The bins and camera equipment are packed into the gear bag, the clean underwear and socks have been folded and stacked in the suitcase, the checklist of items to remember has been double checked – yep, I’m ready to head off to Panama. With luck and the good wishes of the technology spirits, I hope to continue posting all through next week using my BlackBerry and MMS text messages. If this doesn’t work, well… you’ll next hear from me in just over a week. If it does work, I thought everyone might be interested in a sneak preview of where I’ll be and what I’ll be doing.
The trip will center around the Panama la Verde Birding Circuits, a group of Panamanian small business owners that offer visitors unforgettable birding experiences in choice Panama birding sites. The organizing tour company is Recontour S.A.
The first base of operations will be the Albrook Inn in the old American Canal Zone of Panama City. From there we will travel on to David, Chiriqui and set up in the Los Quetzales Ecolodge & Spa (not exactly roughing it, to be sure).
After birding the Guadalupe area without mercy, we’ll head back toward Panama City and the Park Eden B &B Country Retreat. This will put us in prime position for birding the ridge of Cerrol Gaital. Then it’s back to the Albrook Inn.
From the Albrook we’ll be perfectly located to visit such classic Panamanian biridng locations as Pipeline Road, the Ammo Dump, and Old Gamboa Road. We also plan to pay a visit to both the Panama Rainforest Discovery Center and the Metropolitan Nature Park.
Finally, we’ll journey to Cerro Azul and the Hostal Casa de Campo Country Inn & Spa. This location gives us easy access to both Cerro Jefe and Las Nubes.
The result? Well, for one, I hope to come back to the U.S. with a respectable portion of Panama’s astonishing 974 species recorded as having been seen. I also will no doubt return with a mind full of tales of Panamanian hospitality. Of course, having visited so many locations and staying at four different lodgings, I fully expect also to be in an excellent position to review some of the opportunities for lodging and birding that are to be found in Panama. Oh yes, and pictures; lots and lots of pictures.
Peace and good bird watching.
