From one side of the Mountain to the other

My first big trip out of Panama City, I decided to head North… or West… or whatever direction it is to the Chiriqui Highlands from Panama.

I had spent over two months in the bustling, large capitol of Panama. This capitol is growing rapidly; skyscrapers and condominiums are sprouting like weeds. Expats emigrate here to avoid taxes and make their retirement dream homes come true, and Peace Corp. volunteers use the trip to the big city to get all their vices out of their system. You name it, Panama City just about has it (except for Bikram yoga… still upset about that). I suppose this is why Panama is often referred to as the Hong Kong of Central America or another Miami. I think it’s just Panama, a city in its own rite.

Having said all this, I was yearning for a little r&r, a little nature, a little something more remote and out of the way. I soon found myself in the beautiful mountain country side of Cerro Punta. The trip alone was an experience. I ended up on the wrong bus after even asking the bus attendee if it would carry me to Cerro Punta. He said yes, I suppose not listening, and I was carried to the border of Costa Rica instead. Several hours later I finally made it to my desired destination – Cerro Punta. I’m glad I turned around, almost didn’t after the mix up.

My time in Cerro Punta was just what I needed! I spent the first night in a cabin by myself. All the luxuries and American chains (Dominos, Dunkin Donuts, McDonald’s etc) that existed in Panama City were totally absent in Guadalupe where I stayed. Not even a bank or a supermercado! Instead there were rows and rows of fincas, Ngobe Indians living in the fertile mountainside, and the freshest air I’ve probably ever breathed. I spent my time hiking in the mountain and biking. Ahhh… I already miss that place!

Not quite ready to leave the mountain totally yet, I headed for the other side to a town called Boquete, which I’ve heard from other travelers is named one of the top 5 places to retire in the world. I immediately thought that my ability to sew, knit, and appreciation for gin and tonics would help me fit in with the older folk. However, I haven’t found their hangout yet. There are indeed a lot more English speakers here; there were practically none in the tiny village in Cerro Punta. And there are several banks here. I can see why one would want to retire here. It’s a happy little mountain town, but just between you and me I would opt for retirement in Cerro Punta instead and grow cabbage or something.

What’s great about Boquete and probably the sole reason I came here is that it is famous for its coffee plantations. Some of Panama’s best coffee is grown here, as well as oranges. Because of that, there are coffee shops just about every 10 feet. Pretty cool for a coffee addicted girl like myself. In my city, the great city of Austin there are tons of coffee houses and generally I can find nothing to rival. them on my travels. Boquete has some cool places to hang out and enjoy a good cup of joe.

I took a coffee tour of the Ruiz plantation and learned a TON of information about coffee that I never knew. In fact, I normally don’t think about the long journey that coffee beans take from the plant to the cup and what a great amount of energy, care, and time is needed for a good cup of coffee. Of the many facts I learned, definitely the most useful piece of information was about how coffee plantations test the beans at the beginning of the process.

Coffee beans come from fruit. When the fruit is red, that means they are ready for picking. However these fruits are susceptible to damage from bugs and mold. A desirable cup of coffee would not be made up of these damaged beans, so in order to separate the good beans from the bad Café Ruiz dunks the fruits in water. The good ones sink, but the damaged ones float because there is less weight with the insect damage and whatnot. These damaged ones are called floaters. (Sounds like a joke, but I’m not kidding.) So what happens to the floater beans? Good question. I wondered the same things as well. The floater beans go through the same process as the good ones, being seeded, washed, roasted, rested, and bagged. Café Ruiz does not waste anything when it comes to their plantation which is great! They supply beans for Starbucks, Illy, Maxwell, and as you may have guessed by now… Nescafe and Folgers. The latter two companies are the sole purchasers for floater beans from Café Ruiz. Gross! So now that you know your coffee is damaged as well as protein enriched you may think twice when grabbing a cheap cup of coffee.

Seems you really do pay for what you get even in the world of coffee.

Next up Costa Rica!