Hiking – to the Canopy, Hot Springs, Jungle, etc.

One of the benefits of getting connected with the expat community in Boquete is connecting with local activities here. We are now on three different email lists for hiking throughout the week. The hikes range from two hours for the Monday hike to 3.5-4 hrs for the Thursday hike. Bill goes on all the hikes … but because of my Spanish lesson schedule, I only go on the Thursday and Saturday hikes. Our first hike was one of the physically demanding Thursday hikes up to the canopy where people zipline across the jungle canopy.

The Saturday walk was on a gravel and dirt road, across fields with cows and across a rickety swinging bridge to the hot springs here in Caldera. Besides the scenery of the river, green fields, cows and chickens, we saw mango trees, petroglyphs, and, of all things, a water buffalo! There are two hot springs you can visit here in Caldera. Both are a hike to get to after you drive on the gravel road to the bridge. We hope to go to the other one soon.

Last Thursday I couldn't go, but Bill hiked with the group up into the jungle. Because of the rain, the trail was muddy and slick, as well as very steep. It was so dark because of the thick foliage, he said you couldn't really see much of anything. Around 20 people started the hike, but all but 5 turned back at some point. Bill hiked the whole thing, but was a bit over exerted and basically rested the rest of the day and into the next.

The mountains remind me of the Smoky mountains in Tennessee in early fall. You see clusters of color among the greens and blues in the mountains, like we have when the leaves start turning. However, the leaves aren't turning here … the bursts of color, reds, whites, oranges, purple … come from the flowering of the trees themselves. It is really a beautiful sight.

Overall, the hikes have been a lot of fun … with exercise, great scenery, plus interesting conversation.