As often happens in life and on vacation, today turned out different than we expected. We retained the services of an excellent company, Panama Day Trips (panamadaytrips) to drive and hike the jungle near Gamboa to see the many tropical birds that inhabit the area. An hours drive outside Panama is a WWII artifact known as Pipeline Road. According to the Smithsonian this area provides habitat for over 400 species of tropical bird and supposedly holds the record for the most number of distinct species seen in a 24 hour period. We saw precisely two species: one chestnut mandibled toucan and two parrots making a huge racket as they flew overhead on their way between appointments. We heard dozens if not hundreds of birds in the jungle canopy all around us but they werent interested in watching us watch them! A bit later, on a boat ride up the Chagres River, we saw various water fowl; jacanas, great blue heron, snowy egret and a few other species Ive since forgotten. All-in-all not a great day for tropical bird watching, but we enjoyed it anyhow. The guide felt sheepish about it but we all recognize that you take what nature decides to give you on any given day, enjoy it for what its worth and move on. Then things got real interesting. On the way back to the little marina we spotted two crocs. First time Ive seen those in the wild! Later in the day we saw howler monkeys and a family of capuchins moving through the canopy above us (I hope the photos turn out!). We also saw something that one rarely sees in the wild, at least according to the guide. We saw a two-toed sloth and a few minutes later we spotted a three-toed sloth. He said this is the first time hes ever seen both species on the same day. It was a rare event. We also spent time at the Gatun Locks, watching a container ship and a dry cargo ship moving through the chambers on their voyage from the Caribbean to the Pacific. Pretty amazing to see 100 year old technology still getting the job done. We rounded the day out with a tour of Fort San Lorenzo, built in the 1700s after Henry Morgan swept through and devastated the area on one of his raiding parties. We also saw several artillery batteries from WWI where 14 guns were emplaced to defend the Canal. Only place in the Americas where you can see defensive fortifications from WWI and WWII. And one of the few places in the world where you can visit the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea on the same day! So, our original plan didnt pan out. But something else - and in our case something fairly rare - came along instead. The makings of a great vacation.
Posted on: Tue, 04 Nov 2014 01:18:59 +0000
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