Day trip to Anton Valley, Panama

We made a day trip from the resort in Farallon to Anton Valley (El Valle and Valle de Anton depending on the map you are reading) which is in the crater of an extinct volcano. We visited El Nispero, a small “zoo” with 100 species of animals and 180 species of plants. This is the only place in the world where you can find the critically endangered Panamanian golden frog. Then on to an area called El Macho Spring for a short, cool hike through the forest and across several suspension bridges to the 35 meter El Macho waterfall. Finally we visited the handicrafts market for a little shopping. The almost-perfect climate -- about 80F throughout the year, thermal springs, waterfalls, hiking trails and easy access to Panama City (about 2 hours away) have made Anton Valley very popular with city folks looking for a weekend getaway as well as foreigners looking for a peaceful retirement haven. The houses are very large and the grounds are immaculately manicured…our guide for the day said you could expect to pay about $70 per square meter for a property in town and as little as $10 m2 for one on the slopes of the volcano.

Vacation at the Royal Decameron on Playa Blanca

Every 90 days we need to leave Costa Rica for a minimum of 72 hours to maintain a visitor status. So, after spending 3 months with no windows, hot water only in our “suicide shower,” and an outdoor “bathroom suite,” we decided to spend a week at the luxurious, all-inclusive resort of Royal Decameron in Farallon on the Pacific coast of Panama. We took one bus from Atlantic to Pacific side of the country (there are no roads going down the Atlantic/Caribbean side of the country) and spent the night in David. The next morning we took a second bus to Farallon – an enjoyable and scenic 5 hour trip. The tropical resort features 9 pools, 9 bars, 2 buffets and 8 specialty restaurants (Thai, Seafood, Steak, Italian, Sushi, etc.), a casino, and of course the thatched palapas scattered along the white sand beach. In addition to trying each of the above, we also went ocean kayaking and scuba diving. The various pool and beach bars offered an array of fruit drinks as well as beer, wine (nothing to write home about), and just about anything else you wanted. Although I saw very few people who smoked, the bars also offered free cigarettes! It seemed that 95% or more of the guests were from Latin America with Spanish as the main language. We met one family from Florida and that was about it from the USA. Canada seems to be well represented in Panama as well as Costa Rica and we were asked on occasion if we were from Canada. We also walked down the beach to the fishing village of Farallon past a beach restaurant with a very large Canadian flag. Guess the Canadian dollar is still doing well. The photo showing thatched buildings on the beach was a view from our room. The other resort photo shows me in Lobby 1 with one of the “Carnival” characters. Panama is well know for their Carnival festivities in February – we’ll have to make sure to return and see the action in person! The last picture shows Gordie on the beach just past one of Noriega’s former weekend homes (he is climbing the rocks and is hard to pick out). When the US invited Noriega to live in Florida the people of Panama ransacked anything of value from this home which now sits in decay…the other homes in the neighborhood are fantastic however.

The “89” butterfly

Nature is truly weird. Here is a photo of a butterfly that was on the inside of our shower curtain (there is a clear section to the curtain). Gordie took the picture from the outside. You can clearly see the number “89” on the butterfly’s wing. Is that strange or what? I wonder if they each have their own number.

Our “new” security system

Well, it’s been almost 3 months since we moved in and as you can see all 5 puppies are fine and still here…oh yes, the “mom” is here most of the time as well. They do create quite a stir when someone walks or rides a bike by the house.