Chagres national Park

Chagres National Park has tropical rainforests and mountainous terrain. 

The Chagres National Park is home to an abundance of tropical plants and animals. Over 900 species of plant species have been identified. There are 114 mammal species, including Baird’s tapirs, whitetail deer, Geoffroy’s spider monkeys, and all five species of big cat

An indigenous Embera tribe lives along the upper reaches of Lake Alajuela.  We visted one  village  to   get a sense of what indigenous life in Panama is like.  That was  a great experience, 

1) Embera-Wounan  Indigenous people 


2) Chagres National Park  wild life

3)  Gamboa  Resort   at Soberania  National Park

4)  Panama Folk dance , street Parade  

Boquete the place Eternal Spring ; Best place to retire per AARP

In the land of “Eternal Spring” where flowers grow on the edge of the road, the traveler is rewarded with surreal images of striking beauty.

Chiriquí is the furthest most western province of Panama bordering Costa Rica. One feels that magic happens here as rainbows arch over the region. Horses freely roam the fincas or farmlands below the majestic mountains. Sublime landscape surrounds you as you climb higher up to the mountain town of Boquete. Sunlight reflects on the streams, rivers and waterfalls running through the canyons.
The Chiriquí highlands is adorned with rainforests, volcanic peaks, coffee plantations, orchid farms and flower-filled towns which truly seem to be enchanted.

Lush green mountainsides flank the vibrant town of Boquete, which is host to the largest expat community in Panama. AARP magazine,  "Matured People" magazine  named Boquete the fourth best place to retire in the world or the number one destination in Latin America. The assessment was based upon their criteria for the cost of living, natural beauty, access to health care, and ideal climate.

Sendero Los Quetzales (The Quetzales Trail) is considered one of the most gorgeous paths in Central America, the Quetzals Trail is without any doubt the most popular hike in Panama's western highlands.  We hiked with a private  tour  guide from  6:00AM to  2:00 PM. Here  are some of the pictures of it.   The pictures,  birds, Native people ( Ngabe Bugle, very  different from Kuna) , our Finca and ourselves  are in separate albums.

1) Selected photos of  the Sendero Los Quetzales 


2) Finca Lerida  is our hotel/Resort/Coffee Farm : Famous for its legendary bird-watching, Finca Lérida is a working coffee farm that happens to be an avian hot spot that’s one of the best places in the country to see quetzals. You can also tour the coffee farm.
Photo album of  Finca Lerida Coffee Farm 

3) Boquete town :  Boquete is one of the country’s top destinations for outdoor lovers. It's a hub to hike, climb, raft, visit coffee farms, soak in hot springs, study Spanish or go on a canopy tour. And, of course, there’s nothing quite like starting your day with a glass of freshly squeezed OJ, or perking up with a cup of locally grown coffee

 

4) Ngobe Bugale indigeneous people  :  They are  the largest indigenous  group in Panama ( population 200,000).  The Ngobe People (also spelled Ngäbe or Ngöbe) can be found primarily in the Ngäbe-Buglé comarca in the Western Panamanian provinces of Veraguas, Chiriquí and Bocas del Toro, as well as in the indigenous town of Conte, Costa Rica near the southern tip of the country.

5) .. and oursleves at this beautiful location 

san blas archipelago panama

San Blas  Selected  Album

Panama has many  beach destinations on  both oceans. When it comes to two  of Panama’s AMAZING archipelagos, the San Blas Islands in the Caribbean and the Pearl Islands in the Pacific. We  considered  several  destinations.   1) Bocas Del Toro 2) Contadora ( this is where the Shah of Iran was exiled after the Iranian Revolution) 3) Isla Taboga ( Where Paul Gaugin spent time),  Islands near  Azureo Peninsula  and chiriqui.

 After  researching  several choices, in search more different experience   we picked  San Blas. The main motivation was   seeing indigeous people Kuna  and   remoteness.
The San Blas islands are a group of islands in the archipelago de San Blas, located in the Northwest of Panama facing the Caribbean Sea. There are 378 islands within the archipelago and they are scattered around in an area of about 100 square miles.  . The majority of the 378 islands have no inhabitants (Only 49 islands are  occupieded ), but on the larger ones you will find the gentle native people known as the Kuna’s. . Kuna  People   are  fiercely  independent. So they  mantain  full  autonomy.   They own  and control the  region.  Outsiders or other Panama citizen are  not alloed to  own a place.   We picked Yandup Island  . We flew from Panama city to a very small airstrip at   Playon Chico.
The San Blas Islands are the number #1 vacation destination in Panama and probably in Central America. This is because the Islands are not yet discovered by the massive tourism industry and fully in control of the native Kuna’s. The Kuna’s protect their lands against massive tourism and keep them healthy and beautiful. This makes the San Blas Islands of Panama unique if you are searching for untouched nature and culture. You will sleep in eco-friendly accommodations made by the Kuna’s Indians from natural materials which they found on the Islands and in the jungle.  We  flew from Panama City to the  Playon Chico. This  was a small  six-passenger plane .  Flying through this small tiny plane was  unique  experience   Has  taken  couple of hundreds of  picture from Air  showing the  variety in the landscape of Panama.
The native people living on the Islands of San Blas call themselves Kuna’s  .  The Kuna’s are community of proud people that have their own laws, norms and values that go with their culture, which is by the way totally different than the traditional Panamanian culture. Since the last headcount of all the Kuna Indians an estimated 300.000 live in Panama, Costa Rica and Colombia, only 50.000 live on the San Blas Islands.

Yandup lodge  is  an echo lodge,Yandup is a different experience.  The cost is  close to  five star  resort. However it is  fairly  rustic,  If you are expecting for luxury and comfort, you may want to re-think your concept of luxury and comfort. This is a magnificent place to experience nature and enjoy isolated virgin islands.  The Local Kuna  guide  Vitto and  Bianca were very nice, 
 Each  unit  is a hut above sea  water with has  360 degree  Nice to see   fish swimming from  room,  periodic sounds of big splash of Pelicans  diving to get the  catch, Sunrise , sunset from the room. The place  gives unique sense of privacy , especially  having no other guest.

Here  are some of our photos

Kuna , the most autonomous native tribe in Central Americas

Kuna Album 


I  first leaned  about Kuna people at the Museum inn Gainseville, Flordia Museum ( Link to be added)



 One of the most fascinating  people . They are more  like  role-mode to other Indiann Tribes  who  are very  rapidly losing their cultural  identity.

The Guna, also known as Kuna or Cuna, are an indigenous people of Panama and Colombia. The current preferred and legally recognized spelling is Guna.  The remarkable Guna people  live in San Blas Islands off the northern coast of Panama.  Guna women hold much of the power  enjoyed  by Men in other societies.  They select their  husbands. Man moves to wife's place. Woman pass on their properties to their children


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The Kuna live in three politically autonomous  reservations in Panama. The most Kunas live on small islands off the coast of the comarca of Kuna Yala known as the San Blas Islands.In Kuna Yala, each community has its own political organization, led by a Saila (pronounced "sai-lah").
Traditionally, Kuna families are matrilinear, with the groom moving to become part of the bride's family. The groom takes the last name of the bride as well.Today there are 49 communities in Kuna Yala.

The Kuna are famous for their bright molas, a colorful textile art form made with the techniques of appliqué and reverse appliqué. Mola panels are used to make the blouses of the Kuna women's national dress, which is worn daily by many Kuna women. Mola means "clothing" in the Kuna language. The Kuna word for a mola blouse is Tulemola, (or "dulemola") "Kuna people's clothing."
The Kuna have been successfully resistant to Hispanic assimilation, largely retaining their dress and language in migrant communities throughout Panama.


The Gunas are governed by   three  caciques or chieftans. Governmnet of Panama recognized them.
Each island has their own leaders.  The flag they adopted has  Swastika. Hammock  has big symbolism in the Guna culture. From the wedding cermeony by priest, 1st night of the newlywed to  bury of the dead all happens in Hamock.

1st day, we  visited one village of Kunas, Second day the cemetary where Kunas  bury their dead  high on  hills.

( More to  be  added)

Panama city, Panama;Dubai of the Americas.”

AT the crossroads of two oceans and two continents, Panama City is a dynamic metropolis.   Everywhere in this steamy, tropical town are foreign investors talking shop in upscale cafes, expat fortune seekers toasting their fates in wine bars, cranes stalking the rooftops of a skyline that seems to grow before your eyes and — on the downside — traffic that puts even the most congested American city to shame. Central America’s capital of international finance is in the midst of a prolonged boomtown fever. Right now, there are more than 30 skyscrapers under construction — among them the Trump Ocean Club and The Panamera, which will be Latin America’s first Waldorf­ Astoria Hotel  All of this building and hype has local residents calling Panama City the “Dubai of the Americas.”

Panama Viejo was the gateway city for the Spanish conquest of Latin America and once a thriving city of 10,000. Today's extensive ruins are the result of battles with the English pirate Henry Morgan in 1671. There's a museum on site, but go with someone who speaks Spanish, because the exhibits are mostly in Spanish.

Casco Viejo is the Spanish colonial city established in 1671 and until the 20th century was Panama City. Perched on a piece of land that juts out into Panama Bay, the numerous historical sites reflect Panama's unique history, intertwined with Spain, France and the United States.

(To be added)  

History of  Panama Canal  by History channel