Yesterday we travelled from our villas in the City of Knowledge, Panamá to El Valle, a town located in the crater of a dormant volcano that is also referred to as El Valle. This morning, after a delicious Panamanian breakfast in the eatery on the first floor of the hotel, we departed at about 8:50 to begin our day. The class divided into two groups: one that went zip lining and horseback riding and another that hiked up the mountains around the perimeter of the crater. At the end of these activities, the whole class converged at the water springs located in El Valle for group bonding over mud facials and long soaks in mineral water baths.
During our conveyance by bus to all of the projects the class participated in during this trip, I never failed to notice the richness of the surrounding scenery which was particularly apparent in the environment of El Valle. Peppered between bowers of creeping vines and lush gardens of vibrant flowers and fruit trees sat rustic, colorful homes in shades of pinks, blues, and yellows. This style is reminiscent of the creole influence in the hues used in the architecture, especially of residential buildings, of such countries as French Guyana and I am left wondering if this same influence was present as well within Panamá during the construction of these houses. Through the constant drizzle of rain could be glimpsed Panamanians going about their duties around their houses or strolling along the sides of the road as our bus charged by within an inch of them. The volcanic crater of El Valle was the most beautiful sight of all to behold. Shrouded in fog, mountains and crater peaks reared high in the background, their slopes blanketed with thick, verdant forests. As you can see, I was really quite partial to the landscape of Panamá, especially the stunning ranges of hills and mountains which do not exist in Florida, where I was born and raised, and which I had never seen before in my life. It’s definitely worth braving the cold showers of your bathroom and the perpetual damp air that seeps through your clothes in a typical day in Panamá.
The group that went hiking declared, when we had all reunited, that it had been an exhilarating and breathtaking experience. To brave a climb up the rocky sides of the mountains with nary a piece of rock climbing equipment to be found seemed to make their exaltation that much sweeter when they finally attained the summit and received their first glimpse of what I imagine to be the misty, richly emerald depths of the crater. Having no athletic prowess whatsoever and knowing that all I would feel at the top of that mountain is a large stitch in my side, I opted to participate in the group that went zip lining and horseback riding. Zip lining is honestly scary at the start, especially when you first look down the zip line and realize how steep it is and how far you would fall if the line broke...however, that was never an issue fortunately. It ended up being a pretty thrilling experience! Most of the time you could control your speed by bearing down with your stronger hand on the stretch of cord behind the mechanism that rolled you down to the next platform. During one expanse of zip line, we were able to pause about 50 feet above a massive waterfall that measured approximately 200 feet.
It was amazing! Truly one of those once in a lifetime opportunities. Being able to fly through the canopy of this beautiful Panamanian forest further opened my eyes to the richness of this foreign country and sparked my curiosity about the richness of other countries as well. During the course of this class, my fellow classmates and I had to research a topic in relation to Panamá and present our findings in a paper and a research poster. My topic concerned Panamanian herbal remedies that could be derived mainly from the indigenous plants of the forests. As I zoomed through the trees I became truly aware of the vast diversity of the flora and how the diverse chemicals of rainforest plants can harbor a plethora of medical capabilities. For my first time zip lining I definitely learned quite a few things.
The next item on the to-do list for the group I was in was horseback riding, however I ended up not participating in it at all. When we drove up the stables the first sight we witnessed were thin and shivering horses. Though they did not look excessively unhealthy, it was pretty clear to see that these horses were not well nourished or well treated. I even distinctly remember one of the stable caretakers shoving a horse’s head around toward the track these poor creatures typically traversed. Though their situation did not appear to be extreme, the level of degradation of the horses was nonetheless disturbing.
After this long day of adrenaline rushing activities, the entire group detoxed with some mud facials and baths at the water springs in El Valle. Two types of mud were offered: a brown one and a tan one, with the tan mud usually being utilized for sensitive skin. In the baths, hot mineral water surged maintaining a constant temperature between 90°F and 100ºF. After all of the cold showers this class had been subjected to since the initial arrival into Panamá, the high temperatures of this water were pretty soothing and relaxing, at least for the short while we were allowed to remain within the bath.
We were supposed to go visit one of Panamá’s famous black sand beaches afterwards however, the class spent most of the remaining time browsing the cheap wares of the market in El Valle. A multitude of distinct and genuinely artistic merchandise was displayed here, such as intricately painted jungle related scenes on feathers, carefully handcrafted bracelets and necklaces, as well as many native sweetmeats.
After a brief stop at the top of the crater of the volcano for a farewell scan of El Valle, we set off on a two hour voyage by bus back to our villas where we reconvened for our habitual group reflection of our last day in Panamá and pre-flight departure discussion. Overall, our stay in Panamá taught us a good deal about the disparities between Panamá and America as well as opened our eyes to an intriguing culture shock. It was definitely a worthwhile excursion and I encourage anyone that is interested to take the plunge and get a first hand experience of a foreign country as well.
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