Recently I had the chance to see even more of Panama and head to Boquete for a few days! A six or seven-hour car ride from Panama City, Boquete is located in the mountains of Chiriqui, closer to the border of Costa Rica. It offers some absolutely stunning views of the countryside and is much cooler than the humidity of Panama province.
Here are some pictures from the trip (in reverse order).
Click on the picture to enlarge/watch a slideshow of all them:
As a middle school social studies teacher, this rock fascinated me the most. They call it "La Piedra Pintada" or "The Painted Rock." Dating back to pre-Colombian times, the incisions etched into the stone are thick and deep, and I wondered what sort of instrument they used to make them. In Spanish, they call them, "los petroglifos." I asked the guide if anyone had figured out what the symbols meant yet. He replied that everyone who knew their significance was dead, and the mystery was buried with them.
So fascinating! What do you think they mean?
Beware of Mountain Lion? Watch a brief video of the history HERE.
We had to walk through this cow pasture to get to the painted rock.
Before that, we spent some time at Los Pozos Termales en Caldera
(about an hour drive out of Boquete).
a.k.a. Hot Springs!
The three hot springs are part of someone's property, so you greet them, pay $2 to enter, and basically walk along their farm discovering these little stone shelters with the hot springs inside.
Look closely in the picture above, and you'll see a monkey. "Chita" is her name. The property owners have raised her and trained her to be around people. Our guides kept calling "Chita" to come to them, and one guy put her on his head and walked around with her. I wasn't that brave, so I just shook hands with her. I've never shaken hands with a monkey before! Mucho gusto Chita!
Before relaxing in the hot springs, we spent about 2 hours
exploring the Cangilones de Gualaca (Buckets of Gualaca) and swimming in the Rio Esti.
Los Cangilones were originally carved out by a lava eruption and continues to be shaped by the river to this day. They boast really unique rock layers and 20 ft. canyon cliffs that beg you to jump off of them into the turquoise blue waters.
What an adventure! (Above) our fun and knowledgeable tour guides.
Panama-you continue to surprise me! Especially when I discover places like Mi Jardin es Su Jardin (My Garden is Your Garden).
Not sure what mountain air does to people's minds, but this is by far the most unusual garden I have ever stepped into.
The story goes that a wealthy family moved to Boquete and discovered that almost any kind of plant can grow there-due to the rich, volcanic soil.
They then invested heavily into creating a one-of-a-kind garden, hosting many varieties of plants. Not only that, but the father was so inspired by gardens he had seen in his around-the-world travels, that he wanted to add some of those elements into his own garden. In recent years, the family has opened it up to the public.
To me, it was like stepping inside Alice in Wonderland. The vibrant flower colors were unbelievable and the quirkiness of the lawn ornaments made you feel like you had been invited to the Mad Hatter's tea party.
During my walk through the garden, I was either snapping pictures or laughing at the odd surprises that seemed to come with every turn of the well-trodden path.
Also, I had the great privilege of meeting the head gardener; the one responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the grounds. He was so friendly, explaining more of the garden's history, and even giving me an orange off one of the trees.
The view was just spectacular.
I'm even more in awe of a God who loves beauty and color and pays such close attention to detail. Yet He knows even the number of hairs on our head and cares for us.
Can you imagine what Heaven is going to be like?
The Riverside Inn (below), literally right next to the river, with a gorgeous view of the mountains from the hotel room window.
I traveled along with a mom from the school who needed to go to Boquete for business. I was incredibly blessed and encouraged by her, and it was great to learn more about CCA and Panama from a parent's perspective.
One of the days, I booked my first ever coffee tour.
From the coffee farm, there was an incredible view of Volcan Baru.
I learned so much on the coffee tour, not to mention several new Spanish words.
Coffee seeds! (before they are dried and roasted)
After a tour of the coffee farm (finca), we went into the tasting room.
My favorite part of the tour--learning to be a wise, coffee connoisseur.
Step 1: Grind the coffee beans.
Take the cup of ground coffee, swish it around in the cup a few times. Then hold the cup with both hands up to your face and inhale deeply. What do you smell?
Nuts, dark chocolate, oranges, jasmine, fruit?
Step 2: Boil water. Pour the boiling
water into the cup of ground coffee.
Let sit 2-3 minutes. Smell again.
What do you smell now?
Step 3:
Eat 1-2 crackers to cleanse your
palate. Stir coffee until it is well mixed. Take a spoon and dip it into
the coffee. Bring spoon of coffee to your mouth and take a huge slurp.
(I burst out laughing at this point and had to start over.) The slurping
should throw the coffee across the tongue at a rapid rate, covering all
parts of the inside of your mouth, so you can get the fullest possible
taste.
What natural flavors do you taste? Does it have weak or strong
acidity?
Is it bitter? What is its aftertaste?
My ruling: Geisha was the best. It had more of a fruity taste and was less bitter than the others. The typical coffee flavor was in the Geisha aftertaste. Now that's coffee I can drink black.
Overall, Boquete was a wonderful trip, and I look forward to going again
with other teachers later in the school year.
