On the road to Boquete, Panama

Our adventures around Panama continue and from Santa Clara beach, we headed north on the Pan American Highway toward Boquete in the mountains.

The Pan American Highway is the ONLY major road in Panama. Some places it is four lanes and paved, others it is two lanes paved, but with potholes. The countryside is very pretty, and as you get into the mountains, the beautiful flowers and shades of green start to appear. While there are many people in the country of Panama, there are really two groups in Panama, the 'haves' and 'have nots'. The farther away from a town or city you get, the more you see the indigenous people and the way of life they have become accustomed to.

On two different occasions and two different drivers, we were welcomed to the area by the local law enforcement officials. Fortunately, Raquel is Panamanian and as such she was able to help the gentlemen understand there really wasn't a need for a ticket. Actually, it was a relatively pleasant experience, the officers were doing their job, were very friendly and helped us be a little more patient. All in all, it took us about 6 hours from the beach to reach the mountains where the temperatures were MUCH cooler!

The stone walls are the original property lines/boundaries.

View of the volcano/mountain.

With all the traveling we do around the US, we have become very accustomed to the blue and white 'REST STOP' signs along the highway, or a McDonald's. No such thing on the Pan American highway. These were the only bathrooms, and it cost a quarter!

In Panama, there are many indigenous people. The Ngobe Bugle indians are the group we saw the most of while we were in the Chiriqui region of Panama. The Ngobe Bugle Indians (also called Guaymi) live in Panama both on and off the comarca (reservation). They have their own indigenous language and the children learn Spanish in schools. The vast majority of the Ngobe Indians live in poverty. Although many do hold jobs they do not get paid enough to survive only on their pay. The women make the bright colored dresses and jewelry and sell them at the roadside shacks.

A view of the countryside.

Sugar is another export from Panama. Sugar cane fields fill many of the farms along the Pan American highway headed toward the mountains.

Sugar cane processing plant.

Tom & Frank commented the countryside (trees, vegetation, etc.) reminded them alot of Vietnam. Sure enough, Vietnam and Panama are just about on the same latitude.

We had a very pleasant drive to Boquete and were really looking forward to exploring this area...along with the cooler temperatures!