As we wind down to our last day, we are reflective on what a great time we had. We arrived safely in the town of David and utilized it as a home base for venturing out to other parts of the country.
We spent a day at Coco Beach, a new real estate development being built about 30 minutes outside of David, Chiriquí. One can see the potential development there with one of the largest, most stunningly beautiful beaches we’ve experienced. The beach sand is dark so one needs to have on sandals till you get to the water. The beach seemed to go on for miles with visual aspects of the beautiful sea and swaying palm trees. That’s one thing to mention, there is always a breeze here in Panama…a warm breeze at that, so you never seem to get too hot. As well, comparatively to our summers in Ontario, it’s without the intense humidity. I wouldn’t want to mislead, it is hot, but with the steady breeze, the warmth flows over you in ways that are healing to the soul.
Our next day we headed into the town of Boquete…(pronounced, Bo-Ket-eh). It is a small town on the Caldera River, in western Panama. The surrounding highlands are home to coffee plantations and the Barú Volcano National Park. This town, which is only about a 45-minute drive from the town of David, offers a much cooler climate due to its elevated location. Daytime highs hit around 24 degrees and the nights are much cooler around 16 degrees. So, for anyone who fears the heat in Panama, this area would be much more manageable.
We started by taking a scenic drive up the mountain. Given that I was the designated driver for our trip, it is not for the faint of heart driving up this mountain. The road itself is barely big enough for one car, let alone when another car is coming and you have to try and move over. Imagine an old pick-up truck, loaded to the brink, coming down a hill at you. It’s almost laughable at times to think that you will make it but you just keep your eyes on the road and be thankful that in this instance, we had rented a tiny little car. The roadway is fraught with twists and turns and the most dramatic incline/declines I have ever driven on. However, the scenic views are beyond spectacular. To say that you’re “experiencing from the clouds” seems accurate.
We decided to do a hike on the Waterfall Trail. It was about 4KM with a fairly steady “upwards” but was still manageable. A few of the walking bridges were questionable, but our destination of the waterfall at the top made it worth it. Although the photos below won’t do it justice, we would get to a clearing which opened up into magnificent views that were so large, no camera could capture the beauty. It’s mesmerizing and for a moment, it leaves you a bit weak-kneed with that interpretation of, “we’re so small.” We came upon a 1,000-year-old tree, a small group of white-faced monkeys; saw vegetation that was interesting and beautiful along with various streams that were crystal clear. It was a lovely hike and enjoyable as with the higher altitude, the cooler temperature was welcomed.
Our time in David concluded as our next stop was Pedasí…(pronounced, Ped-es-see). Pedasí is a small town on the south-eastern tip of the Peninsula on Panama’s Pacific coast. With a population of around 2,500 people, it’s mainly a fishing village to locals and marketed as a strong expat area. We rented a house here a could easily walk to town. There are a few restaurants, some owned by expats and others being more local. We toured some of the local beaches and given the area in Panama, it’s more populated by the surfing crowd as the beaches are prone to bigger swells and waves. As well, we’ve discovered that there are several micro climates, so this time of year, Pedasí is lush (following the rainy season). We’re told that it has some of the lowest rainfall in all of Panama so it can become desert-like as the months follow.
This morning, we drove about 5 minutes to a new place known for breakfast called, Coucou Crazy. Only ever open for breakfast, it’s a Belgian guy named, Denis (known for his waffles), opened up just over a year ago and why the name? Because he was a lawyer, hated it, loved to create food and his girlfriend said he was “Coucou Crazy” for leaving all that to move to Panama! A simple outdoor space made from an old shipping container, many locals and travellers go to him and he has a friendly, beautiful dog named, Ginger (because of her colour). She sat patiently beside us as we ate (of course with a little treat at the end). A wonderful way to finish up our time.
We made our way back to Panama City as tonight we have a hotel on the waterfront to see the fireworks as we all bid farewell to 2018 and openly welcome the many new challenges and experiences that await us all throughout 2019.
Wishing everyone our very best as we cross the threshold together.
Love to all,
D&D
xo
