Post by meizzwang on Nov 12, 2014 14:29:39 GMT -5
I'll NEVER go back to Panama again. EVER!!! Don't get me wrong: It was a really beautiful place to visit, there's no regrets on going there, and it was an outstanding experience plant-wise, but it's also not the most friendly Country. Corruption is high, and I can't tell you how many check points we had to go through on the main highway. One check point had us wondering if we had just been kidnapped, or if they were going to let us go (more on that later). For the most part, you show them your documents and they let you go, but near the borders, the government officials can be intimidating and quite hostile. They play some crazy "prisoner" mind games with you.
But back to the story: I decided to go to Panama after graduating college, and my brother decided to tag along because going there on your own is risky to say the least. Other people may have had a different experience there, but when I travel, I rent a car and go off way deep into the forest because that's how you find stuff! Prior to the trip, I spent a year studying maps,researching areas that potentially had the best plant life to visit, and identifying which areas were safe and which areas were dangerous. If you don't speak Spanish, you won't be able to do these types of trips (you'll want to go on a guided tour).
We flew into Panama city, and stayed there the first night. We got there at 11pm, and let me tell you a thing or two about navigating Panama: there's no street signs ANYWHERE! How do people know where to go? The use landmarks: they'll tell you to make a left at the palm tree, and then turn right at the church.
Nobody was out at night, and finally, we were stopped at a military roadblock. They asked for my ID, my temporary permit to be in the country, where I came from, what I was doing here, did I have any weapons, and where was I going. Keep in mind, everyone at these checkpoints have machine guns. AFter they verified us, they pointed to the sketchy, dark, run-down side street that we had circled around several times and said our hotel was there. this was my first impression of Panama.
The next morning, we drove to Coronado, and stayed at a nice hotel. Of course, I was anxious to see orchids, so I walked around and BAM-Encyclia cordigera!!!:
We also found a giant form of Brassavola nodosa, although this species is a weed and you can find it everywhere. Unfortunatley, they weren't in bloom because it was the dormancy period:
At the hotel, in front of the maid's quarters, we found a cute little Oncidium sp:
The next day, we drove out to El Valle, which is way up in the mountains. The town is situated in a valley in the mountain range, and the scenery out there was just breath-taking:
On the way up to El Valle, we found this either catasetum or Mormodes sp:
We found a trail way high up in the mountains and took a little hike. On the way up, we saw this snake:
Sobralia sp.'s grew on the trees. At this elevation, it was like San Francisco temperatures: 74 during the day, and low 50's at night:
Colorful beetles:
A view of El Valle from the summit:
We actually found some utricularia species!
Notice how it's growing in Sphagnum:
What's weird is how Sphagnum grew everywhere near the summit, but they weren't in pools like you'd find in Sarracenia territory. It just grew on the side of the mountain:
Sobralia sp's growing in the sphagnum:
And this is probably Utricularia alpina:
Maybe an Epidendrum sp?
I was really excited to find wild papayas!
Crappy photo, but here's one of those beautiful Maxillarias, and they smelled really good:
All sorts of different orchid species growing on a tree. Notice the fog creeping in:
That night, we stayed in El Valle and saw this large moth:
Some beautiful patterns:
To be continued.....
But back to the story: I decided to go to Panama after graduating college, and my brother decided to tag along because going there on your own is risky to say the least. Other people may have had a different experience there, but when I travel, I rent a car and go off way deep into the forest because that's how you find stuff! Prior to the trip, I spent a year studying maps,researching areas that potentially had the best plant life to visit, and identifying which areas were safe and which areas were dangerous. If you don't speak Spanish, you won't be able to do these types of trips (you'll want to go on a guided tour).
We flew into Panama city, and stayed there the first night. We got there at 11pm, and let me tell you a thing or two about navigating Panama: there's no street signs ANYWHERE! How do people know where to go? The use landmarks: they'll tell you to make a left at the palm tree, and then turn right at the church.
Nobody was out at night, and finally, we were stopped at a military roadblock. They asked for my ID, my temporary permit to be in the country, where I came from, what I was doing here, did I have any weapons, and where was I going. Keep in mind, everyone at these checkpoints have machine guns. AFter they verified us, they pointed to the sketchy, dark, run-down side street that we had circled around several times and said our hotel was there. this was my first impression of Panama.
The next morning, we drove to Coronado, and stayed at a nice hotel. Of course, I was anxious to see orchids, so I walked around and BAM-Encyclia cordigera!!!:
We also found a giant form of Brassavola nodosa, although this species is a weed and you can find it everywhere. Unfortunatley, they weren't in bloom because it was the dormancy period:
At the hotel, in front of the maid's quarters, we found a cute little Oncidium sp:
The next day, we drove out to El Valle, which is way up in the mountains. The town is situated in a valley in the mountain range, and the scenery out there was just breath-taking:
On the way up to El Valle, we found this either catasetum or Mormodes sp:
We found a trail way high up in the mountains and took a little hike. On the way up, we saw this snake:
Sobralia sp.'s grew on the trees. At this elevation, it was like San Francisco temperatures: 74 during the day, and low 50's at night:
Colorful beetles:
A view of El Valle from the summit:
We actually found some utricularia species!
Notice how it's growing in Sphagnum:
What's weird is how Sphagnum grew everywhere near the summit, but they weren't in pools like you'd find in Sarracenia territory. It just grew on the side of the mountain:
Sobralia sp's growing in the sphagnum:
And this is probably Utricularia alpina:
Maybe an Epidendrum sp?
I was really excited to find wild papayas!
Crappy photo, but here's one of those beautiful Maxillarias, and they smelled really good:
All sorts of different orchid species growing on a tree. Notice the fog creeping in:
That night, we stayed in El Valle and saw this large moth:
Some beautiful patterns:
To be continued.....