Panama City

We've spent a few days in Panama exploring the city, its food and its history. We've seen the madness in the streets of Avenida Central, the historical Casco Viejo and the colourful artisan crafts. We spent one day searching for animals on Cerro Ancon (we got very lucky, see below!) and another at the Miraflores locks on the astounding Panama Canal. We walked Cinta Costera and the Amador Causeway. We spent one evening having dinner whilst watching a traditional folkloric show with music and dancers. We checked out one of the very many casinos but did not become millionaires - if you ever plan to visit note that the cheapest beers are found in there.

Tomorrow we leave Panama and head to Ecuador. Thank you Panama for showing us your natural beauty and introducing us to so many new creatures. This country is colourful and mad.

  

Up in the Hill

After the rain stopped we headed to Up in the Hill, a cafe and shop on the top of Isla Bastimentos. We had some yummy coffee and a chocolate brownie, made with cocoa from their own farm. We also found the island's famous inhabitant - the strawberry poison dart frog! It was beautiful but tiny, so not very easy to spot.

 A bird caught mid flight. 

 This butterfly in the bottom right corner laid eggs and Iber saw it in action, see below...

Isla Bastimentos, Bocas del Toro

We left sunny Boquete for rainy Isla Bastimentos. A small island in the Caribbean archipelago Bocas del Toro. The only form of transport around the island was boats. No bikes, mopeds or cars. The main road was a metre wide cement pathway, always full of playing children and dogs. The islands inhabitants are a few hundred Afro-Antilleans that speak a patois of Spanish, English and Guayamí, it was so nice and fun to listen to albeit tricky to understand. The island was incredibly charming but as we had rain and thunderstorms we couldn't get to what is meant to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

 Downtown Bastimentos.

 Lots of time spent in the hammocks.

Our hostel.

 Surprise wave.

Hiking in the mountains

We decided to head out on a hike in the mountain jungle-forest. We managed to find the correct path as well as the resplendent quetzal, our first humming bird and a SLOTH all by ourselves with no guides!!!! At the end of the hike we reached a beautiful waterfall and there was no other human in sight - quite a magical moment.

 The start of the trail.

 The resplendent Iber.

The resplendent quetzal.

A little different to Hammersmith bridge.

The coolest animal alive. The sloth. 

The waterfalls.

Dos Jefes coffee plantation

Boquete is famous for having the best coffee beans in Panama, so we headed to a coffee plantation and saw how that divine and addictive drink is made from plant to brew.

The plants.

The flowers smelt so good!

 Building the coffee cherry beds.

 Baby plants, after 4 years they produce good beans.

 The bamboo beds where they dry all the cherries.

The cherry before it's dried.

 Lots of drying cherries on a bamboo bed. They need to be turned around several times a day.

 Dried cherries on the left, the cherry shells and the beans before roasting.

 Our guide Gary and the roasting machine.

 Beans roasted at different heats/time periods.

After finishing the perfect roast, Gary filled a bag of coffee each for us and sealed it like a trooper with a good old fashioned iron.

We also tried coffee tea - made out of the dried cherry shells. Actually yummy!