Snake!

Posted on November 7, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

Many of my neighbors are very afraid of snakes. They don’t want to walk in the grass, and they are especially afraid of mani (perennial peanut), a ground cover I love, because they think it attracts snakes. In the year I have been here though, I have only seen one snake, a dead coral snake in the road.

But, the other day I was trimming the yard with the weed whacker (the Panamanian way of mowing the lawn) and I disturbed a little snake. It was very small, not more than a couple feet long, and didn’t appear dangerous or aggressive. It only tried to get away from me and curled up farther down the wall.

snake

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I think the markings on its head are especially beautiful. So far, I haven’t been able to figure out what kind of snake it is. I hope it doesn’t go visit the neighbors!

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Driving Home from Santa Catalina, Panama

Posted on November 7, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

This is the last set of photos from our recent trip, taken on the drive home. They are the photos that I like best from my collection of that day, and I hope some will give you a feel for the area and the beauty we saw on our drive home.

I snapped this photo as we left the hotel because I love these wood pillars. There is a lot of wood everywhere – the ceiling, furniture, trim, cabinets, lamps, everything you can think of. Someone there must be a good woodworker who loves this type of beautiful wood.
As we drove away from the hotel we saw this man walking up the road with a heavy bag on his shoulders.
Every typical mode of transportation in one photo – car, bicycle, and horse. Of course we can’t leave out the dogs.
We head to the center of town, this intersection with the convenience store in the blue building.
Traffic jam! Cars and horses try to make their way though while the school kids practice their parade marching in the street, and the policeman keeps order and watches out for the kids.
Just a guy on his horse
This man was stopped in the middle of the road to check on his horse’s foot.
Another man with his machete and work tools.
A dog taking a nap in the street.
As we drive, we go through more hills and it seems to get more and more beautiful.
Even in this rural and remote area, the road is in very good condition.
We saw some very basic housing, like this place made of thatched roof and walls.
Here’s another. The door is just a plank leaned up against the opening.
The rice is so green that it makes a beautiful sight.
More hills, more green….
A little housing complex?
A guy with a gas can on his shoulder walks along with his little boy.
More beautiful hills
It’s so pretty here that there are endless photo ops
The ups and downs make driving interesting
Seeing how people live in this area makes me feel like I have so much
More driving through the hills
Panamanians are concerned about skin health, and they don’t want to get any darker so umbrellas for sun protection are very common.
It seems to get more and more beautiful, and more hilly as we get closer to the PanAmerican highway.
A man with his machete walks along the PanAmerican highway.
Later we saw what appears to be a dam under construction. Panama uses a lot of hydroelectric power since there is a lot of water here.
The PanAmerican highway also goes through beautiful scenery.
Some men ride their hoses along the highway.
Clothes for sale – the type of dresses worn by the indigenous people of this area.
As we get closer to home, we see the huge waterfall in the distance.
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Playa Estero, Santa Catalina, Panama

Posted on November 6, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

We asked about a beach with sand, and were sent to Playa Estero, not far from our hotel. This is one of the beaches suitable for beginning surfers. Most of the beaches in the area had warnings that they were for experienced surfers only and booties were required because of all the rocks. This one was calmer and though there were rocks, it was mostly sand. It was very pretty and I enjoyed taking photos there.

oops, this is actually the beach in front of the hotel.
The sand makes some interesting patterns.
Another tree clinging to the side of the earth.
A boy came down the beach on his horse and the dogs all went nuts. When he came ashore on our side though, they kept their distance probably seeing the horse was quite a bit bigger than they were.

While we were at this beach I had a conversation with a couple guys who were collecting big pieces of bamboo and hauling them up the hill. They told me that they were building another room on a house. Many of the people in this area seem to have very little money and get by on whatever they can produce or scavenge. These men also seemed to talk a bit differently, perhaps a different accent? I had a hard time understanding them. But, they were very nice to us and seemed happy that we took the time to talk with them.

Little by little I’m getting caught up with the photos from our trip between getting distracted by things going on here that I also find interesting.

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Back to Santa Catalina, Panama

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

I didn’t want to write a single post with a hundred photos, so I broke up my collection a bit. Earlier was a post with some photos of the hotel and grounds. These are some photos of the town and a few beach photos.

Down the road from the hotel was a collection of signs for various other hotels and restaurants.
At the next corner were more signs.
Someone has a pretty nice house and probably a fantastic view.
This is the center of town, basically an intersection with a convenience store. This little barefoot girl had just handed off a large baby to another girl before she headed down the road.
A cool looking little bar down the road.
There were quite a few of these interesting trees with the big balls. Someone told me what they are in the past, but I don’t remember now.
Surf shop!
I really like the covers for the trash can area.
We gave you the room over the outhouse. Is that OK with you?
It seems like most of the locals live in tiny little houses like these.
I don’t think the gas station gets used much, by the looks of the grass.

Since it was just before the holidays parades, the school kids here were also practicing their drumming. I was a bit surprised that there was a school big enough, and that there was a parade for them to be in. This town is so remote that the nearest town with a store is an hour away. But, these festivities are very important to the Panamanians so I’m sure these kids were taken to wherever they needed to be.

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I will finish up with a few photos of the beach in front of the hotel.

The beach here is very beautiful, but also so rocky that it wouldn’t be good for swimming.
The trees hanging on to the side of the earth are very interesting.
Here’s another tree barely clinging on.
These two horses were roaming the beach. I learned later that they live at the hotel next door.
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Black Witch Moth

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

This fantastic moth was hanging out in our laundry room today. It’s so big I was a bit startled when I first saw it, and thought it might be a bird at first glance until I quickly saw that it flew like a moth or butterfly.

First it landed on something on a high storage shelf. Joel got close with a tape measure so you can see how big it was.

First it landed on something on a high storage shelf. Joel got close with a tape measure so you can see how big it was.

Later it landed on Joel's tools.

Later it landed on Joel’s tools.

It also landed on a pink shirt I had hung up to dry which was very good for taking photos.

It also landed on a pink shirt I had hung up to dry which was very good for taking photos.

After some hunting around on the net we finally figured out that this is a male Black Witch Moth. In some cultures it is supposed to be bad luck or a harbinger of death. They are nocturnal and sure enough, when I went back to look for it at dusk, it had flown away. 

There always seems to be something new and interesting around here, and usually something really beautiful! It was also interesting trying to identify it because I came across many other photos of fantastic moths that can be found in this area. I will continue to keep my eyes open and a camera close at hand.

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Santa Catalina, Panama

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

After our visit to Pedasi and the Azuero Peninsula, we headed to Santa Catalina for a couple nights. After a beautiful drive down and an evening in the most total darkness I’d ever experienced (power outage, thank goodness for the borrowed flashlight!) we woke up in a really beautiful area.

We stayed at the Hotel Santa Catalina, one of a number of hotels in the area. This is a famous surfing spot, location of some world surfing events. This is evident when you walk around the little town which consists of mainly hotels, restaurants, and surfing shops.

Our room was just to the left of the path.
Some of the other rooms as seen from the tiki bar area.
The microwave in the room was all in Spanish.
The tiki bar and restaurant, and internet location, and just a lovely, relaxing place to hang out.
We had a great Caribbean lunch! It was a tasty as it was beautiful.
Fish with vegetables, rice, salad, and an amazing salsa. We were told it’s Indian curry, coconut milk, and some fish powder product. I need the recipe!
The manager thought we needed a picture together.
Chickens and cats were common underfoot, but the cats were better at begging.
The underside of the thatched roof.
We noticed this workman was always barefoot.
I think they had thrown out some scraps for the birds (turkey vultures)
These noisy grackles were common in the area.
We were lucky to spot this beautiful black hawk in a tree.
A coconut palm with a huge bromiliad growing on the trunk.
As in our area, every tree and available growing surface has something else growing on it.
Another huge bromiliad in a tree.
Pretty hills across the street from our hotel.
Up the road from the hotel you could see some of the ocean.

That’s a start. Now let me go see what other photos I have that might be interesting.

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Es un hermoso día en el barrio. (It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood)

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

I’m sitting here on the terrace after a very fun bike ride around the neighborhood. The neighbors up the street have the salsa music on. The people behind seem to be preparing for a family picnic on their terrace. The sun is shining, the breeze is blowing gently. The birds are singing, the dogs are barking, the kids are playing, and the butterflies are flitting about. So, if you are up north and getting cold, here’s a bit of warm sunshine sent your way  ~~~~~~~>

The view from my outside desk.

The view from my outside desk.

The neighborhood as we return from our bike ride.

The neighborhood as we return from our bike ride.

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Driving in the Azuero Peninsula

Posted on November 4, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

Tuesday we left Pedasi and headed up the Azuero Peninsula, west to Santiago, and then south again to Santa Catalina. It was a long drive, but on good roads through absolutely beautiful countryside.

We head out into the beautiful green countryside.
Some young men on horses are taking their cows somewhere.
More beautiful green fields. Cows seems to be the main thing in this area, along with corn, rice, and sugar cane in some areas.
Speaking of cows, here’s a very bug guy!
Here’s another typical Panamanian cow. I love the droopy ears and soft eyes.
Kids, farm equipment, man with machete… you never know what you are going to see on the road. We saw lots of men walking and I don’t think we ever saw one without a machete.
There are lots and lots of cows in this area!
We also saw a lot of these by the road, which I imagine are milk cans.
I believe this is Chitre. Las Tablas is another little town, and I think we were too busy getting lost to take photos in Santiago, so I’m calling this Chitre.
We saw a lot of this stands selling the traditional Panamanian hats. We also saw a lot of them on the rural men we passed on the roads.
Interesting statues above the road.
Is there life without KFC? But, this chicken bucket looks pretty interesting against those spectacular clouds!
Our impressions of Chitre from just driving through are very positive and we would like to go back and spend some time there. Maybe it would be a good place for us to live at some point? It looks like a big enough city for us, and the closer proximity to Panama City is also a plus.
We passed this church which looks beautiful and probably also very old.
Another street in Chitre, interesting until we discovered we were a bit lost and on the wrong street.
A city park which would look much better if I’d managed to get a decent photo of it.
Moving on again, and as you can see the roads are excellent.
It started to rain and the camera only wanted to focus on the rain drops, so there was no more photographs for a while.
As we headed south from Santiago the rain started to clear. I believe this is a field of sugar cane.
Between the rainy spots, the skies continue to be spectacular!
As we had south towards Santa Catalina, the terrain starts becoming more hilly, and the skies continue to be very interesting.
Raindrops, beautiful skies, and hill tops.
The land seems to get more beautiful at every turn. OK, I know I said that before but this is really lovely too.
The farther we go the more the road twists and turns up and down the hills. I don’t think any photograph can really do justice to the beauty of this area.
Hmm, festivities somewhere!
More rain, more beautiful scenery.
We’re getting closer to Santa Catalina and finally catch a glimpse of the ocean!
We made it to Santa Catalina just before dark, and just before the rains moved in, and just before it turned totally dark and the power went out! It isn’t exactly dinner by candle light, but tuna salad by flashlight isn’t so bad either.

I’m starting to get caught up! It looks like I have a folder of photos from Santa Catalina, and then it’s on to the photos of the parade from yesterday.

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More Island Photos

Posted on November 2, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

Send me somewhere with a camera and a beautiful setting, and you know what will happen! These are a few of my favorites.

We head out in the boat to Isla Iguana.
Here’s standing on the beach with the mainland in the distance.
Looking through the trees to the beach is a beautiful view. (yes, that is the police boat out sitting out there)
The path across the island.
The beach on the other side is also beautiful, and had a lot of black rocks nearby.
Joel is king of the rocks overlooking the beach.
A frigate bird flies overhead.
The day was absolutely gorgeous.
We make our way back to the mainland enjoying the beautiful sky and the water wake splashing alongside the boat.
Perfect water and perfect sky.
Joel looking good on the boat 🙂
The beach on the mainland, and the boats standing by. If you want to go out, a couple guys come help. They put rollers under the boat, and then just roll it into the water.
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Isla Iguana

Posted on November 2, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

While we were in Pedasi, we spent an afternoon at a nearby wildlife refuge, Isla Iguana. (Iguana Island). It’s a really beautiful place and the weather was perfect, so we had a gorgeous day to enjoy such an outing.

There was a police station at the beach where the boats launched. I had to show our passports and they wrote something in a log. The rest of the time the police seems to just hang out in the blue building.
Joel heads up the path on the island to explore the trail to the other side.
There was a visitors center with lots of info about the island and the wildlife.
Here’s one display about all the birds who can be found here.
There were lots of little hermit crabs everywhere.
Police in boats – this is a whole other story which I will tell below.
The boat captains all hang out here until their clients are ready to go back to the mainland.
Welcome, wildlife refuge Isla Iguana. Come in slowly in the indicated chanels. Moor boats on the buoys. Prohibited – anchor, walk, fish, or spearing on the reef, collecting biological material living or dead, cleaning fish on the beach, bothering the wildlife.
There are bomb holes on the island left over from when the US Navy was here.
Our boat captain told us the frigate birds are nesting now, which is why there were so many flying overhead.
More frigate birds
Of course there were iguanas! They hung out near the boat captains who occasionally tossed them a bit of fruit or other treat.
Am I a handsome devil or what!
More frigate birds, and some of the beautiful sand beach.
Lionel, our boat captain.
There were a few pelicans hanging out on this moored boat.

About the police boats – apparently this area is close enough to Columbia to have occasional drug smugglers trying to get through, so the police patrol the area carefully. Someone told us that there was a bust in a town just a little ways north of here.

I had to show our passports to the police before we got in the boat. Then, on the way out a police boat came along side and had a lengthy conversation with the boat captain about who we were, where we were going, how he came to be taking us to the island, etc. There were three men on this boat, one with his face covered and a large machine gun. They seemed calm and polite but the look was a bit scary. I asked if I could take a photo of them and was told “no”, but Joel had his iPad in his lap and got a fantastic one (I will try to get my hands on his iPad and post it!)

Later, another boat stopped near the island and stayed for quite a while. One of the men appeared to be watching the island with binoculars, another talked on the phone, and the others just hung out. I snapped a few photos trying to look like I was just photographing the area in general because I didn’t want to get in trouble for taking their photo. Thank goodness for a decent zoom lens 😉

Other than this minor excitement, it was a really nice time on the island. The water was clear, calm, and a perfect temperature. I enjoyed hiking across the island and watching the birds. The hotel had packed us a picnic lunch in a cooler, and sent us with a bag of beach towels. I mentioned snorkels earlier but somehow we didn’t end up with them, so next time I will definitely have to do this. The water is definitely clear and beautiful enough to make snorkeling a pleasure, and there is a lot of coral and sea life here.

Another interesting thing that we just missed – whales come here to have their babies and take care of them until they are strong enough to move on. I will have to keep this in mind for a return visit!

A google search will bring up websites like THIS ONE, if you want to read more about the island. I’m off to see what other photos I have standing by.

Posted in Exploring Panama, Panama, photography, travel | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments