Holy Week in Boquete

I vaguely knew that the mayor shut down all liquor sales from Thursday through Sunday, so I thought.  No big deal, I don't drink.

A couple of things...

I was walking by Amigos, the major gringo watering hole, today at 2:45 pm.  I saw some people that I know but I normally don't stop and talk to because they start drinking in the morning and finish the next morning.  Come to think of it, I don't know when they eat or sleep.  But, they are always drunk, loud and belligerent, so I stay away.

Today I walked by looking for other friends and said hi.  To my surprise, it was fun.  They were interesting, articulate people.  Not at all like the one's I am used to.

I was befuddled.  What was different?

Then the waitress asked us if we wanted something (I don't know how that happened because you can never find one here when you want one).  Everyone said, "no, come back in 10 minutes when it is 3 pm and you can serve booze."

Oh.  They were sober.  What a difference.  They should try this more often because it looks good on them.

And another thing...

On long weekends, Panamanians in Panama City flood out of town to the country side.  Boquete is one of the main places to go.

I have often wondered if tourist are a pain in the ass because they are Americans and Europeans or if all people of the world are that way.

I got my answer.  

Boquete is full, full, triple full this weekend.  The roads are packed, all rooms are rented, and people are everywhere.  Most of them Panamanians.  They come to participate in the religious processions, the Orchid fair and simply hang out.

They clog the roads, the sidewalks, the parks, the fair ground, the stores and the restaurants.  Wall to wall people.  This is a little different than the January fair because then they hang out in the fair grounds and are not out in the community as much as during Holy Week.

They are just as much a pain in the ass as any other tourist, so I got my answer.

Tourists are universally trouble.

No wonder I couldn't find any of my friends,  They fled Boquete for quieter places.

One more thing...

My friends took me up to their property today.  This place is way up high on the continental divide.  It is surrounded by National Park and it is remote.

We were in a 1976 Toyota Land Cruiser, the real ones from yesterday, the ones reputed to go anywhere, the ones without springs.

This vehicle is a chiropractors marketing plan.  

We traveled for 4 or 5 kilometers on a road like a cobble river bed in Colorado; bouncing, jolting, lunging, rattling, jarring, tooth chipping, spine compressing and just plain old homogenizing.  We were all in need of an adjustment at the end of the road.

But wow, what a piece of property.  Virgin jungle...trees so old they had layers and layers of living matter growing over living matter so that the tree trunk was not visible.  This included orchids and more orchids.

Part of the property used to be a flower farm.  It has been neglected for years but there are still flowers in abundance.  This is in a land of flowers so it was marvelous.  And, I forgot my camera!

We were cutting flowers for the Easter Sunrise Service at the mission where these people volunteer.  I don't know why weren't struck dead by my heathen presence so I kept my mouth shut and helped.

A trail cut through their property that is an old indigenous trail from Boquete over the continental divide to Bocas on the Caribbean, so it is a dedicated public trail even though on private land.  What a beautiful trail and available to anyone.  If you are brave enough to negotiate the mud and rivers.

It goes to a high point on the Continental Divide where you can see the Pacific and Atlantic from the same spot...very unusual.  It is called Pate Demacho which is a rock formation on the ridge. 

These people are planning an ecolodge.  All the material for construction will have to be carried in by labor, no roads make it to the land.

What a challenge.  I wish them good luck.

A fun afternoon hiking around virgin jungle.  We even got to swing on some vines over a creek.  Pretty cool!  Yes, Tarzan could really swing through the forest.  I didn't know that.