Boquete:

Boquete is a charming little town nestled in a valley once an active volcano. The climate here is a relief from the blazing heat of the coast. It takes two water taxis and two buses to reach our destination. Days of travel start early in order to cover ground before the sun reaches his maximum and everything takes much longer than the map projects. Once again the kids are awesome travelers, absorbing rough surroundings without complaint. Jordan is always full of questions and we have to tell him to put his queries on hold as we breathlessly carry heavy loads looking for the next station. It would be a perfect world if all bus stations and ports were in the same building or at least area.

We drop our packs at the first hotel opting for clean, spacious and pricey for one night. The young owner is German and perpetuates the old stereotypes of cold superiority so we know this will only be a one nighter. The grounds and building of http://www.islaverdepanama.com/ are immaculate yet our room has a couple of very annoying design flaws such as a tap reaching the edge of the sink rather than middle therefore splashing you not matter how careful you are. And once the shower is turned on full the hose will whip over and spray beyond the curtain giving the rest of the bathroom a nice little rinse. The next day we head to the comforts of Hostel Boquete on the river, it's run by a friendly gentlemen named Dave. We also meet a character name Richard Livingston, a Panamanian born American, who reminded me of the actors George Papard and Lee Marvin. He instructs us on the cheap reliable dinners and assures us he can provide us with equipment to climb Volcan Baru at 11, 400 feet. The next day we drop too much money on the only Zipline Canopy Tour in the area but it is a blast and everyone agrees it was worth it.

The day after we are loaded down with old sleeping bags, camping mats, warm clothing, and sugary food for the trek up the beast. You must be on the peak at 6am or else you probably won't see the Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and half of Panama as it is often shrouded in clouds. We will climb it one day, (approx. 5,500 feet) spend a night in the "HUT" and then down, sounds easy for experienced hikers of all ages especially with our Rocky Mountain training, Right? Excuse my language but it is a bitch of a climb especially with all the antiquated gear. Jordan is a jackrabbit but Ariel sluggishly moves one foot in front of the other like Chris and I. The road is rocky and washed out, the humidity is like a blanket of wet stones on my head.
When we arrive at the HUT seven hours later we realize our definition of HUT is vastly different than the Central Americans. The HUT has a tin roof (good), no walls, no doors, half the floor boards are ripped up for fire wood, garbage is strewn everywhere, the outhouse is a toxic waste site. The whole thing is disheartening and we are cranky for it, snapping at each other. The temperature drops, we humorously watch clouds float by our faces and Chris and I don't get a wink of sleep as we toss and turn on the uneven floor boards that are left. The next day we reach the top in time for pictures and to watch the cloud curtain roll in. Somehow my pictures don't turn out and I forgot to download Chris on my computer. We meet a young backpacker from Ireland who walked up at 11pm in the dark alone and he walks down with us for company. He grabs my weighty pack and insists on carrying it all the way down. Jody Lipsey said there were angels all around us the night before we left on our trip and this is one of those moments when I know exactly what she meant. We arrive at the bottom and Richard is there to drive us back to town, we comment on the state of the SHACK and he makes note of this, I hope it makes a difference to people going up. It should be done in one shot with no weight and not suitable for children due to the length of steady hiking up and down. Our Irish fellow assures us that if the kids can tackle the beast they will be fine doing the 4 day guided trek up Machu Picchu.
Later on that day we have a soda at a restaurant in town, a thud on an overhead entry window alerts us to a bird who continues to fly into the open doorway. Amazingly we are standing a foot away from a stunning toucan. These birds are shy and prefer living high on the top of jungle canopies, and they are as beautiful as pictures portray. We snap of pictures and videos before the owner catches it and wisks it away to the wildlife refuge on the edge of town. It's now time to leave Boquete and head for a few days in Panama City before Chris' plane.