Boquete, the town

This place!  When we decided to visit Panama I am not sure what I expected.  I knew the weather would be hot and steamy.  I knew Panama City was an old, well-established city.  I knew we would see rainforests and jungles.  But, oh, Boquete. 

Picture a little village slung below the rims of a valley at the top of the Chiriqui highlands.  The views are spectacular and the little town is quaint.  We see evidence of its hope to become commercial, but that’s a long time away.  A few really good restaurants catering to tourists and well-heeled locals, primarily expats, are here and there on the main street and a secondary road. Pizza joints and coffee shops stand ready to cater to backpackers staying a few days in in hostels.

There is a government retail complex where local farmers and craftsmakers sell beautiful produce and bright colored native handicrafts.  Then of course, there a just a few typical souvenir stores selling stuff probably made in China.  The big to-do’s in Boquete are to enjoy luscious locally grown strawberries and have a cup of gelato.

We only did three things today.  But those there were enough.  The pavement on the road just outside our Airbnb guest house ends just past our house but continues uphill into the hills.  That, we decided, would be our exercise walk this morning.  Dag!  The packed dirt and rock road was almost straight up in some sections.  We almost changed our plans but just kept walking.  We met a young woman resting on a rock.  She had already made it to the top of the hill and encouraged us to go on.  There’s a plantation up there she told us.  We chatted about Panama and her home in Romania.  She told us that when  visit Eastern Europe we must visit the Danube Delta.   It’s off  the beaten path for most tourists and it has water, forests, and sloths.  Priceless information!!

As we continued upward, we saw fields of low growing coffee trees planted among taller hardwoods.  Some young ones had red and green coffee berries growing on their branches already.  We passed vast fields where workers were busy harvesting huge bags of potatoes and cabbages.  Across the way onion fields were being hand weeded by laborers.  There were plots of avocado, lime and orange.  As we walked the hill we past meager homes of indigenous people whose men work the fields.  Women were washing clothes and the kids waved at us and we passed Buenos Dias and hellos back and forth.  We answered each child with a hearty hello or hola in return to their greetings.  It was one those priceless moments.

After that unplanned hike we walked down up hill to the little town of Boquete (meaning is Bucket and it is just that, settled in at the top of the mountains).  We walked up and down each little street window shopping at just-baked breads, cafes, clothing shops and chocolate & coffee shops .  We had a wonderful  lunch,  steak for Stan and seafood for me at Restaurante Mar de Grau  overlooking a garden.  Because it looked so well cared for, my mind pictured a bent grandmother planting and tending the lush tropical garden.

We spent the rest of the day exploring Boquete – our time here is far too short.  We indulged in strawberries  (fresas con crema) and tres leche gelato.  I can attest.  Both are every bit as outrageously delicious as described in all the blogs about Boquete.

Before we returned to our lovely koi pond house, I needed to buy sunscreen.  I have a big container of sunscreen in Panama City but I needed a size that will pass airport  security inspections when we make our return flight.  I could not take chances; they already snagged by pink bag tools.  Sunscreen is liquid gold here.  Twelve dollars for 3 ounces and that was a bargain.    Some stores charged $32.00.  I had to have it though; my arms are growing far too brown, and I have four more days yet in the sun on this side of the country.

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