waterfall trail entrance

Boquete Hiking Trails – The Waterfall Trail (aka Pipeline Trail)

I take this Boquete hiking trail most Sundays with my wonderful animal stalker friends, Bill and Lynne. The Waterfall Trail in Boquete is gently sloped, so not too strenuous and it delivers on stunning views and an abundance of wildlife. This Boquete hiking trail is also the Quetzal nightclub of Boquete: all the boy quetzals gather here, coyly letting their tail feathers swing, luring in the ladybirds. Finding this trail can often be confusing: it used to be called the Pipeline Trail, plus, there’s another excellent trail close by with a similar name, The Lost Waterfalls (our next featured trail – stay tuned!). You know you’ve got the correct trail if you see this sign:

waterfall trail entrance

This is the trail we recommend most often when guests ask us where to go. For plenty of reasons:

Quetzals! You have the greatest chance of spotting a Quetzal on this Boquete hiking trail. You further increase your odds if you have a skilled guide with you. We can arrange this at check in. Most tours pick up at the hotel at 8:00-8:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. and the hike lasts about 3.5 hours. The cost is approximately $40 per person.

Quetzal on the Waterfall Trail, August 2014. Photo courtesy of John from Boquete Custom Tours!

Quetzal on the Waterfall Trail, August 2014. Photo courtesy of John from Boquete Custom Tours.

The Really Old Tree: Yes, that’s the official name of the 1,400 year old tree that has withstood two eruptions of Volcan Baru (you can see two distinct indentations in the trunk). The tree is off to the left of the main trail (not the first left fork at the beginning of the trail…that’s where the bee colony is. Don’t go there). You’ll see the tree from the main trail. You’ll also see a lot of people with binoculars pressed to their faces, mouths slightly ajar hovering in the vicinity – it’s prime quetzal country due to the abundance of aguacatillos, also called mini-avacados, or, quetzal crack cocaine.

The Waterfall! At the end of the trail, you’ll see a stunning waterfall. Tip: Don’t stand directly under the water, trying to recreate an Irish Spring moment. Landslides/tumble-y rocks a distinct possibility, especially in rainy season. Admire from a distance.

waterfall

Wildlife: I’ve seen quetzales, toucanettes (you’re picturing a toucan in a blonde wig and smurf hat, aren’t you?), howler monkeys, a sloth, baby tinamou (he hiked with me for a spell). Lynne and Bill have seen: the above, plus, a weasel, peccary, coatimundi, armadillo, deer, olingo, cacomistle, porcupine, opossum, agouti, capuchin monkey.

Photo courtesy of Bill Fox!

Photo courtesy of Bill Fox!

Another two Bill photos!

Another Bill photo!

armadillo

The drive up to the trail: The Bajo Mono loop road is spectacular. You can make a whole day of it: stop at the crazy rock formation, waterfalls, abandoned ‘castle’, stop in at Fresas Cafe for a fresa batido (strawberry milkshake), drive through farm country and breathe in the smell of green onions. We provide a great map with all the landmarks. Ask us about it before you hit the road and we can give you some tips!

You'll see this on the way up to Bajo Mono.  Climbers not guaranteed. :)

You’ll see this on the way up to Bajo Mono.Climbers not guaranteed.

Safety first! This trail features a lovely woman named Janeth who collects $3 from each hiker to cross her family’s land. She also takes note of who enters the trail and who exits—which is always a good thing.

Trail: The Waterfall Trail
Location: Up the Bajo Mono loop road – ask at our front desk for a map!
Time: 2 – 3 hours (depends on how often you stop to shoot photos)
Pros: Beautiful views, quetzals and other wildlife, waterfall
Cons: Lots of people on it in high season
Level: Beginner/intermediate

coco pips 1

Coco y Pippa

No he escrito en tres meses porque le prometí a la próxima entrada sería en español. Aquí lo tienes…

Me gustaría presentarles a Coco y Pippa. Ellas hablan español perfecto.

coco pips 1

Al principio, Coco cubrió los oídos de Pippa cuando practicaba mi español porque era tan horrible.

coco and pippa spanish copy

A veces ella se trata de escapar de mi mal español.

run away

Ahora ellas escúchame y tenemos conversaciones excelentes.

P1080394

(Sí, esto era una excusa para publicar fotos de mis gatos.)

I decided to improve my Spanish and Boquete celebrated with a parade! The woman in the foreground looks sceptical.

As an expat in Panama – it’s about time I learned Spanish

I decided to improve my Spanish and Boquete celebrated with a parade! The woman in the foreground looks sceptical.
I decided to improve my Spanish and Boquete celebrated with a parade! The woman in the foreground looks skeptical.

If you decide to move to Boquete Panama, learning Spanish is crucial. And respectful. It will make your life easier and your time here more fulfilling. How else will you meet your neighbours? Make friends? Understand Boquete news, politics, what’s going on in town? Take it from me: the half-baked approach to the Spanish language can only take you so far.

* * *

So why did I finally commit? I am embarrassed. Panamanian guests of Boquete Garden Inn (and guests from other Spanish-speaking countries) ask me how long I’ve lived here and I chirp proudly, “Almost six years!” Eyebrows raise and there’s an awkward silence. Because my Spanish is all mangled and in present tense and ugly (less so now after three weeks of classes). I blink and say ‘No entiendo’ way more than I should. (At least I don’t commit the ultimate expat cardinal sin: peppering sentences with occasional Spanish words (usually alcohol-related), as in “The cuenta, por favor! And don’t forget, Leo: I only had two Ron Abuelos! The rest were cervezas!”

I decided to take Spanish at Habla Ya Panama Spanish Schools. I was placed in Intermediate Level B1 conversational Spanish. My professor, Leidys Pitti, is patient, kind and excellent at her job: smiling sweetly at every um, ahh and Spanglified fake word I throw into conversation after I’ve exhausted my vocabulary. And when I stammer out something horribly inappropriate, she doesn’t blink an eye. She simply corrects me and we move on.

Dedicating four hours a day/five days a week to Spanish is the best decision I’ve made. It’s easy to say you’re going to practice Spanish in your free time, but unless you are extremely dedicated and disciplined, it just won’t happen. I planned to watch Destinos every night (funny, cheesy ’90s language program masquerading as a Telenovela). Same with clicking through Rosetta Stone, the Sesame St of adult language programs. Same with tackling the workbooks stacked up on my desk. Did I? Nope.

Going to class. Completing written assignments. Watching videos, listening to podcasts. Speaking not only to the teacher, but other students, solely in Spanish. It’s so important. And the key benefit to taking group classes? Fellow classmates and your teachers keep you accountable. You have to complete assignments on time and focus in class – or else you hold everyone back.

My Spanish is still ugly. And I still blink stupidly. But I’m working to change that. Next update? In English and Spanish.