The guidebook said we absolutely must see this lovely town in the highlands, where it is spring year round.
So, after a three-day stint in Bocas del Toro, we water taxied back to our car and headed out on the 30-mile/2-hour drive.
Caution: Be very aware of potholes in Panama. Being that the entire country is a rainforest, the roads are constantly in need of repair.The local joke is to go around a pothole if you see the roof of the car in front of you peekin gout from the top of the hole.
Driving in Panama is a luxury. The country has built roads with the canal funds, but many people do not have cars, thus the roads are wide open.
So, we arrive in Boquete and this really is a veritable Shangri-la. Lush with tropical vegetation; huge Begonias, street lined with Angel Trumpet trees- to the 100's, in all colors, and Haliconias, just to name a few. But, because the town is at the base of a volcano, the decomposed lava is rich with nutrients and the plants love it and grow large and strong.
Boquete (pronounced bo-ket-ee) is a coffee growing region, thus we visited a coffee plantation - Finca Lerida. Here Marc coffee tasted with the owner and the coffee roaster. They were trying to find the right combination of beans for the newly roasted espresso. It was bitter to me. The Panamanian coffee roaster told us that it takes the beans five days from roasting to be ready to be ground and drunk. We were tasting coffee that was less than 10 hours old.
Marc returned to the finca (farm) the next day and hiked with a guide into the rainforest in search of the resplendent Quetzal. Fortunately for him, he saw two quetzals flying around, wagging their long tails. I was sick in bed, so have yet to see a quetzal. Strike two; the first being in Costa Rica 5 years ago. Next time, I promised myself, next time.
Robin Dohrn-SimpsonFreelance Writerwww.robindohrnsimpson.com
So, after a three-day stint in Bocas del Toro, we water taxied back to our car and headed out on the 30-mile/2-hour drive.
Caution: Be very aware of potholes in Panama. Being that the entire country is a rainforest, the roads are constantly in need of repair.The local joke is to go around a pothole if you see the roof of the car in front of you peekin gout from the top of the hole.
Driving in Panama is a luxury. The country has built roads with the canal funds, but many people do not have cars, thus the roads are wide open.
So, we arrive in Boquete and this really is a veritable Shangri-la. Lush with tropical vegetation; huge Begonias, street lined with Angel Trumpet trees- to the 100's, in all colors, and Haliconias, just to name a few. But, because the town is at the base of a volcano, the decomposed lava is rich with nutrients and the plants love it and grow large and strong.
Boquete (pronounced bo-ket-ee) is a coffee growing region, thus we visited a coffee plantation - Finca Lerida. Here Marc coffee tasted with the owner and the coffee roaster. They were trying to find the right combination of beans for the newly roasted espresso. It was bitter to me. The Panamanian coffee roaster told us that it takes the beans five days from roasting to be ready to be ground and drunk. We were tasting coffee that was less than 10 hours old.
Marc returned to the finca (farm) the next day and hiked with a guide into the rainforest in search of the resplendent Quetzal. Fortunately for him, he saw two quetzals flying around, wagging their long tails. I was sick in bed, so have yet to see a quetzal. Strike two; the first being in Costa Rica 5 years ago. Next time, I promised myself, next time.
Robin Dohrn-SimpsonFreelance Writerwww.robindohrnsimpson.com
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