bateas (wooden trays), woven baskets, hats, paintings on wood, carved and painted totumas (cups made from squash), trinkets made from acorn, hammocks, baskets and ceramics.  The Kuna Indians offer their handicraft like colorful molas (blouses) and jewlery. The market is in the center of town, under a roof that was recently rebuilt.

El Nispero Zoo is more of a nursery than a zoo. That being said, we will find very well maintained trails and an extensive array of tropical plants, which include the country’s national flower – El Espiritu Santo. Orchids Center (Aprovaca Orquideas) concentrates on conserving endangered native orchids and promoting ecotourism and environmental education. The Zoo is also the best place in El Valle to observe the famous golden toads. Most of their natural habitat has either been destroyed or is inaccessible, so it’s virtually impossible to view them in their natural habitat.  A frog exhibit, which is managed by the Smithsonian Institute, has a large showcase for the famous golden toads and additional exhibits for other frog species. It offers visitors an opportunity to see these reptiles up close.

Outside the Hotel Campestre we will find the famous square trees. They are members of the cottonwood family. Saplings of these trees are now being grown at the University of Florida to find out if they will retain their squareness in a different environment. It is believed, however, that the shape is probably due to an unknown but purely local condition. That is indicated by the fact that the tree rings, each representing a year’s growth, are also square.

We have read that it has been around 5 million years since Anton Valley had a volcanic eruption, so it is highly unlikely that there would be another eruption anytime soon. The valley does, however host many hot springs that evidence continuing volcanic activity. These hot springs are a naturally occurring phenomenon caused by hot magma passing through tiny fissures before contacting fresh water. This produces a warm, therapeutic, mineralized water.   Anton Valley’s Public Hot Springs provide a rare natural product that treats several skin problems while leaving your face and body perfectly clean and feeling great. This is a destination that we will certainly visit.

A short walk from town, we will find the Petroglyphs (Piedras Pintadas). All of these writings can be found on one large vertical rock face. They are at the base of the trail that leads to the Sleeping Indian (La India Dormida).  The Sleeping Indian, who acquired her name based on local legend, is a chain of hills who’s formation resembles the shape of just that, a sleeping Indian. These hills help form part of El Valle de Anton’s volcanic rim.

The town of La Mesa is located nearby in the Valle de Anton. It is the site of the Chorro el Macho waterfall. This 280 foot waterfall is considered one of the most beautiful areas of the valley. It is a short 30 minute walk north through the lush rain forest. At the base of the falls we will find a large natural pool where people are welcome to swim. Walking paths throughout the area will allow us to explore the area. There are suspension bridges that cross the river providing views of the falls. For the more adventurous, (Jen says she will never do this) there is zip lines through the treetops that provide breathtaking aerial views of the Chorro el Macho waterfall. If we hire a guide they will point out the local birds, animals, butterflies, and other points of interest.

This area sounds like one of the best opportunities for adventure. It is perhaps a strong contender for a place we would eventually like to live in Panama. I borrowed most of the adventure content from various travel websites. Once we experience these first hand, we will give detailed reviews of our experiences.

Today’s Spanish lesson should help us in the market: ?que’ es la costar de la fresco el vegetal? Translated…What is the cost of the fresh vegetable?

Thank-you for continuing to follow. We continue to be excited about our upcoming adventure. Please remember to like, share, and comment. You all are what makes this incredible adventure worth sharing. Buenos Dias.

Let’s explore Gamboa in the province of Colon

Gamboa is, perhaps,the first place in Panama that attracted our attention. Without much knowledge of the lay of the land, Gamboa caught our attention as a location where we may settle, due to its tropical, rain forest, and low cost of living. Gamboa is on the east side of the Panama Canal and with only 2 routes across, it may prove prohibitive to move about the country from Gamboa. We have developed a comprehensive list of exploration ideas, and Gamboa has the majority of cool things to explore.

Gamboa is located in a very private, secluded area of the former Panama Canal Zone. It was the site of housing for workers in the early 1900’s when the canal was being dredged. The sleepy little town was established for the workers and their families. It bustled back then, offering schools, and all the services that one would expect for it’s time. Today it is underutilized and many of its structures are unoccupied. Part of the towns seclusion lies in that it is in the lush Gamboa Jungle, on the east shore of Lake Gatun, at a sharp bend in the Chagres River. To access Gamboa you must cross the Chagres on a single lane wood and iron bridge. Nearby, to the south of Gamboa the Chagres River and Lake Gatun meet the Culebra Cut. This is the narrow pass that takes the canal through the Continental Divide. All this being said, it is hard to believe Gamboa is less than 30 minutes from Panama City.

Culebra Cut
The Culebra Cut is the narrow pass of the Panama Canal that crosses the Continental Divide.

A short distance from Gamboa we will find the Summit Botanical Gardens and Zoo. There we will a variety of monkeys, wild cats, harpy eagles, and giant tapirs. We will also find the former dredging docks that now house light ferry boats to take us to the  Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute facilities at Barro Colorado Island. Visitors are allowed on Barro Colorado Island; access is, however, regulated. To visit Barro Colorado Island, you must make a reservation and arrange for a tour. Tours generally include transportation to and from the island, a 2–3 hour guided hike, lunch, and a visit to the museum. Hikes through the island offer up the opportunity to spot several creatures, including monkeys, anteaters, birds, and insects.

Since Gamboa lies at the end of the road, so to speak, it is near large tracts of relatively undisturbed rain forest. It is the home of caymens, crocodiles, iguanas, and hundreds of bird species. Pipeline Road is a trail that follows an old pipeline near Gamboa. It is considered one of the best places to bird watch in all of Central America. The Las Cruces Trail also passes nearby. This was the trail used to transport supplies and precious metals between the Pacific and the Atlantic. Some of the trail is now underwater. There are many places in Gamboa where we can access private and public boats for fishing expeditions on Lake Gatun. Lake Gatun is considered ideal for bass fishing.

The penitentiary where Noriega was incarcerated is located not far from Gamboa on the shore of the canal. It is a white collar prison, surrounded by jungle, and it is still in use today. This is a place that we will choose to avoid.

Panama Canal Penitentiary
This is where Noriega was incarcerated.

The Gamboa Rainforest Resort is a 5-star hotel located in Gamboa. The hotel attracts visitors interested in birdwatching, an aeriel tram which visits the jungle canopy, and tours to visit the Indian Reservations in the jungle nearby. The Embra and Wounaan Tribes reside on Lake Alajuela which lies on the upper side of the Chagres River. A one hour ride by native canoe (piragua) will deliver us deep in the jungle to visit with the Embra people. We will get the opportunity to see the Indians lifestyle, like hunting, fishing, harvest, and medicine. We will experience the traditional dances, and see how they paint their bodies. We will see how they weave baskets, plates and masks. We will have the chance to walk through the jungle to see the wildlife, birds and waterfalls. The Embra are very welcoming and friendly people. They will serve us lunch before we embark on our one hour return journey by piragua to Gamboa.

Gamboa and its surrounding area will be a great place to make memories of our Panama adventure. It may not, however, be our ideal choice for a retirement home.  We will be keeping a open mind. Please, continue to follow, like, share, and comment. Our Spanish lessons are going on behind the scenes we will, however, share the word of the day “extranar”. Extranar means to miss or long for. Yo extranar para eterno el verano. Translated…I long for eternal summer. Buenos Dias.