Panama (March 2018): Across the Cordillera Central from Boquete to Caribbean Coast: Day 1

baner-brown

Return to main Cordillera trekking page | Return to main Panama 2018 page

 

google-earth

[Reminder: Click here to access the GPS-recorded waypoints in Google Earth.]

 

On this first day we started hiking at 5am. For more than an hour we walked with our headlamps. When some sunlight came out (around 6:30am) we were already in the deep forest on muddy terrain.

 

DSC04134

 

DSC04137

 

DSC04138

DSC04140

DSC04141

 

DSC04145

DSC04147

DSC04148

 

DSC04150

 

DSC04154

 

DSC04158

 

DSC04159

 

DSC04152

DSC04160

DSC04167

 

DSC04165

 

DSC04163

 

DSC04168

 

DSC04171

 

DSC04179

 

DSC04173

DSC04174

DSC04177

 

DSC04188

DSC04183

DSC04193

 

Is this a bridge? Only 3 cables!

DSC04199

 

On the left, a Ngobe-Bugle man who was traveling alone in the opposite direction.

DSC04201

DSC04204

DSC04209

 

DSC04211

 

DSC04215

 

DSC04216

DSC04221

 

Crossing the second ″bridge″ of the day.

DSC04225

DSC04226

 

DSC04234

DSC04229

 

DSC04241

DSC04238

 

DSC04242

 

DSC04243

 

A citrus tree covered by moss and orchids.

DSC04245

 

DSC04248

DSC04249

 

Third and last ″bridge″ of the day.

DSC04250

 

DSC04253

DSC04254

 

After more than 10 hours on the muddy trail, including almost 9 of actual hiking, we finally reached the small ″finca″ of Lauriano (waypoint 14), where he owns a bunch of cows. This is when I realized that he had been carrying 15kg of salt in his bag, as cows do need salt to maintain appetite and body weight. Skulls of cows posted around the small house welcome the visitors.

DSC04296

DSC04297

 

We spent a dry, comfortable night in this cozy ″refuge″.

DSC04277

DSC04258

 

baner-brown

Return to main Cordillera trekking page | Return to main Panama 2018 page