Jungleland Panama: Day One

At the end of our five weeks in Panama this winter, we wanted to spend a few days relaxing and making some extra special memories. I really wanted to get up close and personal with the jungle and rainforest wildlife. There were many packaged tours offered, but the one that captured our imagination and offered a unique experience was Jungleland Panama. We hesitated to spend the money, as we tend to travel on a shoestring, but decided to take the plunge and go for it. It ended up being a highlight of our time in Panama, and we would wholeheartedly recommend it and do it again if given the chance. We sandwiched our overnight Jungleland adventure with two nights at the Radisson Summit Hotel in Gamboa, a lovely hotel with great customer service, an extravagant breakfast buffet, swimming pools, a butterfly habitat, and last, but most definitely not least, air conditioning. This was the view from our window at the hotel, looking out over the rainforest canopy toward Panama City in the distance. 

Our Jungleland adventure started at the dock in nearby Gamboa, where we met Captain Carl and boarded his boat along with several other people. Carl was everything you might expect: a bit rough around the edges and a wealth of information about the history of the canal the local flora and fauna. He had a number of jokes he told, and we were fairly certain they'd been delivered in exactly the same dry tone about a thousand other times. When asked a question, we were never exactly sure if he were giving a serious answer or not. Regardless of his quirkiness, he led an informative and entertaining tour as we crossed the canal alongside huge barges as well as smaller boats. We even spotted a brave iguana swimming along the middle of the canal, his spiny little head just above the water. 

The Panama Canal is currently undergoing a large expansion project that will allow much larger ships to pass through. Captain Carl told us a lot about the project and explained how the work is being done. He told us we were witnessing history in the making! This is a barge that uses explosives to dredge the bottom as they deepen and widen the canal. Other barges carry rubble away. As you can see in the pictures, the water was very murky in this part of the canal. 

We saw several huge cargo ships in transit through the canal. We had previously visited the Miraflores Locks and learned a lot about the history of the canal, so it was fun to actually be in it.

Raphael was so excited to see monkeys in the wild. Well, we all were, but I think he was especially looking forward to it. This is a white throated capuchin, a New World monkey native to Central and northern South America. This is the type of monkey that typically accompanied an organ grinder!

At another island we saw a little family of howler monkeys; a mama, daddy, and baby all scampering along and playing. Carl gave out peanuts so that we could feed the monkeys, a practice that I don't really approve of, but it was fun to see them so close. In another place we saw a troop of spider monkeys in the trees above us. Carl told us a lot about the differences between species, their behaviors and groupings, diet, etc. It was so neat to see them in their natural habitat. If I were a monkey, this is where I'd want to live! 

After we left the main part of the canal, we headed into Lake Gatun. When the canal was built, a river was dammed to create a huge lake that now makes up a long stretch of the canal. If you imagine water flooding a hilly area, you can picture how there are lots of little coves and fingers to the lake. You can also see here, away from the dredging, how the waters are a beautiful green instead of brown. The huge trees hanging over the water are mangoes. Sigh... all those lovely mangoes with no one but the birds and monkeys and maybe a hungry boatman to eat them up. Yes, I would definitely live here if I were a monkey. 

And here it is.... Jungleland Panama! It is apparently the only floating house on Lake Gatun, tucked away in a peaceful little cove, surrounded by lush rainforest, far from the noise and lights of civilization. It was designed and built by Carl, with lots of attention to detail. The adjoining boat used to give tours but is now the dining room! There were lots of open spaces and hammocks available to relax and enjoy the stillness. We were welcomed aboard and given options of how we wanted to spend our afternoon. 

There were some tamarin monkeys frisking about nearby. Poppy is quite certain she needs to own one as a pet someday. Apparently there is a black market for them and they can fetch about $10,000. So yeah, if it was legal and affordable.... I'd buy her one. 

The houseboat was home to several different animals, many of which had been rescued. Look at my brave girl holding a young caiman! 

   

While some people chose to go out fishing for the afternoon, we jumped into kayaks and paddled our way through a narrow waterway into the jungle. In places, there was hardly enough room to maneuver through, and I imagine it's a constant battle of man versus plants to keep it open! Peregrine and I worked together, or attempted to work together (haha!)  to paddle the kilometer or so up to a little waterfall and swimming hole. It was so beautiful and peaceful, sunlight streaming through dense canopy, bouncing off the water, its brilliance reflected in an iridescent flash of a blue morhpo's wings. Pure magic. 

Peregrine eagerly climbed up the rocks to wait his turn to jump from the waterfall into the deep pool below. He stood there for a long time, working up the nerve to do it. Everyone cheered him on as he finally took the plunge. I'm so proud of my kids when they face a fear and overcome it!
 

I got to be alone on the paddle back, as some of the kids chose to ride in the motorized canoe. It was somehow a lot easier to paddle alone! Erik, who has more kayaking experience than I, gave me some pointers that really helped. 

I got to hold and feed the night monkey. Well, I guess holding isn't quite the same things as being climbed on. She was stinky, but it was fun!

The kids got to feed the toucan, and also a parrot. Both of them had been injured and couldn't live in the wild any longer. 

Poppy and Peregrine really enjoyed kayaking and took one of the kayaks out on the lake around the house. It was fun to watch them and allow them the independence and freedom to go off on their own. We did steer them clear of the shore. You know, where the crocodiles live. And yes, they wore life jackets. 

Sun set, and the air was alive with the sounds of the jungle.

After dark, we joined Adam and several others to do look for crocodiles and caimans. Adam works for Jungleland and we were glad he led our evening expedition, as he was passionate and super knowledgeable about these animals. Armed with a bright light, we swept the water's edge for the reflection of eyes. If we saw them, he would have someone hold the light steady on them. It's kind of like deer-in-the-headlights only it's caiman-in-the-spotlight. He then sped toward them and if it was a small caiman, he would reach his hand into the water and attempt to grab it. He missed several times, but the thrill of the "hunt" was pretty, well, thrilling. He shared a lot about their habits, and he actually has several he is raising, then will release into the wild once they are larger, which greatly improves their chance of survival. We never saw a crocodile, but he did catch this caiman, which he said was about three years old. It was an exciting evening out, to say the least! Raphael and Pearl both fell asleep, but the big kids will certainly remember hunting crocs by night on Lake Gatun!

Once we were back at Jungleland and getting settled into our cozy and comfortable room for the night, Poppy and I stole away up to the deck, where we lay down together and gazed at the stars, clear and bright, shining down on the jungle, alive with the sounds of the night. It was a special few moments with my precious girl, moments to tuck away and always remember.

Stay tuned for part two of our Jungleland adventure! 

El Chorro Macho

While we were staying in El Valle de Anton in Panama, we took a jaunt out of town one day to visit El Chorro Macho, a nearby waterfall. There is an outfit that runs a canopy zipline tour there, and they've capitalized on the natural beauty of the area, so we had to pay to hike their trails and see the falls. It was a good opportunity to talk with the kids about how our taxes go to pay for trails and maintenance of public lands where we live, but that's not always the case. Our admission fee included the use of nice wooden walking sticks, and the kids thought that was fun!

We enjoyed walking through the thick forest.

There are many waterfalls in El Valle, as it's nestled in the crater of an extinct volcano. This one is El Chorro Macho, the Male Waterfall! There is a nearby Maiden waterfall as well, which I can only assume is more dainty than this one!

The abundance of growth everywhere was amazing! It seemed that every tree supported many, many other types of plants, both small and large.

I love to look up through the canopy when I'm in the forest. The leaves against the sky are so beautiful!

Near the waterfall was a natural swimming pool with water diverted from the stream. We enjoyed cooling off in its waters after hiking through the forest.

Peregrine made a friend! Yikes, that is one big bug!

These were some lovely baby mangoes growing by the side of the road.
We had taken the bus out of town to the waterfall, and planned to take it back as well. After waiting for some time,  we decided to start walking and flag it down when it came by. We walked, and walked, and walked, and finally the bus caught up with us as we reached the edge of town. It was a fun outing. My Gramps used to say he never met a waterfall he didn't like, and I often think of him when we visit waterfalls. I love carrying on the spirit of adventure and exploration that has been passed down to us.

Science World

The kids in front of Science World in Vancouver. The dome was built as part of the World's Fair, Expo '86. I was eleven that summer, and my parents let me go off for a couple weeks with my best friend and her family.  We did a lot of camping and spent a few days at Expo. It's neat that they've turned this building into a great, hands on science museum. We have a membership to the University of Oregon Natural History museum, and they are part of ASTC, so we were able to get in free to Science World. We've also used it to visit a number of other great science museums on the West Coast over the last year. I think it's well worth it to buy a membership like this, and we look forward to visiting museums across the country on our upcoming road trip.

Poppy and Raphael had fun using pulleys to pull themselves upwards.

Peregrine explored water currents and changing water flow. They also had mini locks the kids (or the moms, ahem) could play with, which was fun after having visited the Panama Canal earlier this year. 

I've always suspected that my kids were an alien species.

Pearl was thrilled to meet a leopard gecko!

Peregrine has been super into dinosaurs lately, so the T-Rex skeleton was a big hit with him.  He sat and gazed at it for a long while. 

Poppy and I had fun putting all the internal organs in this 3D human body puzzle. Talk about hands on! (Or maybe hands in?)

The kids all greatly enjoyed the science show, and can't wait to go back again for more. This show was about "cold" and used both dry ice and liquid nitrogen to demonstrate different things.

My favorite was when three balloon animals were placed into the liquid nitrogen and they shriveled up. When taken out, the air expanded and they took on their original forms!


We had a great afternoon exploring and playing. The kids can't wait to go back again! 

Fort Langley

A few days ago we spent the afternoon exploring the birthplace of British Columbia, historic Fort Langley. Situated strategically on the Fraser River, the fort was run by the Hudson's Bay Company. HBC men were encouraged to marry First Nations women, strengthening the ties between the two. For the most part the Company and the First Nations peoples had a peaceful relationship. The fort has been wonderfully restored and is a great way to experience hands on history. All of the employees within the fort dress in period costume, and are very helpful and ready to answer any questions visitors might have. 

The wall and watchtower as we approached the fort. What kid could resist? We were able to climb up into the watchtower and walk along the upper walkway. 

The cooperage was an important part of life in the fort. While it was the fur trade that fueled the early economy, goods such as salted salmon and cranberries were also shipped out from Fort Langley and became important commodities. There are ongoing demonstrations of barrel making in the cooperage.

There were all kinds of furs that the kids could touch and feel. And try on, if they were so inclined!

We happened to be there on a day when there weren't many visitors, which was nice. The staff were all friendly, helpful, and available to answer our questions. 

This map showed how most of the goods traded went to and from Europe, all the way around the tip of South America. Beaver hats were all the rage at the time, and the demand for pelts was huge. I found this map especially interesting after having visited the Panama Canal earlier this year, and learning how the opening of the canal has changed worldwide shipping. At this time the TransCanada railway was not yet completed either, and the "kilometres of daunting wilderness" in the middle of the country made it impractical to transport goods from the East Coast of Canada.
 

We almost had the place to ourselves!

Panning for gold was a big hit with all the kids. Or maybe I should say it was a big splash, as they all came away rather soggy!

This woman was showing Peregrine the ropes. After the California Gold Rush died out a bit, over 30.000 American miners came north to seek gold in and around the Fraser River. At the time, the area was known as New Caledonia, and while Russian and European traders were active in the region, the Hudson's Bay Company had a monopoly on trade in the region.  The governor of Vancouver Island claimed it as British territory to prevent what seemed like a possible takeover from the US, and thus it became official Canadian land. One of the great things about travel is getting to hear history from different perspectives. 

Poppy found a nugget! 

Raphael was taking it very seriously after both Peregrine and Poppy found some. Where did my round faced little toddler go? 

There is a nice, big garden inside the walls of the fort, as well as chickens, rabbits, goats, and sheep. The kids enjoyed getting to feed them. Historically, the HBC farmed the lands around the fort, providing wheat and butter to Russian traders, as well as other types of produce.

Fort Langley is "the birthplace of British Columbia". That short fellow in the front looks an awful lot like Peregrine, doesn't he? 

One of the buildings contained rooms set up to look like family dwellings would have back then. I had to take this picture to compare with the next one, which was taken six years ago...

.... when Poppy was only two! I visited Fort Langley with Peregrine and Poppy while I was up in BC visiting my friend Shelley. She could hardly see over the top of the bowl! (You can see more pictures from our previous visit here.)

My handsome boy.

And my sweet big girl.