BAJO MONO TRAIL

This past week I had the opportunity to explore a new hiking trail, the Bajo Mono Trail.  I was first introduced to the trail through a hiking group, Boquete Nature Hikes.  It's a beautiful trail, so I decided to take Monica later in the week.  The hike, located in the Bajo Mono area, is on a private property that has been in the Quiel family for many years.  Señor Issac was proud to show us his property which includes sheep, goats, chickens, berries, beautiful scenery and mountain views, and a gorgeous waterfall set within the cloud forest.

The property entrance is filled with hydrangea in all different colors.

This young sheep was resting by it's mother - adorable!

Passing a goat along the way...

As we were hiking up the trail, this man was seen hauling a giant crate of lettuces.

Fresh zarzamora (blackberry) juice is often served with a typical Panamanian lunch, and it was fun to to see these berries growing on this property (and to sample a few too)!

More berries...

Rooster

Beautiful flowers along the trail.

The trail heads into the cloud forest, and Monica enjoys a leisurely walk to the waterfall.

The waterfall named "El Tatica" at the end of this short trail is quite impressive!

Christina at the waterfall

Exotic Flower

A group of us took a different route on the way back and got to explore more of the cloud forest.  We had so much fun paving our way through some trails that are infrequently used.  I led the group, and at one point it felt as if we were creating our own path through the jungle, as there was practically no trail to be seen.  It was a great adventure!

Monica sits at the "mirador" with a nice mountain view behind her.

We have recently seen several of these vibrant orange and purple butterflies on different hikes in the Boquete area.  I was thrilled to have the opportunity to capture the image of this one.

At the end of the hike the proud property owner, Señor Isaac,  showed us this termite nest.

Monica

Monica and I spotted this butterfly, and its dark colored markings seemed to blend in with the berries. 

Strawberries are grown on the property, and at the end of our hike, Señor Issac set out a giant container of freshly picked berries for our group to sample.  In this picture, a worker is literally "running down the hill" with buckets of strawberries.

At the end of my hike with Monica we head back to Isaac's house to say goodbye and thank him for a wonderful time.  He presented me with these freshly cut hydrangea which which we took home and gave to our neighbor, Cathy, who planted them in the yard at Wild Orchid (the property we are renting).  Isaac was so gracious during both these hikes, and his friendly demeanor and pride in his property contributed to a memorable experience.