La Fortuna - Las Lajas - Boquete, Panama

Nestled in the mountains of the La Fortuna Forest Reserve is an ecolodge run by a couple of Canadian expats. After not meeting many fellow travelers for the first couple weeks in Panama, it was interesting to stumble upon a collection of fun loving gringos sipping coffee and smoking excessive amounts of cigarettes in this ecolodge compound in the Panamanian cloud forest. We arrived at the tail end of the rainy season, and the beginning of the windy season, and were lucky enough to have both seasons high up in the hills. "Brisas," or little breezes, pick up in early December, and can hit the 70 to 80 mile an hour mark with regularity. What a place to experience both seasons, the rain and the monstrous winds, tucked away in the cloud forest with a bunch of good people, some incredible bugs, hummingbirds, and reptiles, and a high quality foosball table. I must admit, I was impressed and surprised at my respectable performances in the nightly foosball tournaments.

Biodensity in the tropical rainforest of La Fortuna. The noise in this forest was incredible, in a subtle sort of way. On the surface, it was nearly silent. But if you stopped to listen, the wind blew powerfully through the upper ends of the canopy and dozens of different birds rang through the trees. I kept stopping, anticipating to hear a gang of howler monkeys hoop it up. It never happened. I did, however, hear some great birds and see some great plants. Like the ones above, growing on an enormous tree that looked like a less spidery cousin of a banyan tree. The Canadians at the ecolodge apparently called this one something similar to "Old Grandpa," and advised us to sit under the tree to listen to its secret wisdom. I attempted, and was rather immediately devoured by jungle bugs. I walked forty feet down the trail, and somehow managed to elude the cloud of insects. We stood around for a while near the tree, looked at the plants and interconnected systems of vines, and contemplated the several million-strong army of ants that extended several meters down the trail.

Although we saw no sloths or heard no howlers, we did take a break every now and then to admire the creatures dangling from various leafs and branches. This caterpillar was one amongst many miniature beasts wandering around the jungle. Each time we stopped, we'd see several large spiders, nations of ants, caterpillars, leaf bugs, stick bugs, and beetles. If we'd had a local expert meandering through the jungle with us, I'm sure we would have also seen the several thousand insects and mammals that were likely right in front of our eyes.

One very rough-around-the-edges beetle that came to join us for dinner one evening. At night, the monster bugs came out in force. They didn't bother us, as most were slow moving and seemed to be most interested in doing what their genes designed them to do: blend in with the landscape and try to score a free lunch somehow.

Three Pacific-side girls traversing the beach east of David, Panama in their cowgirl boots.

The small town of Boquete, Panama. I assumed I would immediatley dislike this town, as I had heard it was overrun with North American retirees looking for tax loopholes (Panama does not charge property tax and land in Panama is cheap, therefore making it appealing to North Americans to pick up sticks and settle in the spring like climate of Boquete). However, the town has a pull to it, and we ended up staying several days longer than originally expected. In the hills surrounding town are numerous coffee plantations, and two LSD inspired gardens.