I recommend combining Las Nubes and Finca Dracula, home of the largest orchid collection in Panama, in one day. The Sendero Los Quetzales should be done downhill going from Cerro Punta to Boquete and given it’s own day, as both endpoints of the trail are not actually in sufficient civilization. Definitely hike with a buddy, and happy adventuring!

 

 

 

Day 8

Waking to more rain was made up for by breakfast being fresh and hot. It was a happy time for our family.

 

 

We began to doubt the northbound busses after four going the opposite direction had passed us. Just as we were leaving to look for a different spot, I saw the vehicle I knew all too well. The main road is the way to go.

 

 

Guadelupe is my favorite mountain town of the ones I saw. Free of tourists, nightlife, and ATMs, I knew I could get comfortable here. I still saw places to stay and wished I had time to try some out, since online sources are limited to recommending an 18USD dorm bed at Los Quetzales Ecolodge. There were incredible views of hilly farms and so so many places for wonderful strawberry treats. Situated at “the end of the road,” this place is where any local will tell you to find your berry fix.

 

 

Lonely Planet compares these places to Switzerland, but I say they’re a notch up on the ratchet meter. We walked up the hill to Finca Dracula, an orchid garden that got me fascinated in not only the peculiarities of orchids, but also the intelligence of plants in general. Bring your student ID if you have one, because your entry goes from 10 to 3.5USD. Comes with an English tour beginning at 11am. A small coffee shop includes green juices and tea on their menu, and plastic orchid magnets are also available for purchase. Adam got the cutest macchiato while we shoved our faces with yogurt raisins and peanut butter.

 

 

Nadia took us through the garden and pointed out the orchids in bloom. I love that the staff really goes out of their way to simulate natural conditions. Orchids are epiphytes, or non-parasitic and in need of another plant for support in order to thrive. Each plant is tested in a certain location before being permanently planting it onto the base plant. One flower she pointed out was the hot pink “lipstick orchid.”

 

 

 

Nadia also explained that the resplendent quetzals do come sometime, and that they like to eat fruits called “mini avocados.” Before spring begins, the males first arrive and claim a tree, preparing to display their beauty for when females come to feed. The males are also responsible for raising the chicks, one chick per nest per mating season. Every traveler dreams to catch a glimpse of the most coveted organism of Central America, mainly found from Guatemala down. Francisco, my host dad from yesterday, had seen countless.

 

 

 

In case you missed anything outside, a greenhouse displayed an supplemental and extensive visual feast. Nadia’s favorite is the miniature ones, that look like a speck on a leaf. The Dracula strain includes an orchid that looks like the face of a monkey. Some are huge and feel like plastic. Others are in a string and each petal is stained with colors to attract pollinators. Hummingbirds zoomed around.

 

 

We hiked back to town and enjoyed frozen (dura) strawberries and cream at the vending stand of Restaurante Yadira. A small cup the size of a shot glass only costs a quarter. A pint of fresh whole berries is around 3USD all throughout Chiriqui.

 

 

Two overweight men were enjoying a bottle of 6USD homemade blackberry wine. We befriended them, a process always started by the lovely Marcela, and they gave us the rest of the tasty tart drink. Yao gave them Ferrero Rochers in return.

 

 

We were picked up by none other than Jocksan, the young taxi driver who drove us to Las Nubes with his yellow pick-up truck yesterday. Not Jackson, Jocksan. Marcela, Katie, and I smooshed into the passenger seat and told him that we were his girlfriends, he was our bae. I was barely able to breathe and flexed my quads so hard, worried I was about to accidentally change gears for Jocksan.

 

 

The trail starts uphill and I was dead last in the group. I function best when I hike slow with no stops. We were immersed in dripping forests for the next 6km, which took about 6 hours. Downhill. The trek was infinitely more enjoyable and safer than Las Nubes. Located within Parque Nacional Volcán Barú, admission is 5USD if they see you. Which they did cause Marcela is friendly like that.

 

 

At around halfway a small mirador actually revealed a lush valley accented by a rainbow protruding from thick clouds, like they were sticking out their tongue out. Nothing but fog would’ve been totally expected, but I really encourage myself to always take a look if I’m already out there, content with whatever I might find.

 

 

Waterfalls and green things aside, the hike started to suck. Thank God for finding a stick for knee support. Mud increased and conversation decreased. We crossed a river, but quickly looked like poop all over again. At the end it felt like I was cutting through people’s backyards, although I saw no one, followed by more uphill. The biggest issue was how late we had started the trek. Now dark, we reached a ranger station (or should I say warehouse) at 7:30 that had no electricity, but only a small man, who told us we had two hours left till town (Boquete).

 

 

I was suddenly on a high kick and was yelling and screaming, out of happiness, on this paved yet deserted road. Everyone else was pretty quiet. My brisk pace lasted about an hour. Then life was pretty hardcore Type II Fun as Later Katie and I fell behind, and if you actually took a second and thought about what our current status, it was terrifying. We saw random lights moving across the sky, dogs came at us on the road, and we heard no sign of our group for twenty minutes. On the brink of hallucination, Adam comes out of the shadows and presents a van who picked us up and took us to Hostel Nomba. Although we hiked for two hours like the ranger said, it would’ve been at least another hour before we reached civilization.

 

 

Here I caused a scene out of rashness and disappointment. We were nowhere near town, as always, and reception was locked. I made Adam look bad when asking on behalf of the group to move hostels because he finally found the owner and was talking to her. My lack of sense stressed him out, making me a super shitty group member because I should’ve instead tried to make his life easier and appreciated his leadership. I apologized.

For Thanksgiving dinner half the group boiled ramen. My eyes pop out of my skull when I check Facebook. Marcos, the man-bun man of Bocas who was gonna stay there forever and start a business last time I checked, was in Boquete. Marcella and Katie told me I had to ditch. So did my gut.

I went to sleep shortly before Marcos replied he was in the exact hostel I had wanted us to move to.

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