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Swim like a duck: Charco Piedra del Pato in Santa Fe

Still water at charco pato - Santa Fe

Swimming and River Fun

In Santa Fe, Veraguas and ready for a dip in the river or a float in a tube? Downhill (going there, definitely not going back – if you’ve seen that hill, you know what I’m talking about) from the hotel is one of the prettiest lazy swimming holes, surrounded by tall trees and a nice river.  It is a bit rocky, so I wear my flip flops in the water.

How to get there?

Go downhill from our hotel about 400m until you hit the Bulaba bridge.  Cross it, and on the other side to the right, make your way down to the river.  The swimming hole is downstream about 100m

Be careful and aware

Who would I be without cautionary words.  While the river is calm in this area much of the year, there are times that the water and velocity is high.  Use common sense – if it looks dangerous – don’t do it.

UPDATE: naming of the Charco

Since originally writing this post last week, I’ve learned of two background stories about Charco Piedra del Pato.  See which one you like the best.  The first is from Nathali who says she read the story in a book of legends of the area, the second from her mom, Villa.

1)  From Nathali: The swimming hole is located on the Bulaba River, named for an indian cacique Bulaba.  Bulaba had a beautiful daughter who fell in love with a man from a neighboring tribe. They would meet at night at this pool.  After realizing that his daughter was sneaking out at night to meet with her love interest, Bulaba was not happy and wanted to put a stop to the romance.  He went to see a warlock who turned the boyfriend into a duck (pato).  The daughter went at night to wait for her boyfriend, sitting on the big rock in the middle of the second photo – she sat and sat, he never came.  Thus, the area was named the Pool of Duck Rock (Charco Piedra del Pato)

2) From Villa: There used to be a lady named Sra Inez who lived on the river.  She had many ducks and the ducks used to perch themselves on the rock. Thus, the area was named the Pool of Duck Rock (Charco Piedro del Pato).

 

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Leaf cutter ants are awesome – except when they’re in your yard

Leaf cutter ants
Leaf Cutter Ants (arrieras) (Source: Rubiel Montoya Blog)

The Smithsonian has a tropical research institute in Panama (STRI), the main laboratory being situated in the middle of the Panama Canal, and as the flood waters rose with the damming of the canal in the early 1900s, they left the site, Barro Colorado, a former hilltop, as a new “island”.  With limited human actions since this time, it’s been a great place to study forest ecology and processes.

On my first visit to the island, we learned of researchers who spent their time studying leaf cutter ants, hours of field work  and lab time studying communication and social hierarchy within these ant communities.  You learned that these little guys don’t actually eat the leaves that they harvest, but have a mutualistic relationship with a type of fungus that lives in their colony, they feed it the leaves and the byproduct is used to feed their young. You hear about how hardworking they are, and how they are exceedingly good at harvesting vegetative material in such as short amount of time – a tree in a day!

So, you’re excited when you hear this.  The world is big, we are small, life is complex, this is pretty neat!

Until they’re in your yard.

And they’ve eaten your jobo .

And the nance.

And one of the cacao (chocolate).

And some of the coffee plants.

And you realize that you’re the source of the colony’s prosperity, feeding the next generation.

Then, it doesn’t seem quite as neat.

Upside?

Well, any leaf cutter ant biologists out there who need a new research location to err..contrast ant interactions within the forest environment to  modified soil environments?  I know of a great place you can go, a great inn where you can stay, and the study site is right near by….evidently prospering.

 

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Petroglyph Hunting on the Road to Calovebora, Santa Fe

Petroglyphs on Road to Guabal, District of Santa Fe
Petroglyphs Found!, is it a sun?

 

How did I end up looking for petroglyphs in Santa Fe?

When I was fifteen, my mom decided to take a six hour detour through the desert of Utah (in the summer) down dirt roads to look for these reported petroglyps.  After bouncing down the sandy road in our minivan, miles from no where, dust in my mouth, hot wind in my eyes, we came to a large rock pile.  It was well over 100 outside, I was fifteen, and underwhelmed would have been a kind word to describe my emotion at seeing a series of blurry etchings on  rocks.

So, how the heck did I end up bouncing down a dirt road years later, miles from nowhere, on the road from Santa Fe to Calovebora in search of petroglyps?  And how did I enjoy it?

A little history is key

I think the drive through the rainforest had a lot to do with it.  Who would not enjoy a drive down dirt roads, where each turn in the road  gives a new view, and clouds hang on surrounding hills.   Next, I read a bit about it before going.

According to Granger’s 1969 Review, the Carib people, carved these etchings roughly 1000 years ago, and the petroglyphs themeselves  generally are carved on a rock  facing water, and furthermore many are angled upstream or towards a mountain range from where the water comes.  I know that was true for this one, though I did hear a rumor that the rock was moved a bit to the side of the road with the construction of the new road.  Regardless, there is something magical about tracing the indentations with your hand, and wondering who else’s hands have passed there.

How did I get there?

We took the road from Santa Fe to Calovebora on the West Entrance to the Park.  There are a couple of sites where petroglyphs can be explored. The round trip took about 2 hours, and yes, I would recommend a four wheel drive for access.

What did I enjoy most?

I am an ecologist at heart, and I loved feeling very Indiana Jonesish going through these quiet rainforest backroads, the petroglyphs are an added bonus.

Recommend?

Definitely.

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The little goat that could: transport by chiva

Transport by truck in Santa Fe, Veraguas
Elias’s Chiva in Santa Fe, Veraguas

Chivas (translated goats) is a term used to refer to small transport vehicles, most often pickup trucks with an area in the back where people sit.  These are often used in rural areas to get between small towns on rough roads.

Transportation is a competitive business

In Santa Fe, there are two internal routes, one goes from Santa Fe-Guabal (though the Chivas are marked with Calovebora), the other makes a circuit of Santa Fe – El Pantano.  There are a limited number of trips permitted on each route, and each driver or owner holds a cupo for the right to drive on that route.  The national government sets the fare-you will not be overcharged on a chiva.  In both cases in Santa Fe, there are several owners who operate on each route.  They work up a schedule for which chiva operates when.  Some drivers are the owners themselves, others are employees of the owners, and still others work out a deal with the owners for commission.  As with any business where owners compete for limited resources, there are rivalries and also alliances between operators.

Did you know: You may occasionally see these chivas chain up.  Chains on tires are used for mud, not snow in Panama.

 

How to take a chiva

  1. If you’re near the center of Santa Fe, simply grab one near the central plaza.  If you’re on one of the roads around Santa Fe, hail it.  (How I hail a chiva: Turn around to face the truck. Make eye contact.  The driver may toot his horn, this is asking, hey do you want to get on?  Whether s/he does or not, stick out your arm (you’re saying, why yes I do want a ride))  If you have a stopping place that’s not the end of the route, tell the driver before you get on.  Make sure they understand.
  2. Climb in back.  The driver may ask if you want to sit in front.  I’m overly cautious, and as a woman, I prefer to travel with other people in back.  Ladies, Panamanian men tend to be very flirtatious and male drivers often ask a pretty woman (like you obviously) to sit in front with them.  I’ve heard some of the less generous women refer to these seats as the “bus slut” seats.  I think this is very unfair, it’s a woman’s prerogative to look good if she wants to. And flirting can be fun, but just be forewarned that flirting may ensue. Bus slut or not, if you’re lugging around a big backpack, the driver may ask you to put it on top of the vehicle.  Do this.  If it rains, there will be a tarp that goes over it.
  3. You can always ask for a stop by banging the outside of the vehicle.  If other people in the back see you doing this, they’ll help you.
  4. When you get off, don’t forget to wait for your luggage to be handed down.  Pay the driver.

 

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Friday is the color of happiness

Coffee Mountain Inn, Hotel in Santa Fe, Veraguas, Panama now has it's stuccoCele sent me updated construction pictures on Friday.  OK, the inn looks great – stuccoing completed on both the inside and outside, and tile halfway complete.  BUT, what I just want to look at, from halfway around the world, to stare at, to swim in… is the sky.

If it were a paint color, I would call it happy blue.  I know it’s about 80 degrees.  That if you were to walk barefoot on the grass, that it would be slightly wet from a night rain.  The sun is warm but not harsh on the mountains behind.  It is a happy blue.