Tag: El Nispero Zoo

Gamboa Canopy Tour and Ron Abuelo Rum Distillery…

were but two of the highlights during our recent visit from my Dad, Doug, and his friend Renee.IMG_1055

We knew that we wanted to have some special adventures while they were here and the entire week was loaded with fun and adventure for all. Many of you will recall our past adventures to El Valle de Anton . A click on the link here will take you to our post from the first adventure there. El Valle is only about 45 minutes away and we never fail to take our guests there. We journeyed up the mountain last Monday with Dad and Renee in tow. It was a beautiful sunny day and we started out at the Orchid Conservatory. The blooms are different each time we visit. We all thoroughly enjoyed this tour and the only way for you all to share the experience is by our sharing of some pictures.

After checking out the orchids we went over to the El Nispero Zoo and garden. We have heard that the zoo is more of an aquarium than a zoo, but we found the contrary. There were also many species of local animals, including rescues, in addition to the aquarium. We found the aquarium to be the most interesting with endangered species of toads and frogs from the rain forest. The golden toad is thought to only exist in this habitat. Some say that there may be more in unexplored areas of the jungle nearby. We found the small zoo easy to explore and very enjoyable.

After we left the zoo, we went over to the market for some fresh produce and a little shopping. By mid afternoon we were headed back down the mountain home.

Jen and I continue to search for our new forever home here in Panama. We are nearing a big announcement on our decision to purchase here. We will continue to advise new expats to rent for a year. That gives people a sufficient time to figure out if they like the climate and environment. It is also important to become educated on the housing market. There are many other factors which we will explore in detail later. On Tuesday we were able to show our special guests the property where we hope to one day permanently settle. We also had a nice lunch at their beach club.

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Wednesday was one of our pinnacle adventures. We left home early and drove to the Gamboa Rain Forest Resort. We enjoyed a wonderful canopy tour of the rain forest which ended at the top of an observation tower. From the tower we could see the Panama Canal, Chagres River, and many other interesting things. We could even see the thatched roofs of an Embera Indian Village up the river. We also, had the opportunity to see a sloth eating and basking in the sun on a tree branch near the tower. Following our tour we had lunch on the veranda of the hotel.

The second of our pinnacle adventures was a trip to the Ron Abuelo Distillery. Since arriving in Panama we have used , and swear by Wayz for navigation. There are no street names and a great deal of trust must be had in the navigation system. When we reached the turn for the distillery, everyone said this cannot be right. With faith we went on down a two track that lead us through a few kilometers of sugar cane before emerging on the back side of the distillery.

Sugar Cane
We passed through several kilometers of Sugar Cane

We made our way through the plant grounds to the welcome center. We found this tour to be one of the most amazing yet. We started in the plant where our tour guide explained the process from processing the sugar cane to bottling. they do not bottle the product at this location. It is shipped to Panama City to a bottling plant. You may notice that there are no pictures inside the manufacturing facility. We were not allowed to take pictures inside. Following the plant tour we were returned to the welcome center for a cocktail. The distillery was founded by the family of the current President of Panama. Preparations were being made for The Presidents visit over the weekend (Saturday, December 8, was Mothers Day here).

Following our cocktail we toured the warehouses where all the rum is aged. The Ron Abuelo is aged in retired Jack Daniels barrels. That is what gives the rum its caramel color. The longer the aging process the darker the color and the smoother the rum becomes. The family reserve is in its own warehouse and the barrels are racked on their side. This is where we found the 30 year old rum aging. The 30 year old Ron Abuelo sells for over $120 US dollars. We didn’t buy any.

Once we finished the tour of the warehouses we returned to the welcome center where we were given a tasting of each of the different levels of Ron Abuelo Rum. The tasting included education and certification for determining the reason for the increase in the aging process and the value of aging in the manufacturing.

The tour ended with a traditional Panamanian lunch. Three courses of fantastic.

On the drive home we continued to explore with stops at a Panamanian Cemetery and a cigar factory.

Before our special guests left we had to take them to Playa de Panama and our special lunch shack experience. Usually the proprietor has lobster for $10 and Corvina for $8. He also sells beer for $1 and if you’re lucky you can add coco arroz for a $1. We found that lobster was in short supply Saturday. Instead he was offering giant langostinos (prawns). We brought our own beers and our total lunch bill for 4 people was $36. Following our lunch we all went for a refreshing swim in the Pacific. By the time we left the place was packed. The people in Panama love to celebrate Mothers Day on the beach.

As we prepare to close this post it has occurred to us that you, our readers, deserve to know that we have no paid endorsements. That being said, we are enjoying many tours without breaking the bank. We have found a great resource for taking tours on a budget https://ofertasimple.com . It is a great pleasure to share our adventures with you. Please feel free to share and keep the momentum of our blog going. As we anticipate the blessings of the Christmas season, please know that we will be celebrating the birth of our Savior here in the tropics.

Feliz Navidad,

Greg and Jen

Today, Let’s explore El Valle de Anton

Today we are researching what we may find in El Valle de Anton. This village is located about 2 hours west of Panama City. It offers sports like hiking, horseback riding, and ziplining through the rainforest. We will also find sightseeing adventures such as the El Nispero Zoo and Serpentario (snake habitat). El Valle de Anton is the site of the worlds second-largest extinct volcano. We will also find a well known open air Sunday market.

The Sunday market is one of the biggest draws to El Valle de Anton. We will be able to shop for vegetables, fruit, ornamental plants, flowers and orchids. We will also find handicrafts such as wooden bowls, bateas (wooden trays), woven baskets, hats, paintings on wood, carved and painted totumas (cups made from squash), trinkets made from acorn, hammocks, baskets and ceramics.  The Kuna Indians offer their handicraft like colorful molas (blouses) and jewlery. The market is in the center of town, under a roof that was recently rebuilt.

El Nispero Zoo is more of a nursery than a zoo. That being said, we will find very well maintained trails and an extensive array of tropical plants, which include the country’s national flower – El Espiritu Santo. Orchids Center (Aprovaca Orquideas) concentrates on conserving endangered native orchids and promoting ecotourism and environmental education. The Zoo is also the best place in El Valle to observe the famous golden toads. Most of their natural habitat has either been destroyed or is inaccessible, so it’s virtually impossible to view them in their natural habitat.  A frog exhibit, which is managed by the Smithsonian Institute, has a large showcase for the famous golden toads and additional exhibits for other frog species. It offers visitors an opportunity to see these reptiles up close.

Outside the Hotel Campestre we will find the famous square trees. They are members of the cottonwood family. Saplings of these trees are now being grown at the University of Florida to find out if they will retain their squareness in a different environment. It is believed, however, that the shape is probably due to an unknown but purely local condition. That is indicated by the fact that the tree rings, each representing a year’s growth, are also square.

We have read that it has been around 5 million years since Anton Valley had a volcanic eruption, so it is highly unlikely that there would be another eruption anytime soon. The valley does, however host many hot springs that evidence continuing volcanic activity. These hot springs are a naturally occurring phenomenon caused by hot magma passing through tiny fissures before contacting fresh water. This produces a warm, therapeutic, mineralized water.   Anton Valley’s Public Hot Springs provide a rare natural product that treats several skin problems while leaving your face and body perfectly clean and feeling great. This is a destination that we will certainly visit.

A short walk from town, we will find the Petroglyphs (Piedras Pintadas). All of these writings can be found on one large vertical rock face. They are at the base of the trail that leads to the Sleeping Indian (La India Dormida).  The Sleeping Indian, who acquired her name based on local legend, is a chain of hills who’s formation resembles the shape of just that, a sleeping Indian. These hills help form part of El Valle de Anton’s volcanic rim.

The town of La Mesa is located nearby in the Valle de Anton. It is the site of the Chorro el Macho waterfall. This 280 foot waterfall is considered one of the most beautiful areas of the valley. It is a short 30 minute walk north through the lush rain forest. At the base of the falls we will find a large natural pool where people are welcome to swim. Walking paths throughout the area will allow us to explore the area. There are suspension bridges that cross the river providing views of the falls. For the more adventurous, (Jen says she will never do this) there is zip lines through the treetops that provide breathtaking aerial views of the Chorro el Macho waterfall. If we hire a guide they will point out the local birds, animals, butterflies, and other points of interest.

This area sounds like one of the best opportunities for adventure. It is perhaps a strong contender for a place we would eventually like to live in Panama. I borrowed most of the adventure content from various travel websites. Once we experience these first hand, we will give detailed reviews of our experiences.

Today’s Spanish lesson should help us in the market: ?que’ es la costar de la fresco el vegetal? Translated…What is the cost of the fresh vegetable?

Thank-you for continuing to follow. We continue to be excited about our upcoming adventure. Please remember to like, share, and comment. You all are what makes this incredible adventure worth sharing. Buenos Dias.