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HIKING ON BOQUETE'S FINCAS, A HIDDEN TREASURE!

8/18/2014

Finca owner Issac Quiel.

Driving or walking around Boquete is how, I have found the trails the group hikes on. I have been hiking now for almost six years.

Some of the trails we find are winners such as the Finca, I am writing about today. We came across this small trail this year it on one of the most treasured and beautiful landscapes in the highlands and rainforest areas in Boquete. It is owned by the family Quiel. Issac's (pictured) grandfather was the first owner, the land has been in the since.

Feeding time on the Finca Quiel.

I have visited Issac's finca twice and each time I look forward to my visit. The Finca opened up to public just about 6 months ago charging $5.00 fee to enter. His wife is at the gate each morning while Issac tends to the farm. The photo to the right he getting ready to feed his goats. The finca has a bull, a few cows, goats, chicken this is something new, Issac mentioned but, it an agricultural finca. His cousin who has his own piece of property grows some of the largest blackberries, I've ever seen.

As, we walk along the trail, 20 of us meet up with Issac and he begins walking with us. He is a very proud man as he should be for his family owns a whole mountain and more more than one. He gives us a tour of his finca showing and cutting medicinal plants growing wild on his farm. He points out and gives cuttings from Horse's Tail good for kidney's and Cow's Tongue good for Diabetics to name a few.

A few months makes a big difference in the tropics. The foliage is at a constant change like the meadow of white flowers to the left were almost gone this time around.

I had visited the Finca two or three weeks ago and took another photo of a mother and her child. As you notice in the photo right below it the flowers are almost gone.

Many of the workers live on Fincas a shack is provided by the owners. Issac and his family grow corn for their livestock and other vegetables such as cabbage, potatoes, onions, a relative grows blackberries, strawberries and much more.

We continue our walking hike with Issac. It is a short trail, but one that, I really enjoy. At the end of this trail is a stunning waterfall! The group just stands there in awe looking up at this hidden treasure snapping photos. I have been here many times but, every time the return trip is as if it were, my first.

Every time, I hike a trail and have mentioned this before there is always something new to see because nature is always changing it's colors as a new flower popping out. It's an adventure in paradise!

We wrap up our morning bidding Señor Issac farewell, hasta luego, we will see you again. This was a wonderful walk half rain forest and the other half on a Finca, enjoying the company of all who came to visit and walk the unknown. I call them adventurers!
Enjoy my photos below.

EXPLORE - DREAM - DISCOVER.

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NEW HIKING DAY "EASY WEDNESDAY"

8/13/2014

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Boquete Nature & Hikes added this day last month becoming a very popular walking hike.

I am so glad it has been fun for many here Boquete. On many Wednesday's there have been as many as 21 people joining in on the walk.

The walks have become a nature adventure as, we stop to see many of the natural abundance surrounding the trails.

On Wednesday, August 6, 2014, we all drove to Palmira Centro and begin to walk in this Panamanian community. People outside their homes or mothers outside school yard would greet "buenos dias" and wave as 21 of us walk along the road all the way to the cemetery.

After arriving at the cemetery, we came across a tree loaded with these beautiful flowers. Here is a description of the above flowers.

Scientific Name: Plumeria rubra

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial, Deciduous

Growth Habit: Tree, Shrub

Hawaii Native Status: Cultivated. This ornamental garden plant and lei flower is native to Mexico, Central America, Colombia, and Venezuela.

Flower Color: Red, Pink, Orange, Yellow, White

Height: Up to 25 feet (8 m) tall

We also met up with an abundance of caterpillars on the leaves of the same tree. An intruder who just loves eating the leaves. Fortunately the tree grows new leaves. They were 3 inch long caterpillars. An amazing find!

Here is a description of the caterpillar:
Frangipani Hornworm Moth
Pseudosphinx tetrio

The Frangipani Hornworm Moth is a common moth in the American tropics. The caterpillar's color pattern is a warning sign to predators that they are toxic. Read more about the Frangipani Hornworm on the website below.

http://www.susanleachsnyder.com/

A photo a the Frangipani Hornworm Moth not as beautiful a caterpillar.

Another adventurous morning in Boquete, "Off the Beaten Path", happy trails!
Explore - Dream - Discover

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PANAMA HIKING 101 SURVIVAL TOOLS

8/4/2014

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A Trek From The Past..El Pianista Trail

8/4/2014

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Below is an article, I wrote back in June of 2010, interviewing a good friend about his hike to Bocas Del Toro on Boquete's El Pianista Trail. I with the group have hike on this trail up to the Continental Divide but, never would attempt to go all the way to Boca knowing it would be a difficult trek. I thought it necessary to publish this article on this website knowing it would be important for those visiting Boquete to read as they may be thinking of hiking all the way. It is one of the most popular attractions for travelers - hiking in the rainforests. I do not blame them it is so totally awesome.
Read my Hiking In Panama "101" Survival List.

Hiking From Boquete to Puerto Robalo, Bocas del Toro, June 2010

There are various ways to travel to Bocas Del Toro, one can be by plane, car, bus, cycle or hiking. We visited Bocas with my family back in March deciding to drive and had a great time visiting all the tourist sites. However, this blog will not be about my trip to Bocas instead, I will write about my next-door neighbor and his adventurous and I must emphasize again adventurous hike to Bocas.

I interviewed Remi (my next-door neighbor) sensing it would an interesting article about what one might expect while hiking to Bocas should any of my readers decide to hike there. Here is the a brief run-down on Remi, he is from France, about my age, keeps physically fit by playing squash, hiking, cycles, swims, the ideal candidate in my book for hiking to Bocas in two and a half days. Did I say two and a half days? Most people do this hike in three to four days.

Two weeks prior to the Bocas hike, his approach of getting into shape, he decided it was time to hike the Volcan Baru. With a view of the Volcan Baru from his living room each day for the past two years, Remi has visualized climbing to the top. He finally had enough of this vision talked two friends into hiking with him. It took them five hours to hike to the top and four hours downhill. While hiking up to Volcan Baru I, it would make an interesting blog story, although it is not part of this story.

Soon after the Volcan Baru hike, nothing would hold Remi back from hiking to Bocas, it was another imminent challenge, he continually thought about repeatedly for over a year. Here is his story regarding the “Trekking to Bocas.”

Interview with Remi. "I viewed hiking to Bocas a challenge knowing it would be tough at my age but I had to do it at this time and knew I could not wait another year, I am not getting any younger it would have to be now or never. Two others accompanied me on this hike another Frenchman, and a Panamanian who was our guide. Our destination would be Puerto Robalo deciding to make it there in the best possible time."

"Our journey began at 6:30am on Cerro Pianista - hiking for 13 hours the first day. We packed lightly since you do not want to tire so packing just the essentials was important. One has to pack food because of course there are no restaurants. In the evening, the resting places where we would camp for the night had a fire going so it was possible to boil water and cook up something simple. I had packets of instant Asian soup with noodles because they are lightweight, easy to cook for my evening meal, the fruits, energy bars I ate during the day, and packed purified water tablets. Water is a necessity when hiking throughout the day I consumed about 2 liters and a half daily. We would take water from the fresh streams along the way filling our bottles and use the tablets to purify the water".

"Expect rustic accommodations on the hike to Bocas. On day one – the hut we arrived at was our shelter for the night. It had wooden plank beds without a mattress. I threw all my clothes on the planks using them as a mattress. On day two – we hiked twelve hours, and ended our day at Anthony Finca, we did have a mattress though on the floor, it had bed sheets, a pillow, blanket, and they even boiled water for my soup all for $5 00. It was worth it and a luxury!

Washing in the evening was nearly impossible and so we waited until the morning’s trek to approach a stream where we could bathe".

"We began each day around 6:30am. We did not see many people on our first day just locals cleaning up paths with their machetes. On our second day, we met a few children who asked our guide if we wanted any help. Not much interaction or encounter with locals or other hikers".

"The terrain on the first two days was in the highlands where nearly everyone raises cattle consequently, we had to trudge through deep cattle trenches that at times were more than three meters deep of thick muddy sludge, plodding through these trenches knee-deep. We crossed rivers with cable lines 30 meters wide with two cable lines on top and one cable line on the bottom. It was a balancing act walking, holding onto the lines trying not to fall into the river, and as a result, though minor, I lost my hiking stick while walking on the cable. The highland terrain is up and down through numerous valleys, crossing the same winding river 20 times, and on a multitude of occasions crossed deep areas of water that sometimes came up to our thighs. The upshot of this our boots became waterlogged and as a result, I got three to four blisters on both feet and I lost a few toenails".

"The hike on the third and final day lasted six hours. On this day, we hiked out of the highlands finding the terrain flat, farming with the planting of crops, more populated with Ngäbe living along the river, and walking along the trail. Finally, arriving in Puerto Robalo, I waited for the bus, and rode it to Gualaca".

I asked Remi if he found the hike to Bocas difficult, his response, “yes” then I, asked him why. Remi: "I thought climbing the Volcan Baru would would be the toughest but on a scale 5-10 the Volcan Baru is an 8 and BHe responded “yes,” ocas is a 9.5. I found hiking across the Comarca Territory more of a military hike because of the terrain. I lost 6 kilos/13 pounds on the two and half day hike from Boquete to Puerto Robalo, Bocas. I feel good about losing the weight because I wanted to anyway. Anyone eager to losing weight hike to Bocas! The trek to Bocas was beyond my expectation knowing it would be a long hike I assumed it might not be difficult and as a result, it turned out to be a real jungle hike.

Nonetheless, I have to say I would not repeat it. The locals do this everyday without much of a problem but then they are used to the terrain. I suggest having a good guide, the best are the Ngäbe, but they are difficult to find. In addition, there is neither a signal nor medical help in close proximity".

"My next challenge in Panama would be to hike in the Darién. It may not be as much of a challenge as Bocas and at this time cannot imagine it would be any tougher but then I do not know. We will see when the time arrives".

Thank you Remi for letting me interview you and for sharing this very interesting story about your “Trek to Bocas” experience with my readers. I commend you for continually venturing out and exploring beautiful Panama.

We picked up Remi after receiving his call as we had planned prior to his trek. I have learned while living in Panama which is almost two years friends are very central to one’s life when living abroad, I mean “good friends” the sort of person you can rely on. Our community of expats here in Boquete is tight; we have a communication network that is essential to the well-being of everyone.

I hope this article is of help to anyone interested in hiking from Boquete to Bocas. By the way, Remi only took along one small pack back with all the essentials he needed. In addition this being very important, there are guides in Boquete who for a fee will be your guide on this trek. I must emphasize it is important and a must to hire a guide for your Trek to Bocas and on other trails such as Volcan Baru and Sendero Los Quetzales. It is always best and safe to communicate which trail you will be hiking on with the hotel or friends. If you are interested in knowing more email me.

Explore * Dream * Discover.

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HIKING ON BOQUETE'S FINCAS, A HIDDEN TREASURE!

NEW HIKING DAY "EASY WEDNESDAY"

PANAMA HIKING 101 SURVIVAL TOOLS

A Trek From The Past..El Pianista Trail

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