Portobelo

Hola Amigos! I went on a small spontaneous adventure recently, so thought I'd share the story and try to get back into the bloggin groove. I wanted to take advantage of having two days off in a row (something that doesn't happen too often) so I decided to leave El Valle for a little change in scenery. 

Hasta luego El Valle, you beautiful place. 

I've been wanting to go SCUBA diving since coming down here, especially since I haven't gone in way, way, wayyy too long (Almost 2 years!!). So I did some super last-minute googling to see if I could find somewhere decent to dive that wouldn't break the bank. It's not often that you have two oceans to choose from when deciding where to dive nearby! Luckily on Saturday morning before I left, I narrowed in on the perfect weekend destination - an old Caribbean seaport where there were plenty of dive spots, historic forts to explore, and a cheap pirate-themed hostel called Captain Jack's. Vamos a Portobelo! 

*Cue Pirates of the Caribbean theme song*

 Portobelo is located in Colon province, located just a couple hours northeast of Panama City. The journey involved 3 different bus rides. From El Valle to Panama City, (2.5 hours, $4.25) then on towards Colon (1.5 hours, $3.10) and finally from a small junction town just before Colon called Las Sabanitas where I caught a busted old retired school bus eastward to Portobelo (1.25 hours, $1.15). With transfer time included and stopping to pick up everybody and their new-born child, chicken, grandmother on the way, the whole journey took about 6 hours.  

Rough outline of the journey (took much longer than 3 hours) 

That last bus turned out to be one of the better parts of the trip. I got to where I thought I needed to wait for the next bus, but immediately figured I'd better check. Just as I was looking for who might be most helpful, I felt a tug on my Camelbak. I turned to see a kid in a Scout uniform! He was pointing to his own Camelbak proudly.

Regular water bottles are for sissies. 

This totally threw me off. I knew there were scouts in other countries, but I never expected to actually see them. Their troop of about 10 boys and girls were dressed in uniforms not too much different than the one I used to wear every Tuesday night (and many weekends) while growing up. I asked if they were scouts, and of course they were. I proudly told them that I was a Scout in the U.S. - but held back blabbing about how much scouting influenced my life and how happy I was to see other Scouts in a different part of the world. In my mind though, memories of scouting trips were flooding back.

Brothers in Scouting - more mature through the years?? 

I asked about the bus next, and they told me they were going to Portobelo as well - they'd show me the way! (A Scout is Helpful). Seconds later a brightly painted school bus pulled up, aka a Diablo Rojo (Red Devil) as they are affectionately called here. Supposedly these are old U.S. school buses that have failed inspection, and have passed on through to the other side where they can show their true colors...  

This is what a School bus drop-out looks like

This bus for Portobelo was probably one of the most crowded buses I have seen so far - when it arrived the aisle was totally crammed full of standing people. Even more people were waiting to get on. I figured I'd just wait for the next one. Instead, the scouts grabbed me and urged me to follow them (A Scout is Kind). They started getting on the bus from the back - through the emergency exit, (A Scout is Brave) which was very smart since that cut out the entire line. I followed suit... and we were off!

Up, Up y Arriba! 

While crammed together at the back of the bus, I chatted with their leader about my time in Scouts and told him I was an Eagle Scout, but mostly I listened intently to him tell me about the Scouting program down here (A Scout is Friendly). He told me about the different events he has taken their troop on recently, showed me photos from past Court of Honor ceremonies, etc. Since these months are the equivalent of summer break (kids are off school here from Dec - March) - they have been making lots of trips recently.

While chatting with him, I couldn't help but think about how incredibly thankful I am that I have been speaking Spanish on a daily basis since I arrived down here in October. By this point I am able to converse and comprehend much much more than I was able to a few months ago. Without this key to the culture, this interaction would have been very different.  

By the time he had gone through his entire phone gallery of scouting photos, the bus started to thin out a bit - and we found empty seats in different parts of the bus. He let me take the first seat that came open (A Scout is Courteous) and later went towards the front of the bus for another open seat.  The scouts got off the bus a bit before we got to town, with the intention of hiking in while picking up trash. Litter is a huge problem down here, so this was an awesome service. (A Scout is Clean) 

Arriving in Portobelo 

I waved goodbye to them through the window as the bus pulled off. They yelled back "Nos vemos por allá!" (See ya there!) I slid over to the window to get a better view. I'd read about 2 or 3 sentences about Portobelo in my Lonely Planet, so I knew I could expect to see some old forts there. This place was once the largest Spanish port in the Americas, used as a transport point for almost all of the gold that came out of South America during the 15th century. Sure enough, as we got closer I caught a glimpse of some of the former glory of this famous seaside city. 

Primary form of transportation

Once in town, I headed towards the local hostel first so I could drop off my backpack before heading back out to explore. Located at the end of a hilly side street just a two minute walk from the town center, this was a very unique spot. I headed upstairs to find a balcony full of all sorts of folks (gringos) eating lunch, day drinking and carrying on. Captain Jack was behind the bar slinging drinks, and seemed quite busy, yet relaxed. He fit the part of "Captain Jack" well - appearing on first glance to be a kind old seadog with graying, lengthy locks tied back in a ponytail. Seemed like a dude that rarely let anything ruffle his mellow. I ordered a Balboa from him when he turned my way, and took a moment to soak it all in.

Happiness is a cold beer

The beer tasted great after the long journey, an appropriate way to celebrate arriving at my destination. Then again, the journey is the destination! It's all about the experience, man.... ;-)

I eventually clued Captain Jack in to the fact that I planned to stay the night, and when time allowed he had one of his kitchen workers (who turned out to just be a traveler that hung around long enough to get put to work) show me a bunk below deck. It legitimately felt a bit like the belly of an old pirate ship down there, with clothes and bags strewn about the bunks, dim lights coming in through small portholes, and faint urine smells coming from the bathroom. It's all good, I was only planning to crash there for a night, not move in. So I dropped off my bag, slathered sunscreen on my neck, and headed out to explore the town. 

My first mission was to check in with the 2Oceans Dive shop that I would be diving with tomorrow. I wanted to meet the divemasters and figure out what time I needed to show up, how to pay, etc. This turned out to be a longer task than expected since I had to walk about 30 min down the road to get there. I would have taken a taxi, but none passed by me. The divemasters were very nice, and were pretty happy when they discovered I could speak Spanish. So I arranged to meet them at 7 am for breakfast in town, and then they'd drive me back to the shop. Sweet deal! After a bit more chatting, I happily told them chao and walked back to town. 

Proud to be a Scout!

Back in town, I walked past the plaza and saw the scouts from earlier hanging out there. I headed over to say Hola, and they got pretty excited when they saw me. We chatted a bit about what we'd been up to for the past couple hours, and they told me they'd just finished picking up all the trash in the plaza - proudly pointing to 3 full sacks of garbage. I congratulated them and asked for a photo with their troop to show my friends. The leader yelled out "Selfie! Selfie!" and gathered up all the kids. Thankfully we didn't actually take a "selfie" (not at all a selfie fan) since I asked a nearby gringa to take our photo. 

The kids gave me a hat to wear for the photo, and then after a couple calls of "Uno mas!" we let the poor woman off the hook. She seemed to find the whole spectacle quite entertaining. Then their leader had the kids split into patrol groups and give their respective Patrol yells. If this wasn't awesome enough, they then lined up as a whole troop and gave a series of cheers specifically to honor me. (A Scout is Cheerful) I don't think I could possibly have had a bigger smile on my face. (Scouts are Awesome!) 

They told me to keep the hat I wore for the photo, which instantly became one of my favorite souvenirs. I invited them to come to El Valle to see the frogs I work with, and all the kids were begging their leader to plan a trip. He seemed pretty keen on it, and we exchanged numbers before splitting ways - so hopefully I'll see these kids again on familiar turf. 

Searching for Pirates from the ancient watchtower 

With my heart full of joy and a smile from ear to ear, I wandered down to the seashore to explore some of the forts. Shot some cannon photos with my Nikon :-P, and then recalled that my Lonely Planet had mentioned an overlook in town where an old watchtower was located. Wanting to check it out while there was still daylight, I followed the road uphill until I spied a small set of stairs leading up to the grassy knoll overlooking the bay. I stood there peacefully, imagining the view that the Spanish soldiers who once stood here might have had while keeping guard over this precious treasure cove. 

Portobelic Panoramic

I love sitting in historic places, and simply letting my mind wander back in time. The fact that this place has so much history of pirate activity made it even better! From my vantage point, I spied a fort just to the right of the town center that I hadn't explored yet. So after a bit more mind-wandering and peaceful pinnacle pensiveness, I strolled back down the stairs to head over and check it out. 

Largest fort built in Portobelo 

Walking around, I could tell this fort was particularly larger than the other one I'd visited. Called Fuerte San Jerónimo, this was the largest fort ever built to protect the bay. Some of the 18 or so cannons here have been in the same place since the Spanish troops abandoned them in 1821, when Panama gained independence. 

An ancient outlook on life

In a corner of the fort, I saw two younger local guys chilling on one of the rocky and hardened coral ledges. In the friendliness mood of the tropics, I said "Que Sopa?" to them while passing by. To those that know Spanish - here this does not mean, "What soup?" but actually, "What's up?" Panamanians incorporate A LOT of English words into their slang. They hollered something back as I walked on that I didn't hear, so I turned to clarify. Next thing I know they were offering me a swig of rum while we chatted about our Carnaval plans. Another awesome interaction that would have in no way been possible without knowing Spanish. 

As an already nearly empty bottle dwindled, I moseyed on and sat in one of the old gun ports for a spell  - letting the inner warmth from the satisfaction of interacting with locals (and the rum) wash over me while watching the sunset. Life is good. 

Later on, back at Captain Jack's I had a fun evening sitting at the bar and exchanging stories with fellow travelers - a favorite past time of mine. Cold beer and good stories, is there really anything else you need?? This local in particular is chock full of folks with fascinating tales, since it tends to cater towards sailors, many of which seemed to be on a journey around the world. Lots of the sailors were just stopping in Portobelo for a bit before heading on through the Canal to continue their journeys in the Pacific. As much as I love a good yarn, I didn't stick around the bar too late since I had an underwater date the next day bright and early.

Local watering hole and hostel

The next morning, I left the hostel around 6:45 am to hunt down some breakfast before diving. I went to the local panderia (bakery) to meet the divemasters, but sadly the power was out. Unfortunately, this means they weren't able to cook their normal breakfast menu, or anything for that matter. Fortunately, they had started baking super early before the power went out, so there was some bread hot and fresh out the oven. I stuffed a couple slender bread loaves in my stomach for about a dollar, waiting for my ride to show. But they didn't come.

Fun fact: This ancient cannon was found off-shore in the same waters where I'd be diving

So I at 7:30 I headed on my way. My plan was to taxi to the dive shop, but when I talked to one of the local drivers - he told me there was an accident on the road and no cars could pass, since a telephone pole had fallen down over the road. This explained the power outage, and why my ride never showed up. So I walked again, and came upon quite a spectacle when I reached the scene of the accident. This is a perfect reason not to drink and drive!

Cuando manjea, no toma (Don't drink and drive!)

I'm pretty sure everyone was OK, thankfully. Luckily, this didn't affect my plans much at all, since the Dive boat only needed gas to run obviously, and there were plenty of tanks already filled. I rented some gear and set up my tank, and thankfully the process came back to me as if I had just gone diving yesterday.

We did 2 dives, both very relaxed reef dives, not too deep (~60 ft max), with plenty of tiny critters to see. Sadly I do not own a GoPro or a camera that can be taken to these depths, so I have no underwater photos to share. Take my word for it, it was pretty. Not the most amazing diving I've ever done, but any day spent diving is a damn good day. "Life is better, down where it's wetter!"

Amateur sketch of  wildlife seen while diving ;)

Some highlights included massive sponges, tiny blemies and other colorful juvenile fish, and some spiny lobsters. On the first dive, I lucikly managed to witness something truly fascinating.

Diving along, I spied a blue tang laying on it's side on the reef, breathing heavily but not moving. I thought, "Woah, am I watching a fish die?" I swam a bit closer to get a better look. As I got next to him, the fish suddenly wiggled violently and darted off, swimming far away. Hmm. Suddenly from a hole beneath where the fish was resting, a small spotted Moray eel poked his menacing face out - searching for who was responsible for his lost dinner. Felt slightly bad for the little guy, but was pretty stoked that I got to see him. Eels are some of my favorite creatures to spot while UNDA DA SEA.

While doing our safety decompression stop at the end of the dive, a little remora playfully swam around us, which was really neat. Soon enough it was time to surface. Between dives we cruised over to a nearby playa (beach) to wait out our required surface interval while muching on some snacks and drinking fresh fruit juice. It was nice to soak up some sun while the excess Nitrogen left our bodies.

Relaxing by a local beach between dives

For our second dive we went to a different local, where the visibility was remarkably better. The current was moving along, so we did a drift dive - which meant the boat would come find us at the end of the dive using our little signal tube, instead of us having to fight against the current to head back. Another fun, relaxing dive! Very few things are as enjoyable as breathing underwater, floating weightlessly over a reef watching fish and other creatures go about their daily lives. It's literally another world. If you aren't certified, you got to get on dat man.

Life is good, mon

We finished our dives and got back to the shop around 2 or so, enough time for me to have a late lunch/early dinner meal before making my way back to the city. Or so I thought. I left Portobelo around 4 and reversed my bus trip, but this time the journey between Las Sabanitas and Panama took much longer since I wasn't on an express bus. The bus made many, many stops - and I didn't get into the city until 7. By then, the last bus back to El Valle for the day had already left.

No worries! I booked a hostel in the city last minute, and called my boss to let her know I'd be an hour late to work in the morning. No hay problema! The hostel I stayed in was quite relaxing, perfect after quite a few hours on a cramped bus and a day filled with sun. The next morning I caught the 6:30 am bus back to El Valle. Greaaat Succceess!  [Borat accent]

Next post Preview : Partying with Primos !!

Stay tuned for tales for my most recent adventure - Cousins and CARNAVAL!! Until then, Peace Out!

El Valle

Long overdue life update: I work in a zoo, and I live in one too! Most of you probably know this already - but now I will finally fill you in a little more on what I've been up to down here. When I say I live in a zoo, some of you may be picturing a freshman dorm… but this is not a figure of speech, I actually live in Panamanian zoo. My neighbors are sloths, peacocks, spider monkeys, goats, pigs, and chickens of every possible variety... to name a few.

My grumpy, always hungry neighbor Don Cocodrilo

The fact that I live in El Níspero Zoo is largely due to the kindness of the folks I work for at the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center (EVACC). They offered me a place to stay as part of my  6 month internship here, which makes my life infinitely easier and my wallet much, much happier. The apartment I live in was constructed behind EVACC to house workers that live father away, funded by a donation from a local mining company. The mine has dumped a significant amount of funds into the work that EVACC is doing to help save Panamanian frogs from the killer fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis known more commonly as Chytrid or Bd . This serves as a way to offset any damages they may be doing while mining (at least that was my understanding) – better that than nothing!

The top floor of the green building is the apartment where I live. The concrete building is where I work – tough commute! 

I share this lovely little (not a euphemism, it is very small) apartment with three other girls, at the moment. Two of them are Panamanians that work here as well, and one is a volunteer from Spain that is here for a month. I've got my own room, and we all share a small bathroom and kitchen that doubles as a living room/dining room as well. We all get along very well, and I’m learning tons of Spanish since neither of the Panamanians speak English. I’m also learning lots about how to cook local dishes and generally having a great time immersing myself in this new way of life. 

Our cozy abode

The food has been delicious, I'm really loving fried plantains (patacones) for breakfast, and there's even fresh squeezed orange juice from the orange trees outside our house to wash it all down!  There are also lime trees and even a few kumquat trees!! We've got a machine that spins inside the orange while you apply pressure, and the juice collects in the bottom. Definitely the most delicious glass of orange juice I have ever tasted, and it's totally free! :) 

Simply Orange 

I am lucky enough to really enjoy the work I am doing while here, and I am learning so much about the wide variety of amphibians here in Panama. One of the main reasons I was offered this internship is because I have previous frog husbandry and exhibit design experience while working as an Intern at the Smithsonian National Zoo. A large part of my duties here, at least for the time being, involves redesigning the frog exhibits that are on display to the public.

A peak inside the exhibition area at EVACC

So, I spend a lot of my time behind the scenes in the exhibition area, cleaning exhibits, redesigning their layouts, and generally doing whatever it takes to make this area look appealing to visitors while also meeting the needs of the frogs. I am also in the process of working on creating more educational information about the frogs, Bd, etc, that will be displayed in the exhibition area. The heart and the lungs of EVACC, (where I also do a lot work) is the breeding center located in a separate building. Many different species of frogs are housed and cared for here on a daily basis.  This area is not open to the public however, which makes the exhibition area the face of the whole operation.

An outside view of a small portion of the main lab at EVACC

The breeding aspect of this project is almost certainly the most important - as we go through great lengths to ensure that these species will survive through future generations and hopefully one day be re-introduced into the wild. One of these particular "great lengths" involved an off-roading journey through the surrounding forests to search mountain streams for smooth rocks that we could use in Atelopus breeding tanks. These frogs are known for breeding in rapidly-moving water - so it's important that we try to recreate their habitat as best as possible in order to achieve success. 

Who says work can't be fun?!

This project is founded on the principle of saving ALL Panamanian amphibians from the Chytrid fungus, which spread through this area and wiped out almost all of the local populations back in 2005-2006. But one frog in particular has captured the hearts of Panamanians, and also sadly happens to be one of the species most affected by this deadly fungus – the Panamanian Golden Frog, La Rana Dorada (Atelopus zetecki).

The golden treasure of Panama - La Rana Dorada (Atelopus zetecki)

A stunning bright yellow frog with speckled black spots, it’s not hard to see why this small frog has captured the hearts of Panamanians all across the county. Endemic to Panama and found within only a small range in the central part of Panama – this frog was once so common you had to watch where you stepped in the forests surrounding El Valle. Now, after Chytrid has taken its toll, the only place you are able to see a live Panamanian Golden Frog within the entire country is here in El Valle at EVACC. Its likeness can be found almost everywhere though, from the markets in rural towns to the subway in Panama city.

The only way to see golden frogs in Panama outside of EVACC - at the market

As a result, most of the tens of thousands of visitors that this small rinky-dink little local zoo receives every year, are here for one main reason – to see the famous Panamanian Golden Frogs. The zoo on a whole is not very impressive, in fact parts are rather depressing. Most of the animals here are birds, farm animals, or both - chickens. Zillions of chickens. Chickens roaming free, and also on “exhibit.” I think there is a chicken in almost every enclosure here regardless of what animal happens to be actually on display. This comes with the perk of always having a natural alarm clock that can’t be turned off and fresh eggs to enjoy once you’re awake!

One of the many living alarm clocks

Beyond the excess of chickens around me, there are some neat animals that you don’t get to see every day (unless you live in a zoo, or the jungle). There are Tapirs, caimans, toucans, macaws, and an ocelot that is far too beautiful to be spending time hanging out at this zoo. There’s also a few North American animals that we would never think of putting in a zoo, but they are rarities down here – such as raccoons, coyotes, and even white-tailed deer. In my first week here my housemates were telling me I could actually see white-tailed deer in this area if I was lucky! I had to break it to them that white-tailed deer are everywhere back home, which impressed them greatly.

The seldom seen - White-tailed deer (Benado)

 So all of these visitors coming to see the Golden Frog is exactly why my job of making sure the exhibits look awesome is so important; they will be seen by many people every day. I enjoy this work very much - rebuilding an exhibit from nothing to finish can be very satisfying but also challenging. Exhibit design involves all sorts of skills you might not normally associate with zookeepers, including plumbing, engineering, landscaping, artistic creativity and of course a healthy dose of biology.

One of the exhibits I redesigned 

Outside of work there are tons of things to do in this beautiful little town to keep me active and entertained. The town of El Valle (literally “The Valley” in Spanish) is exactly that – a huge valley surrounded by lush, forested mountains. The valley was formed millions of years ago when a humongous volcano blew its top, leaving a massive crater in its wake. The crater filled with water and was a lake for quite some time, before a leak sprung and all of the water drained away. That leak is a waterfall today.

Looking down on El Valle from one of the surrounding mountains

This mountainous backdrop not only makes every day errands a scenic occasion, it provides ample opportunities to explore – there are hiking trails all over the place, waterfalls, hot springs, even square trees… this place has a lot going on. And yet, it maintains a calm relaxed vibe. The peaks of the surrounding mountains are often shrouded in clouds, which never ceases to impress me no matter how often I see it. Every once in a while I pinch my arm to remind myself how fortunate I am to be here, working with such amazing animals and kind people in this beautiful place. 

Loving this location

The tallest mountains are right behind the zoo, and when the weather is nice I enjoy sitting in the garden within the zoo and writing postcards - or simply absorbing the natural beauty. The view is sublime, but frequently the tranquility is disrupted, naturally. These clouds bring with them plenty of rain, varying in amounts from a fine mist to a drenching downpour. Somehow the sky seems to know when I am writing outdoors, as it always seems to start raining as soon as I get all settled. The rainy season has pretty much come to an end now though! The dry season began this month. We are beginning to see signs of the season changing, as the strong winds that bring drier air are arriving rapidly and blowing our sandals off the porch, and the sun is shining in full force. Here they call this season - verano, or summer. 

Tranquilo

On my first week here, way back in early November – I got the privilege of being around while the country celebrated a series of holidays, including multiple Independence days (one from Spain, one from Colombia) and a bunch of others. The highlight of the festivities were big parades that took over the one main road that runs through the center of town.

Rockin out

There have actually been quite a few parades since the one that first week, and they're always a good time - filled with over enthusiastic marching bands, all sorts of dancers, etc. The most recent Christmas parade was by far the biggest - there were tons of floats, holiday tunes playing everywhere, and the streets were packed with pretty much every citizen of El Valle. And it actually felt cold! This was mostly due to the wind, but there's nothing like a little chill to help you feel the Christmas spirit. 

Feliz Navidad!!

In addition to various celebrations and the natural wonders here providing ample opportunities for exploration and adventure –  there are lots of small tourist attractions such as a butterfly house, an orchid garden, a serpentarium… the list goes on.

El Chorro de Macho - named for it's "manly" size

Some are definitely worth paying the few dollars of admission – others not so much. The serpentarium was rather disappointing, unfortunately. The snakes did not appear to be very well cared for, and the collection wasn’t very large at all (thankfully I suppose, given the conditions). On the other hand, the butterfly house was accompanied by an informative tour (in English!) and came with the perk of having a relaxing café next door with delicious goodies. The café happens to be owned by a cool chick from the U.S. that teaches yoga classes on Saturdays - for the price of a fresh fruit or veggie! So I’ve been enjoying learning yoga and the café is definitely one of my favorite spots to chill out on Sunday afternoons.

Exploring the Mariposario (Butterfly museum)

One of my most enjoyable day-off excursions so far has been hiking to the top of La India Dormida, a mountain named for its resemblance for a sleeping woman. The mountain was named after a local indigenous woman who fell in love with a conquistador from Spain. Her father forbid the romance to continue, and so “La India” headed into the forest and took her own life in protest. According to local legend, the mountains assumed the shape of her resting body as a testament to her love. 

La India Dormida, resting in the mountains forever. Can you see her?

 I hiked to the top with Maria Eugenia, a visiting volunteer from Madrid. She is here for a month helping out at EVACC, gaining experience and absorbing all she can - just like me. It was nice to have a hiking partner, especially one that speaks Spanish fluently. This hike turned out to be quite the adventure – just getting to the trailhead from our apartment in the zoo took about an hour. The trail cost $2.50 to enter – well worth the price of admission. One of the few attractions here I would pay to see again, with no hesitation. Along the way to the top, we passed a series of waterfalls and petroglyphs carved into stones by natives long ago.

A close-up of one of the many ancient petroglyphs we found

The hike up was not only gorgeous and fun, but also educational – since every chance I get to hang out with Maria means lots of practicing Spanish, and learning new words to describe the situations we’re in. Learning a new language is an adventure!

Stopping for a moment of Zen at the first waterfall

 We passed three waterfalls throughout the course of the trail, and then began the steep climb to the top of “La India’s” head. The view did not disappoint!!

Started at the bottom, now we're here

 The woman that sold us our admission tickets and gave us a bit of background info on the petroglyphs and the story of “La India”, recommended that we return back the same way we came once we reached the top. But curiosity and a strong sense of adventure got the best of us – and we decided to continue following the steep rocky trail along La India’s body to see where it would lead.

Hiking along "La India"

The views did not cease to be amazing, but slowly our sense of confidence about where we were going faded. We recognized the area where “Las Cruces,” a local landmark with an easily accessible overview, was – so we continued on heading towards that direction while climbing up and down the mountain ridges.

Views don't get much better than this!

Eventually we broke out onto an established road that cut through the mountains, and found the crosses that were our landmark!

This is a good sign

We followed the (extremely steep) road back to town and enjoyed a cold smoothie made with fresh fruit to celebrate our accomplishment! All in all the hike took about 4.5 hours and we covered roughly 11 – 12 very steep kilometers. The café where we enjoyed our smoothies has become one of my favorite spots for a fresh fruity blended treat and a scrumptious empanada. They even put up a tree to celebrate the season!

Diana, Maria y yo – enjoying a delicious smoothie after a hard day’s work. Qué rico! 

As much as there is to do here during the day, my heart always yearns for the opportunities to go exploring this biological playground at night! Luckily I have had quite a few opportunities to get out and explore with others, since I’m not too keen on heading out on my own - if I can help it. My first excursion was with Edgardo and Milagro – our mission was to collect a few more frogs for the exhibition area. Our prime target was glass frogs, which we found bunches of thankfully. These frogs are incredible since they have transparent under-bellies, and of course they’re super cute! 

Peeking through the “glass” into this little dude’s body

The particular species that we found the most of was the White-spotted glass frog (Cochranella albomaculata) – thanks to Edgardo knowing where to look. We even found a pair in amplexus!

The "glass" might be frogging up in here ... har har 

In addition to this trip with Edgardo, I also had the good fortune of being approached while working in the exhibition area by an undergrad student named Kei from Tufts who was in El Valle for a short time doing a research project on frogs. Her project was very simple, she was simply trying to document what species of frogs she could find in different locations in Panama. I told her I’d be happy to help her search for frogs in the area, and so we made plans to go out that night! Gotta love when you meet other frog enthusiasts J

Kei posing with her new friend

We went out over the course of 3 different nights, thwarted one evening by a flat tire on my bicycle. That’s right folks, I have a bike down here. Makes getting around sooo much easier, especially when my average walk to the supermarket takes about 30 minutes, one way. Got lucky when I met Erin, the yoga instructor who owns the Butterfly café. She sold me some wheels for only $40, hard to beat that! Not the best bike in the world, but it gets me around – and I am very happy with that. Regardless of how well the brakes may or may not work…

My mode of transportation around El Valle

Anyhow, back to our nocturnal adventures. We found quite a few species of frogs – which was great! I am still learning lots of the species, but thankfully Edgardo is basically a living guidebook – so I was able to verify any species we found with him assuming the frog stuck around long enough to be photographed.

A well-camouflaged Scinax boulengeri

Sadly, despite all the species we managed to find – it’s hard not think about how many used to be around before Chytrid was introduced to the area. The night we were out with Edgardo, he explained that we were seeing about 1% of what the frog community used to be. Hopefully with time, scientists will be able to develop a method to allow frogs to naturally combat the fungus. Until then, we are working hard here at EVACC to maintain a viable population that will hopefully one day be the great-great grandmothers and grandfathers to frogs that will once again hop around in the beautiful streams and mountains of El Valle and surrounding areas. 

Hanging in there (Anotheca spinosa)

 Even when we’re having trouble finding frogs – at least the cover of darkness always provides unique opportunities to view some of the many animals that call this corner of the world home.

  

A wooly opossum dropping in to say “Hola!”

 Some of these creatures are more of a welcome sight than others. Kei and I were both a bit freaked out, when we found this guy – but couldn't help be amazed!

The stuff of nightmares

Maria came out with us one night, and we explored inside the zoo for a change – since it is quite a large property complete with vegetated ponds… exactly the sort of places frogs love! We were successful in finding a different species of glass frog, arguably even cuter than the ones we found before...

"You are my friend?"

 My only snake (sad, I know) sighting so far was actually found on the road between the zoo and the town. I've also seen owls, toucans, falcons, iguanas, and quite a few different frog species while on the same road. Not too shabby! 

  

(Micrus multifasciatus) - variety of Coral snake

 Other outings have included climbing up to a lookout below the summit of Cerro Gaital, the tallest mountain surrounding El Valle. The view was exactly the opposite of what we experienced while at the top of La India. We found ourselves in the midst of a rather thick cloud, with only fog visible in all directions. Still, in its own way – that was a very neat experience.

Milagro (one of my roommates) – peering into the fog

A fairly recent adventure involved exploring the hot springs with Maria – which was honestly not too impressive, but thankfully we had the entire pool to ourselves. This was partly due to the part that we were there early on a chilly Thursday morning, which worked out well. The full experience involved placing a cleansing mask of mud on our faces – which obviously had to be documented!

Gotta get a little dirty before you feel clean!

Most recently, this past few weeks have centered around Navidad - of course. We decorated the front door of the apartment to welcome in a bit more spirit, and a few days ago we did a gift exchange amongst the employees at EVACC. I feel super blessed that this time away from family during Christmas has actually gone really well all things considered, I'm super lucky to be surrounded by such kind, friendly people down here. Truly makes this place feel like a home! 

Welcoming the season!

Diana y yo intercambiando regalos

 Of course I miss my friends and family a bunch, but I'm also really loving doing things a bit differently this holiday season. Opens my eyes to new customs, traditions, foods, dances, all that good stuff. And luckily in a few weeks my parents and siblings are coming to visit!! Very excited to show them around this wonderful place, and explore new spots as well. In the meantime, I'll be working a bunch to make sure I have plenty of days off when they arrive. Feliz Navidad a todos, and thanks for reading! Stay tuned for a story on my first overnight trip into the field since being down here. Until then, Peace Out!