Boca’s to Boquete

A Panama Travelogue

by Paul Kiefner

Slouched in a chair on the balcony of our hotel room overlooking the Panama Canal, I smoked a Cuban cigar my stepson purchased in the hotel lobby and reminisced about the great memories from our last two weeks in Panama. Passing boats and their lights were visible from the balcony and a mixture of sounds from below rose pleasantly on the warm night air. Panama means "the place of abundant fish” - but it is so much more, as you will discover in this travelogue. Forget the negative legacy of volcano-face Manual Noriega and get to know the positive aspects of Panama – an amazing country with something for everyone. Journey with us as we explore a cross section of Panama from the steamy lowlands of the Pacific coast near David to the refreshing coolness of the highlands in Boquete. Panama is inspirational. I discovered this in 2005 when my sister Melissa and I fished the Gulf of Montijo on the Azuero Peninsula for five remarkable days. Now I returned with my stepson, Nate, for three days of coastal fishing with the Panama Gig Game Fishing Club. My wife, Johanna, was stateside fulfilling some commitments and would be joining us after we were finished fishing. Which you should know never happens. Our twelve-day trip was divided into visits to both Pacific coastal and Cordillera Central portions of the Chiriqui Province. The first six days were split between Isla Boca Brava and Isla Boca Chica on the Pacific Ocean’s Gulf of Chiriqui, home to the Chiriqui National Marine Park. Next we traveled to Boquete in the Chiriqui Highlands, twenty-four miles north of the Pacific for another 6 days. Within the territorial area of Panama there are more than 1,600 islands, over 500 rivers run through the country, more than half of Panama is still forested, there are two oceans separated by 50 miles with more species of birds, butterflies and fish imaginable - and it never gets cold. If these facts interest you, also consider a country the size of North Carolina, with one-third the population, possessing boundless beauty and you’ll begin to see why Panama is the crown jewel of Central America. Day 1 – Saturday, December 22, 2007 Johanna dropped Nate and I off at Logan airport where we flew from a cold and snowbound Boston to Miami where I reluctantly ate the worst airport food ever. Nate, expecting the worst, was surprised that I did not complain about the food. We took our connecting flight to Panama City, went through customs, took a cab to our hotel in Balboa overlooking the Panama Canal and had some food and beer at TGI Friday’s next to the hotel then turned in sometime after midnight. Day 2 – Sunday, December 23, 2007 We awoke to a warm day and had a poolside buffet breakfast at the Country Inns, Amador, then went for a walk along the paved causeway heading toward the Pacific. The sun was blazing, it was only ten o’clock and Nate saw I was getting red without sunscreen so we headed back to the room. After showering, we took a cab downtown, did a small tour of the old city, Casco Viejo, and had a great lunch at Casablanca featuring locally caught Robalo, a.k.a. Snook, a freshwater fish. Later, after returning to the hotel, we were greeted by a representative of the Panama Big Game Fishing Club and taken to the airport for our one-hour flight to David. Another smiling Panamanian took us to the small port of Pedregal, ten minutes away. Here Captain Tati, who was to be our guide for the next three days, greeted us. Down at the dock, we stepped aboard a Panga, a shallow draft boat common to Latin America. Tati fired up the twin Yamaha outboards and motored out of the harbor before opening the throttles. For the next hour we passed through a maze of channels, mangroves and open water with islands. I think we saw one boat the entire time. At dusk, Tati slowed the boat and approached the dock where three offshore fishing boats were tied up. Our luggage was placed on a small tram, which we boarded and soon we were being pulled up the steep hillside toward the lodge.

After placing our luggage in the cabana, Captain Lee Campbell, the operations manager said hello and invited us in for dinner. Margaritas preceded dinner, and with Lee as the chef, all of our meals were creative and delicious.

Day 3 – Monday, December 24, 2007, Christmas Eve There was a knock on our door at 5 am and coffee was placed on a small teak table outside of our cabana. Lee served breakfast and we left for the dock at 6 am. In a break with tradition we were going fishing Christmas Eve. Gone Fishing. Goners. Gone period.

CASABLANCA LEAVING PEDREGAL PANAMA BIG GAME FISHING CLUB

VIEW FROM PANAMA BIG GAME FISHING CLUB AT BOCA BRAVA LOOKING TOWARD BOCA CHICA

At this time, the outgoing tide height was around 18 feet and it was ripping past the dock. Tati had the diesel engines running when we arrived. This boat, an older 31 foot Bertram, had a flying bridge and was very comfortable and seaworthy. Accompanying us was the first mate, Eric. Soon we were underway. Our destination this morning was Hannibal Bank, 40 miles offshore. Hannibal Bank, famous for its big game fish, rises from over 3,000' deep to 124' in less than 2 1/2 miles. The shallowest spot is marked by a pinnacle 200' tall, which is home to schools of Black Marlin and giant Yellowfin Tuna. Arriving at Hannibal Bank, we trolled slowly using large Sabiki rigs for Bonita, choice bait for Marlin. Once caught, the Bonita were placed head down in vertical PVC Tuna tubes that use a constant stream of pressurized ocean water to keep the bait alive. Eric rigged some Bonita using very large circle hooks and placed them in the Tuna tubes. Using sonar to locate the best structure, Tati positioned the boat and then Eric threw some live rigged Bonita over the transom. Tati began trolling at 5 mph and before noon Nate hooked a 500-pound Black Marlin that went airborne at least six times and took 45 minutes to subdue. Nate worked harder than he ever imagined and was aided by Eric pouring water into his dry mouth and over his sweaty face. Nate was elated in a stunned kind of way. The Marlin was released boat side, unharmed.

Ballyhoo, pre-rigged by Lee the night before, were removed from a cooler and put out into a trolling spread along with some teasers to attract Sailfish. It wasn’t long before a Sail slammed Ballyhoo and was airborne. Then Nate got a nice Wahoo. Then another Sailfish. The two Sailfish caught on Circle hooks were boated and released. On the way back to the lodge Eric prepared the Wahoo.

THE BOATS – BERTRAM AT LEFT MARLIN ON MARLIN GETTING AIR

SAILFISH WAHOO WAHOO STEAKS

True to form, Lee presented us with a masterfully crafted, well-presented dinner and we drank a lot of Margaritas. Somewhere during that evening’s conversation Lee shared with us his three rules of fishing:

1. Take what the ocean gives you 2. Never leave fish to find fish 3. When all else fails, resort to rule #1

I never thought of it that way.

Day 4 – Tuesday, December 25, 2007, Christmas Inshore fishing was the plan for today, but knowing what we now know should have headed offshore to Isla Montuosa. We were targeting Cubera Snapper, Roosterfish and Amberjack but Lee was adamant that the inshore fishing would be off because the very high tides had diminished the water clarity. He was right, but we did get into some excellent Mahi Mahi action while trolling near some floating debris. Tati stopped the boat and we switched to Yozuri Hydro Poppers on spinning rods. And the action was amazing. Fish were slamming the lures with abandon and taking to the air. One fish was airborne just feet behind the transom. There were double hook-ups. Huge Dolphin trailed the hooked Dolphin following them right up to the boat. Of course we never hooked the huge Dolphin. Small Crevalle Jacks were taken on poppers and true to form they fought like something five times their size. Back at the lodge we celebrated another great day on the water. Everyone is happy! I gave my last (Ronaldo-made) margarita to Nate who drank too much – a good move on my part.

Day 5 – Wednesday, December 26, 2007 Our last full day of fishing started early at Isla Parida, 10 km out from Boca Brava where we caught Blue Runners for bait. The Blue Runners were concentrated in a surf break formed by a submerged rock. Tati positioned the boat as close to the break as possible and we caught enough bait to before heading offshore to Hannibal Bank. The unspoken plan for today was to troll for Sailfish over Hannibal Bank using Blue Runners as bait. Several Sails stole the bait without being hooked thus forcing a change in plans. Bonita were now the target bait and we caught those on Sabiki type rigs before motoring over to Isla Montuosa where we fished along the rocks with poppers on spinning tackle. Blue Trevally were caught and they fought defiantly like most members of the Jack family. You’d swear they were huge fish, however, they were only five pounds but one of the most colorful species being blue and yellow.

NATE, TATI, ERIC, RONALDO RONALDO, LEE, NATE, ERIC RONALDO, LEE, PAUL, ERIC

From a distance, Isla Montuosa appears unremarkable, until you get closer to the shoreline where every form of rocky reef structure abounds. The reef is extensive, surrounding the entire island – and you could fish it all day, and I wish we had. I think Tati had it in mind to wear us out because he put the boat over a specific part of the reef and began live lining Bonito and placing large sections of dead Bonito on huge circle hooks, which were then tossed overboard. It didn’t take long before something slammed Nate’s bait and nearly pulled him over the gunnel before the hook came free. Not that it mattered because we caught Mullet Snappers that proved to be fighting beasts. I had a snapper that kept pulling the rod butt out of the rod holder, pulled me around the boat with ease all the time with Tati yelling, “Reel, reel!” Chaos erupted with double hookups, lines crossed, bent rods and cursing.

The day was coming to and end and I was getting that feeling like damn, it’s almost over. It has to end sometime. But it wasn’t quite over yet. Eric prepared another live Bonita, tossed it over the transom and Tati started trolling again. I can’t recall when it happened but a large Yellowfin Tuna took the bait. Eric set the hook and I took the rod, sat in the chair, placed the rod butt into the gimbal mount while Eric attached a nylon strap to each side of the reel to keep the rod from being pulled overboard. After that it was mostly a blur. Here’s what I recall.

ISLA MONTUOSA

MULLET SNAPPER

REEF AT MONTUOSA

The Tuna was very strong but so were the rod and reel combination. I’m guessing the reel was spooled with 100-pound test mono. And the leader system was very beefy too with a Bimini Twist and god knows what else thrown in. Within 10 minutes the Tuna was visible over the transom and was under water about ten feet. Nate was exclaiming, “Holy Shit!” It got interesting when Eric asked Nate to gaff the fish. My immediate reaction and words to Nate were, “You are not gaffing that fish!” Then we started arguing – a waste of time, so we stopped. Eric had attached a long piece of nylon rope to the gaff with the other end of the rope attached to a circular float. Meanwhile the Tuna was starboard with Eric holding the leader and Nate holding the gaff. Eric was leaning over the gunnel and Tati was trying to keep the boat in position to control the Tuna. The Tuna moved and the leader crossed over Eric’s neck. I managed to get a hand on the leader to raise it off of his neck. Nate went to gaff the fish, all hell broke loose, and the Tuna surged and snapped the line like it was sewing thread. Just like that. No Tuna for you Mr. Kiefner. It happened so fast. Now there were three very upset people. We all went different directions to sulk – we all felt bad. Tati headed back to shore, two hours away. It was a long and quiet boat ride back to Boca Brava. Later, Nate told me he felt badly for not gaffing the fish. I assured Nate that it is not an easy task and expressed to him that I thought there should have been a better-defined process for boating a Tuna, especially considering the size of the fish and that he had never gaffed a fish before. I still don’t understand the process for boating such a large powerful fish, however, I did remember that when all else fails, take what the ocean gives you. After some introspection I was happy for the fish. After all what do you do with that much Tuna flesh? Day 6 – Thursday, December 27, 2007 It was another beautiful sunny day in Panama. After breakfast we climbed up the galvanized ladder to the lookout tower on top of the lodge. The vistas of water and mountains looking toward Boca Chica were breathtaking. Then we took a walk down to a small beach and went back to the lodge to prepare for our departure to Gone Fishing Panama at Boca Chica, a 10-minute boat ride just across the water. We bid our farewells and boarded the Bertram with Tati and Eric who then dropped us off at the dock at Gone Fishing Panama. This is where the owner kept his 29 foot offshore center console.

Johanna, enroute from Panama City to David was being met by at the airport by Donna Edwards of Gone Fishing Panama - they arrived at the resort around 3 pm. On arrival, the beauty of the resort amazed Johanna and we showed her to our cabana. Boca Chica was very hot and humid but very nice. There was a pool if you wanted to cool off and the veranda offered escape from the sun. Our meals, taken on the veranda, were superb and consisted of fresh fish, vegetables, fried plantain, and Panama salads, etc., all skillfully prepared and beautifully presented. Donna and Bruce Edwards have created a wonderful resort, and Jorge is an excellent chef plus he is extremely warm and personable. Typical among almost everyone we encountered.

DOCK AT GONE FISHING PANAMA BOCA BRAVA LOOKOUT TOWER VIEW VERANDA AT GONE FISHING PANAMA

Day 7 – Friday December 28, 2007 Snorkeling was today’s activity and we were ran out to Isla Bolanos, about five miles offshore and east of Isla Parida. Our transportation to the island was a thirty-foot Panga. Bolanos had white sand beaches with excellent water clarity. Hermit crabs covered the beach by the hundreds in every size, shape and coloration. Fish could be seen right up against the rocky shore in just two feet of water holding close to the structure. There were at least six species of fish. Nate and Johanna swam out a short distance and saw Parrotfish and an Octopus. There were small iridescent, sapphire blue fish about two inches long and white, nearly translucent fish six inches long. It was very hot and the water was perfect for cooling off, even though it was eighty degrees.

Day 8 – Saturday December 29, 2007 We scheduled a half-day of fishing so Johanna would have the opportunity to catch something. Bruce, as dispassionate a fisherman I’ve ever seen, took us out to Isla Ladrones, about 38 km offshore. Trolling with an Ilander on the surface, Johanna caught a Cubera Snapper, aka Dogtooth Snapper, which is a beautiful fish, the first, and last, caught on this trip to Panama. She has a knack for catching species I cannot.

VIEW FROM CABANA OUR CABANA FRESH LOBSTER

PANGA ISLA BOLANOS

DOGTOOTH SNAPPER

Soon after, a Dorado struck the Ilander and was brought to the boat. Both fish were put on ice. For dinner that evening we were served Cubera Snapper, by far the finest fish eaten during the trip.

Day 9 – Sunday December 30, 2007 Once again we’re on the move leaving Boca Chica for the highlands. But not before we enjoyed another glorious morning and breakfast on the veranda. Bruce Edwards drove us to David, about an hours drive to where we took a cab north to Boquete. David was hot and humid but as we climbed in elevation the air became noticeably cooler. Boquete, twenty miles north of David, lies in a bowl surrounded by mountains and was markedly cooler that the lowlands. Isla Verde (Green Island) was our destination and was within easy walking distance to the center of Boquete. Isla Verde is the creation of Eva Kipp, a German expatriate who has created an amazing bed and breakfast consisting of several roundhouses on a beautifully landscaped property with hundreds of plants. Our roundhouse served as a perfect base for our explorations. Breakfast was prepared and served every morning in the hemisphere of a geodesic dome, which had one portion open to the yard.

MAHI MAHI, DORADO, DOLPHIN

ISLA VERDE BOQUETE FROM ROAD

We explored Boquete by foot for the remainder of the day. Downtown Boquete is quite charming and lively. There are numerous shops, real estate offices, banks, adventure travel offices, restaurants, new construction, all sorts of people everywhere and trash, yes trash. The sides of the road are littered with trash and many of the commercial establishments had trash that needed to be removed. In some ways Boquete seems to be growing too fast and careful planning does not appear to be a consideration. But nothing is perfect and there are a lot of positive aspects to Boquete and its surrounding towns. We signed up for a Monday raft trip on the Chiriqui Viejo with Panama Rafters. Day 10 – Monday, December 31, 2007 New Year’s Eve If driving through the mountains for 20 miles on a dirt road that drops off into oblivion with no guardrails and then whitewater rafting for 16 miles through a remote jungle canyon is your idea of fun then I guess you missed out this time. It began when Kevin Mellinger, the owner of Panama Rafters, picked us up at Isla Verde in a diesel powered VW van. With him was Josh, a raft guide from Idaho. Josh took a bus from San Jose, Costa Rica down the Pan American highway to David. Gosh Josh I bet that was fun. As Kevin is driving he mentions that he has to pick up some more people at a gas station before we head up into the mountains. These people were going to raft the lower section of the river and would get dropped off before us. So he pulls into this gas station to rendezvous with his customers. There were already five of us in the van and there were another six at the gas station. And four of these people, a family, were huge - and I mean huge. The father was about 300 plus pounds and the kids were proportionally large. All I could think was, “Shit, how in the hell are we going to fit them in and then get up the mountain!” I know Kevin was thinking the same thing. Thank god this VW had the mechanical advantage of a diesel engine, otherwise we would have descended the mountain backwards, and that is a guaranteed fact. At one point during the drive Kevin mentioned that he might be buying a new SUV for these trips and I thought, “Great, just in time for our adventure!” After 10 miles of driving we stopped. This was the starting point for the group of six. Now, let me tell you that Kevin was certainly not politically correct in his demeanor and this became evident more so when he was giving instructions to the group of six. As he stood there, dwarfed by the giant father and one giant son, he started asking the kids their ages and was not subtle about expressing how much older they appeared because of their size. I was thinking, “Hey Kevin, you better shut up or you might end up as giant food.” After the raft and paddles were unloaded we got back into that sorry ass VW van and drove higher up into the mountains on a dirt road to our destination. Truly, and I kid you not, there were cliffs two feet from the edge of the road and if that rickety ass van came too close it would have been Hasta La Vista Baby! Finally, we arrived at the put in. The river was 1000 feet below us and there were some very nice looking rapids. Josh and Jorge, our Panamanian guide, pumped up the raft and then threw it down the terraced cliff side where it bounced along and stopped. This was repeated until it could be carried down to the river. We descended the terraced cliff and soon were at river’s edge. Why were we here? Because my stepson had never been rafting and he wanted to try it. Actually, I really wanted to see this river but I was reminded of how much effort it takes to do these trips. If it weren’t for him I may have opted out. Any trepidation I had was unfounded, for the narrow roads, and that rickety ass VW van, proved to be more dangerous than the rapids. We launched the raft at a narrow part of the river and before long we were into rapids. The water level was not very high because the rainy season was over. For the next four hours we ran fifty rapids of mostly class 3 sprinkled with a few class 4’s. The river was never very wide but it did have some steep sections where rafts have been flipped. Had the river been a foot higher it would have been quite challenging. This is a very remote

and beautiful canyon and is no place to get stranded. About midway down the river we stopped for lunch and swimming then continued on to the takeout at the Pan Am highway. Having had enough excitement for the day we went to dinner at the Palo Alto restaurant just outside Boquete and had an excellent dinner. We were in bed before 10 - so much for an exciting New Year’s Eve. Day 11 – Tuesday, January 1, 2008 New Year’s Day New Year’s Day we relaxed and took a long walk along the road to Palo Alto. Palo Alto is a very beautiful hilly area just north of Boquete with many streams and coffee plantations. The Caldera and Palo Alto rivers run through here as continuous whitewater.

Johanna had a massage by Kitze, who was a professor at Bentley College and lived in Panama six months of the year. We had dinner at El Sabroson, a cafeteria that serves basic Panamanian food. This is the least expensive eatery in Boquete and dinner for three cost $10.00. Day 12 – Wednesday, January 2, 2008 After breakfast we walked into town and rented a car, which had to be delivered to Boquete from David. A visit to Paradise Gardens was on our to see list so we walked along the road heading south out of Boquete to Volcancito. I thought it quite unusual that there was a sidewalk for at least a mile that followed the road through the mountains. Soon we came to the road going west to Volcancito, home of Paradise Gardens, an animal rescue shelter founded by a British couple. Paradise Gardens was aptly named. There were acres of gardens, walkways, birds, mammals, reptiles and stunning mountain views. The animals were rescued from abusive owners or were found injured in the wild and were being rehabilitated. Nate befriended a Howler Monkey.

CALDERA RIVER NEAR PALO ALTO

On the walk back to town we stopped at a coffee shop where we met a couple that had recently retired to Panama from Texas. They soon bonded with Nate as he lives in Austin. They love living in Panama for the weather and low cost of living.

We arrived back at Boquete, had lunch then picked up our car and drove to David just to knock around. David is uninspiring but a good place to purchase items not available in Boquete. Some of the stores seemed like throwbacks to the 1950’s in the US. Because of our great dining experience at the Palo Alto restaurant we went back again and had an enjoyable evening despite the forty-mile per hour winds and rain that rattled the large windowpanes. Day 13 – Thursday, January 3, 2008 Caldera Hot Springs lies about one half hour southeast of Boquete along the Caldera Canyon Road. Of all the places we visited, the area surrounding the hot springs and the village of Caldera were the most amazing. After crossing a suspension bridge spanning the Calder River, we parked the car where the road became impassable. It was a quarter mile walk to the hot springs and we paid the landowner one dollar to use the hot springs. Rock walls formed a cirque around the pool of the spring. We sat in the 100-degree water, but not for too long. Then we walked over to the river and watched as Nate submerged himself in the 70-degree water – with us next.

PARADISE GARDENS IN VOLCANCITO HOWLER MONKEY

CALDERA HOT SPRINGS CALDERA RIVER DOWNSTREAM OF SUSPENSION BRIDGE

You can tell by the pictures it was a shocker for Johanna and me. Nate faked being relaxed. Caldera plateau is currently being developed with gated communities for retirees. There are at least three developments but they do not appear to be progressing rapidly as development tracks US housing trends. It is a truly spectacular area with a moderate climate that does not require heating or air conditioning. Day 14 – Friday, January 4, 2008 This was our last morning in Boquete. We drove the rental car to the airport in David, got lost, used Nate as our Spanish interpreter, and managed to find the airport. Once in Panama City a tour guide met us, Gisele, who took us to the Miraflores Locks on the Panama Canal where we saw a Chinese container ship move through the locks. It was a major tourist attraction and it was easily a sweltering 95 degrees. Our last evening was spent having dinner at Casablanca in the old city. To Panama and many happy memories!

THE MOUNTAINS OF CALDERA PLATEAU THE COLD MAN

THE COLD WOMAN THE RELAXED MAN

Here’s looking at you, kid.