Another hiking day today. Took a very leisurely start to the day of sorts with an 8 am run, my latest yet of the trip. Quads are just killing me right now. Too much slamming down the hills. Add in a little stomach problems and it was a pretty miserable 5 miles. Got a huge breakfast sandwich at a bakery (very much dominated by expats). Chorizo, eggs, and fresh mozzarella.
We hooked a ride back up bajo Mano, the road to many of trail heads, but this time bound for the sendero quetzal, a well known 6 km hike to the next town over. Also many varying notes of the extent of needing a guide here, but we figured we'd give it a shot. I might have said this yesterday, but it's funny, for as much of a tourist town as boquete is, I don't feel they sell their hiking trails nearly enough. They have a fantastic network, almost entirely on pieces of public land and from what I could see, fairly well kept and signed. It's amazing to me they don't have the organization to have a exclusive trails map that they do at a place like Rocky Mountain national park. Similar to yesterday, there is no way you'd need a guide on this trail. It's extremely well marked and there was never a point we were unsure of the trail. Possibly, people are pushing for guides due to the economic impact, but I feel like it's driven more by people that don't hike and don't realize that many people traveling that would like to hike would have no problem navigating/"enduring" these trails.
This one was also fairly well traveled. We saw a tour group, along with a few other groups in our 5 mile hike. The trail followed this cool river, lots of glimpses at Rapids through the cloud forest. Alas, no quetzal again. Another reason to return to. Central America some day I guess. The last half mile to the lookout (we didn't hike the entire length of th trail) was pretty strenuous. Steep stairs that just didn't seem to end. The lookout was stunning, but a fine place to eat lunch and soak up another day in the cloud forest. The max elevation here is actually quite high, somewhere around 7200 feet, and I'd imagine our turn around point was close to that. Tons of species of birds at the lunch stop. I didn't bring my guide book iPad for fear of rain, but I looked up a few when I got back and didn't I.d. Many of them at all. I've 44 recorded in my guide book, but I'd say I'm conservatively missing at least 50% of all the birds I've seen since we've been here.
Dinner was one of the best yet. A mom and pop type place down the street, we had try to get here the last two nights, but the close at 630 and last night they were in-explicitly closed. They only had 5 items on the menu. The meal of the day (a stew) and 4 different options for grilled food, pork, chicken, beef, or fish. I got pork with a side of beets and plantains (can't get enough of them). Very good and total tab with drinks: 13 dollars. By far the cheapest dinner we've had yet.
I've had a great time in boquete. Glad we spent two days here, but I'm ready for lounging around on the beach and snorkeling. On to bocas.
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