We took a morning tour to El Valle, the Anton
Valley, cradled in the crater of an extinct volcano.
In this lush green area with ideal soil for growing,
we walked to a waterfall and explored a wildlife
refuge where tiny poison-dart frogs are common.
Above, in the trees, hung the unique nests of the
oropendula, a large black bird with yellow tail.
The local market offered orchids, branches of
bananas, and other tropical fruits and vegetables.
Vendors in colourful traditional costumes sold
wuch handicrafts, as wooden bowls, jewellery,
paintings on feathers, and baskets.
Our final day trip took us to Gatun Lake and the
lovely Gamboa Rainforest Resort. Here we took
an aerial tram to the top of a hill overlooking the
canal and the Chagres River. At midday, we saw
some colourful flowering trees but few birds. We
did see a leaf insect and a scorpion, however! After
a delicious buffet lunch at the lodge, we toured
the orchid gardens and a butterfly enclosure with
its numerous blue morpho butterflies. The rescue
centre featured several sloths and an adorable
baby anteater that kept chasing his attendant and
clinging to her leg. We were all ready to adopt him!
Then it was down to the river to board a
motorboat and head out into the lake. Gatun Lake
forms the central part of the canal, an area that was
flooded but stands at a higher elevation than either
end of the canal. Many small
islands were formerly
hilltops. As we wove
our way through
the channels
between them,
we saw an
eagle, herons,
turtles, and
several groups
of monkeys
,including
tamarin
monkey adults
and babies.
Although we were told
to keep our hands out of
the water, we didn’t spot
any caimans, supposedly
plentiful there.
While tourism isn’t as well
developed in Panama as is in
Costa Rica, Canadians can still enjoy
a visit to Panama with its lovely beaches,
interesting flora and fauna, and resorts with
welcoming staff and good food. ●
Panama City skyline at night
news&views SPRING 2019 | 55