David and Karen Journey – DNKJOURNEY

We depart Denver early on the 18th and arrive Qatar on the evening of the 19th. Our longest flight leg is 16 hours from Washington Dulles to Doha Qatar non stop.

We were in Doha for Kians’ 12th Birthday. Here are the three top Doha attractions rated by their Grandparents….

Arrived safely, in bed, Saturday night at 10:30pm Doha time.

On January 30 we fly to South Africa where we will be touring South Africa until March 4th. First stop Kruger National Park.

The pins on this map show where we have traveled during our 3 month trip to Costa Rica and Panama.

In the course of our travels there were often butterflies, the blue morphs were gorgeous in nature, but oh so hard to photograph. Those butterflies move fast! A butterfly pavilion became a checklist item, not only to revisit the the wonders of winged creatures, but to enjoy the art of photography; our new avocation.

We even saw butterflies hatching, there are a couple of photos posted on this blog. David even has a video of the hatching.

This rainforest area is located 1 1/2 hours outside San Jose on the side of the Poas Volcano. It is a wildlife refuge center, a butterfly pavilion and has a series of waterfalls over hundreds of acres. Once again, David and I find it as an opportunity to photograph under a large variety of conditions and yet enjoy the beauty of the day and this place.

We are winding up this trip, these places are a sort of recap of the beauty of nature and the animals we have found over the last 3 months.

We loved our first visit to the El Manatial Macaw Sanctuary we took a detour on our way to San Jose to make a second visit. Check out the mating Macaws.

The first visit to the macaws was so wonderful, so colorful, so inspiring, and so photogenic that we decided on a do-over.  What a fun afternoon!  The birds are so much fun to photograph, and every opportunity to improve our camera skills in a beautiful setting is a win-win.  Hope you enjoy the results.

Corcovado is a National Park on the Osa Peninsula in southwestern Costa. It was established on 24 October 1975, and encompasses an area of 263 mi. It is widely considered the crown jewel in the extensive system of national parks and biological reserves spread across the country. The ecological variety is quite stunning. National Geographic has called it “the most biologically intense place on Earth in terms of biodiversity”. Not only is the park very popular with tropical ecologists, a visitor can expect to see an abundance of wildlife.

The lodge has their own nature excursions, unfortunately, I have swelling in my ankle if I walk a lot. So we decided to hike on our own, and see if there was any issues before we joined a group. 3-4 km, and 3 hours later, I was ready for an ibuprofen and a pillow under my leg. The shortest hike offered was 10 km and 6 hours. So we were limited to our own devices, up the river, down the beach, around the property . . . . And as you can see, photographing the seagulls flying in perfect formation and surfing the waves. It was still a wonderful way to see a wonderful park.

David is nervous, 5 days without electricity, and his only strategy is to charge his world before he goes. Laptops, iPads, big cameras, little cameras, water cameras you get the idea . . . . . . Note to self, pack the flashlight. Will be deep in the jungle and rain Forrest in Costa Ricas’ Corcovado National Park in the Osa Penninsula.

Check it out http://www.laleonaecolodge.com/costa-rica-rain-forest.html

Stay Tuned for an interesting post on this one including photos, while batteries last.

Golf carts, and taxis, and buses, and walking, more taxis, a minibus, a border crossing, a speed boat, a horse cart for the luggage, and a 3 km walk down the beach for people. Now that is a transit. And it really takes 3 days of nonstop travel.

Just outside Panama City again and time to go through the must do list. Birds, that is what has made this part of Panama so famous, something like 900 species. The most famous spot is “pipeline road” and some of the canopies in that area have radar towers left from the American Panama Canal era. You look DOWN from 100 feet on the rainforest, and the birds flying around and below you. Unfortunately for us, it was raining that day and birds were pretty scarce, besides, they are most active at 6 am – NOT. But we saw some birds and monkeys and the visitor center had hummingbird feeders, some of my very favorite and the only species I actually knew the names.

We spent the night in a floating lodge in the heart of the Panama Canal. Where on earth would that happen. This extended house boat is the brainchild of an American guy, we went on excursions in a dug out canoe, saw more monkeys, and some waterfalls, kayaking and photography were great. We were a small boat buzzing around and looking up at those super freighters transiting the canal. But waking up, literally in the jungle, by howler monkey and birdlife could not happen any where but this magical place. It was a gas.

Boquete is the end of our road in Panama before we turn around and return to Panama City. The holidays are quickly approaching. This small sleepy town of coffee plantations can lure you in. Located in the mountains, it is cool and dry, the expats are very friendly and are living a panama dream here just as lovely as the beach people, but with an arts flair– they have theatre groups, and libraries, and coffee shops. Everyone knows everyone, and mostly have good things to say.

We took a rafting trip, the owner is from Telluride Colorado, and snapped these pictures (stay tuned for photos) off the boats going down river. It was a fun day, a beautiful way to see Panama in all the natural elements. Birds, lizards, monkeys and sloth plus cervesas, (beer for you gringos) it almost felt like home. I know, we do not have monkeys and sloths on our river banks, but there is the camaraderie of a rapid well run or a person getting a face full of water.

While walking back to our B&B, we saw a sign for villas and casino.  A casino with ‘Sloth Machines’.

Amid the background of Central American activities ancient and spectacular, is to find a new cultural phenomena — a North American expat community. What exactly attracts those snow birds, is it like Florida? Grey haired drivers wielding golf carts? How will you recognize one? Is it expensive, is it for us?

Well you recognize the highway bill boards with names of housing areas. Words like sea or sun, and the lovely fabric flags with the symbol of the housing area, either side of the road approaching the over the top entrance with large silvery letters, and security guards — lots of them. Two or three sets.

Then you see some of the most beautiful beaches and tall high rises, one near the other and once inside you are sure you are near a Marriott. These are planned communities. Pools, saunas, work out areas, great wi-fi and english speaking television, happy hour and a whole lot of happy people. Most are 50-60 years old, robust, the kind that swim every day, or walk 10,000 steps. They are interesting, from all over the world really, not just North America each with a tale of what brought them to this little piece of paradise and very interested in the community. They claim to have very little free time, given friendships and volunteer work, personal goals and travel to even more far flung places on earth.

David and I feel very at home, everyone so inviting and seeking the same lifestyle of continuing education by way of experiences. We called Colorado and told a few people, you would just love this place. I think we do to. We looked at the two bedroom condos, just in case we get company. Hopefully, we will be back next year for a month instead of just a few days to see if it is just as magical. Care to signup?

Just a few hours outside of Panama City, is a town built inside of a caldera.  Located just off the Pan American highway, you drive up a very steep road, summit the ridge of the ancient volcano and then down again into the caldera.  It reminds me of  Ngorongoro crater where life is lived within the very fertile soils left behind as a result of the volcano, in this case the rainforest.  We settled at the casa Luis, a Mac computer lover and designer of his beautiful compound.  David and he became fast friends, contrasting and comparing computer attributes.  Luis invited us and the other guests, to his wine bar for a few glasses of wine while we chatted the evening away, us in Spanish, the locals in English each side wanting to practice the others language.  It was such a remarkable evening.

The next day, we went 4×4 ATVing over to one of the waterfalls in the valley.  A foot friendly activity.  The owners were from Canada and we really enjoyed listening to their adventures starting a business in a foreign country and living the ex-pat life.  We all know how blessed we are to be multi-cultural, and Dave and I are suddenly aware of the difference between visiting and working in a foreign country.

Today was a day straight out of National Geographic magazine.  More than ten years ago, several families of Embera indians original from the remote rainforest tribes of Darien’s jungle migrated to Chagres River’s bank, situated at less than hour and half from Panama City.  The villages are built on a small rise, set approximately 100 feet in from the river.

The houses of the village are set about 20– 50 feet apart atop the rise on posts, with no walls, but tall thatched roofs.  Their houses are raised off the ground about eight feet. The houses stand on large posts set in the ground, and have thatched roof made from palm fronds. All the joinery is with vines. There are few walls. Hanging from the supporting posts and beams are hammocks, baskets, pots, bows and arrows, mosquito nets, clothing and other items. The floor is made of split black palm trunks.  The houses are accessed from the ground via a sloped log with deep notches for a ladder. They sometimes turn the notches face down at night or if the family is away or wants privacy, the down turned notches represent a closed door.

The Indians have their own form of government and live by their own set of unwritten rules. They avoid relying on any  branch of the Panamanian government, and choose to not assimilate into Panamanian society.  Although they do go into the city from time to time and since it is illegal in Panama to appear shirtless, they own some western clothes, but choose to remain dressed in their cultural garb while in their village.

The men sport “bowl cut” hair styles, and when not in towns, still wear nothing but a minimal loin cloth. The women wear brightly colored cloth wrapped at the waist as a skirt. Except when in towns, the women do not cover their torsos, and wear long, straight black hair. No one wears shoes.  They paint their bodies with a dye made from the berry of a species of genip tree. The black dye is thought to repel insects.  Using this same dye, they print intricate geometric patterns all over their bodies, using wood blocks carved from balsa wood or two bamboo shoots to make parallel lines. The women also wear silver necklaces and silver earrings; many of the necklaces being made of old silver coins. They punch a hole in the coin and run a silver chain through it. Many of the coins on these necklaces date to the 19th century and are passed down from mother to daughter.

The ship ported an hour north of Panama City, in Colon.  Carl, Julie, Dave and I rented a 3 bedroom condo in the city and toured from there, walking along the broad walks next to the sea investigating the ruins of the original Panama City, sacked by Captain Morgan of the famous rum brand.   The night view from our apartment was breath taking.  As you can see, Dave has continually working on his photography skills.    One of our side trips brought us upriver to the Embrea Indian Tribe.

We woke up at 2 am to watch our masted boat go under the bridge of the Americas.  The captain must give control of his boat to the Panama Canal authorities, and this entrance to the canal zone must occur at low tide.  Even so, there was only 6 feet between the top of our mast and the bottom of that bridge.  Laying on the deck of the yacht looking upward, you were sure we wouldn’t make it, but it is all a perspective is it not.   The ship sat in the staging area for several more hours waiting for our appointed position to come.  Apparently ships move north bound in both lanes in the morning and south bound in the afternoon.

The ship provided every documentary ever made about the canal as part of the shipboard television system.  The French began the process, working with the same mindset they used successfully with the Suez Canal, but that area was flat, and Panama is mountainous.  Also in the late 1800’s yellow fever and malaria transmission were not well understood. The French abandoned the project 10 years later.  We passed a hillside covered in white crosses, our guide said it was the French memorial, each cross represented 100 lives.

The US came in early 1900’s, got the mosquito under control, and created the lock system successfully used today.  By building a dam they flooded a large area named Gatun Lake and then built a lock system to move boats up to the lake on the Pacific side and down again to the Atlantic side.  Your day is spent entering rectangular boxes waiting for water to fill or drain, watching your neighbor in the same but different part of the process and generally milling around the yacht eating, listening to the commentary provided over the speaker system.  Our little yacht looked like a toy boat next to those massive car carrying ships, or the container ships.

My daughter, Christin, works for Maersk, and I know she fusses continually on tracking those containers, and making their journey more efficient, and I stood at the side of the ship watching giant cranes moving boxes around like jig saw puzzle pieces and appreciated her business challenges more completely.  I also want to travel across the ocean in one of the container ships, I am going to put that one on my bucket list, Oh Christian, I have a favor to ask . . . . . . . .

A six masted, 140 person, luxury sailing yacht.  Our home for 7 nights and 8 days was glorious for so many.  reasons.   We could unpack, relax, settle in.  The moment that was completed we could explore, visit far flung national parks, go to the beach with toys (Carl went water skiing, Julie went paddle boarding, Karen & Dave went kayaking), we snorkel in reefs teeming with colorful fish.  Karen could wrap the cast in a Dillards plastic bag, and crutch from the ship (wet landings meant jumping into the surf) to the beach chairs; remove the cast and crutch myself to the water; finally fling those crutches onto the sand so they would not be taken away in the tides.

The buoyancy of the salt water let me float or stand around and visit, ah so normal.  Back on board we could eat, again and again, meet fascinating people, some who are doing exactly what David and I were, RV and international travel.  We already plan to meet these folks again.  It was a wonderful week, we watch the world go by, have long visits with our friends Carl and Julie.  We did not take many pictures this week, the cast kept me from hiking and much foot exploration and David stayed home with me, but what a great way to heal — your foot up and endless waiters going by.   The apex of the week, however, was transiting the Panama Canal.

What a treat! I have never been so close to so many macaws flying freely in my life. El Manatial takes in abandoned, injured and illegally captured birds, rehabilitates and breeds them for release into the wild.  Additionally, the government brings animals, mostly monkeys, which were kept as pets or confiscated in ports (being smuggled out of the country); they cannot be returned to the wild after the smell of humans is found on their skin.

Dozens of gorgeous young macaws perch in the trees around the feeding stations. They constantly fly about, brilliant colors flashing in every direction. We have to occasionally duck as they fly toward the feeding stations. Waddling on the ground, some attempt to open a spigot to get water. Toucans join them for the fruit. The rambunctious teenagers continually squawk and screech. The cacophony occasionally hurts my ears, but what a thrill.  The macaws are free to come or go, most hang around for about a year before they are transported to other jungle locations to live freely.  450 macaws over 15 years, have been released into the jungle by this group ensuring they will not be on the endangered for extinction list ever again.

The goal was both micro and macro…..   For the big picture, our cruise later that week departed from the town just down the road, and in the interest of clean laundry, and returning rental cars, it made a lot of sense to stay near the port.  But the micro level was a lot more fun.  Our hotel had the longest zip line in Costa Rica, 25 cables over 11 waterfalls.  Who could not love that.  Then they had rope courses, ATV’s, climbing walls.  We could be kept busy and happy while our laundry was being done.  Win, win.

There was one small problem.

Karen broke her left ankle on November 18.  I guess you can say there is nothing that is a little bit broken.  It hurt – a lot.  The doctor put a removable cast on, and lots of Velcro straps.  But Karen really wanted to not sit out more activities, so with only a little pleading and of course the lengthy  liability waiver, I got to go.  It will remain one of the best memories I have.  The scenery was stunning, the zip line traveled along a river system from high to low, and the travel along the cables was exhilarating, even more since the foot was such an encumbrance.

And the best was left for last.  At the end of cable 25, we found David, who went to town for cold beers.  Cable 26, driving home, we were recounting our adventures, regaling stories, and giddy from our adventures was the sweetest of all.