Log 22: Quest for the Quetzal

It’s been about a week since we first arrived in Panamá. We’ve been battling a strange sense of complacency since our arrival. We are busy-body explorers constantly searching for a muse, but so far we haven’t scratched the surface of this beautiful archipelago. Were we just tired? Needing a break? I’m still unsure. However, what I do know is that it’s almost my birthday, and Brendan has a special treat up his sleeve.

You may recall that Brendan backpacked through Panama about eight years ago. One of his stops was the small mountain town of Boquete, located in the western highlands of the Chiriquí Province. The high elevation there yields much cooler temperatures than the sweltering tropic heat of Bocas del Toro, (a tempting offer alone since we don’t have air conditioning on the boat). However, when Brendan asked me if I wanted to take a weekend trip there for my birthday, it wasn’t just the cool air my eyes twinkled for… I wanted to see a quetzal!

For the non-bird-nerds out there, the Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) is a gorgeous, rare bird that inhabits the unique environment that Boquete provides. I tried to find a quetzal while traveling through Costa Rica’s cloud forest back in 2019, but with no luck. So, when Brendan asked, my answer was a resounding, yes! It was going to be quite the journey just to get there, but as always, we were both up for the adventure.

Finally, today was the day! We grab our backpacks and catch a water taxi from the marina into Isla Colón (the main island) where we must then hop on another water taxi (this one more of a water shuttle) to the closest town on the mainland of Panama, named Almirante. They cram us into the water shuttle like a can of sardines for the 20-minute boat ride across the water. A little girl sitting on her mother’s lap next to me giggles while playing peek-a-boo to the back of Brendan’s head. Her mom and I giggle back at the cuteness, and I play along too.

We pass the shipping port for the Chiquita banana company, with large metal Chiquita containers stacked on one another. The boat slows and turns into a channel through mangrove swamp. We pass a few small homes hiding in the mangrove trees, and unfortunately, they are rough shape. Once we arrive at the small dock, we all unfold ourselves onto the dock and look for our bus. But immediately, men approach us like mosquitos and start hassling us, trying to grab our bags. It feels aggressive and unnerving. I try to reason with one man in Spanish, repeatedly saying no, but he won’t take no for an answer. There’s no use reasoning. We finally find our small shuttle bus and tuck ourselves in, trying to hide from the chaos of men trying to get our tourist coins. After the last man quits asking all passengers to give him money, the driver finally gets in and we slowly roll away. I breathe a sigh of relief and turn to Brendan, “damn… that was a lot…”

The next leg of the trip is a five-hour long winding bus ride through foggy mountains. The shuttle bus (which is basically a 12-passenger van), is packed with fellow travelers and backpackers, but I manage to grab a window seat near the back. It’s been a while since we’ve been in a car, so it feels like the driver is steering like a madman, but it’s just normal wild driving here in Central America. I stare out the window as we rapidly cut through narrow mountain roads. We pass sections of lush jungle, hillsides of banana trees, thatched homes with strings of colorful laundry, and whip through the occasional small town. It starts to rain when we stop halfway for a restroom break. It’s a nickel to use the toilet but the facilities are clean. We buy a cold coke and hop back on the bus. We feel the temperature drop the higher in elevation we go. I read a few more chapters in my book until finally, we arrive. We stretch out of the bus one last time and catch a cab to our Airbnb.

Riding through town, I can see its surface charm. Many restaurants give it a tourist appeal and the equatorial climate yields many blooming flowers and plants. Boquete also sits at the base of an active stratovolcano, named Volcán Barú. This volcano is also the tallest mountain in Panama, about 11,400 ft high. We “splurged” and rented an adorable little Airbnb that looks like a Hobbit-house. We didn’t realize it at the time of booking, but it’s a part of a hostel that has a restaurant/bar inside, making our dinner plans easy. The castle-shaped hostel is no doubt touristy, which typically isn’t our prerogative, but hey, it’s my birthday. We walk the beautifully kept grounds, and I’m already on the prowl for new and unique bird species. After a hot shower and a warm meal, we snuggle into bed to rest before tomorrow’s quest; the quest to find the iconic quetzal.

In the morning, our first hike leads us to Las Tres Cascadas, (or The Three Waterfalls) also known as The Lost Waterfalls. It’s misty, and the air is thick with morning dew. A river flows near the drop off, and we walk across a metal bridge towards the entrance. There’s a steep incline up a muddy hill, and we soon realize what we’re in for. Good thing we’re in boots, I think to myself. We reach the top, pay our entry fee, and walk to the first waterfall. A Slate-throated Redstart zips over our shoulders, landing in a nearby tree to inspect us, the alien visitors. Every shade of green surrounds us as we tiptoe through the misty forest among a diverse array of trees, shrubs, and vines. Leaves above us softly drip water onto our rain jackets. The wet soil beneath our feet beams the familiar musky-sweet smell that dirt has after a heavy rainfall. Birds lightly chirp in the distance, whispering gossip of our presence. Water droplets continue to pitter-patter around us through the towering forest trees. The closer we hike towards the falls, the louder its roar becomes. And soon, we’re standing before a thunderous waterfall, gleaming in awe of its power.

Continuing along the muddy trail, we watch our steps carefully so not to slip. We make it to the second waterfall and though not as tall, it’s just as impressive as the first. My mind whirls from the opulent natural beauty here. I keep stopping to photograph plants, insects, lichens, and moss. I admit to myself that this trail isn’t the best for a quetzal sighting. Dense vegetation makes visibility difficult. However, this trail is so pleasant that this realization doesn’t bother me a bit. We stop and sit at the third (and final) waterfall to soak in the views and enjoy the peaceful moment together. What a lovely day. After a moment to relax, we hike back to the park entrance and catch a local bus to head back into the town.

The day flies by like the birds in the trees. Before we know it, we’re eating dinner and watching a live band perform back at the hostel. We meet a nice father-son duo traveling together (I suppose the son is in his thirties and father in his fifties), and two other solo travelers, a pretty blonde Swedish girl, and a German man with an eclectic sense of humor. Everyone is so kind. We dance and sing, and the band finishes their set with The Killer’s “Mr. Brightside.” We hoot out for an encore, but half the band frantically packs up to make it to another music show at the local brewery. Our new four friends ask us to join them in continuing the fun with the other band. “Didn’t you say tomorrow is you’re your birthday,” the Sweetish girl asks with a big smile, “You have to join us!” I grin, “Well, it is still early… let’s go!”

When we arrive, the brewery has transformed into a music venue, and the house was packed! It doesn’t take us long to see why. The Latin lead singer switches perfectly from performing Led Zeppelin to AC/DC to David Bowie, and other classic rock songs. His accent is impressive. I’m not usually a cover band person, but they nail it. These are not easy artists/songs to cover, and the lead singer belts them out with style. When they play “Oye Como Va,” the crowd goes wild on the small dance floor. Brendan and I giggle as everyone sings along. The son and Swedish woman flirtatiously dance, the father and German man joke and cheers joyously as they finish their second round of beers. Brendan and I join in on the dancing and we all laugh and twirl the night away.

I pop out of bed early the next morning. I slide open the front door and inhale deeply, peering up at the massive mountainous volcano, Volcán Barú. Today is the day… I can feel it! For my birthday, Brendan booked us a birding tour with a local guide. Being a nature guide myself for many years, I know that you can never guarantee specific wildlife sightings, but inside, I was dying to finally see my quetzal!

“Buenos días!” The friendly guide greets us as he opens his car door for us to get in. “Ustedes prefieren español o inglés?” he asks. “Oh inglés, por favor. Muchas gracias!” Brendan smiles at me, he can see I am bubbling with excitement. Our guide’s name is Felix, and right off the bat, we can tell he is very knowledgeable. On our way to the trailhead, he pulls the car up to an interesting rock wall formation. People are climbing certain areas on it, and the gray rock is layered into nearly perfect columns. Felix explains that these are basalt columns from Volcán Barú and that this unique formation was created by ancient volcanic activity and occurs from cooled lava. “This tour is more than just birds,” Felix says with a smile. “That’s awesome, even better!” I cheer back. We soon arrive at the Pipeline Trail and begin our walk down the easy path.

“This is a good trail for birding because it is very open compared to many of the other local spots,” Felix says. We agree, reflecting on our Tres Cascadas hike yesterday. Along our walk, we see different hummingbirds, tanagers, flycatchers, thrushes, wrens, and warblers. However, we also discover interesting plants and insects, such as wild coffee, unique orchids, golden beetles, and glasswing butterflies. We try native berries and medicinal plants along the way. Soon, we reach the canopied section of the trail, and you can immediately see Felix’s mood shift. It was game-on mode. “Try to be very quiet,” he whispers, “now we listen… if we’re going to see a quetzal, it will be close to here.”

We creep down the trail, until Felix suddenly stops… his eyes widen as he looks up into the trees, like he’s picked up a scent. He quickly turns to us and says, “I think I hear one, but it may be another birder trying to call one, let’s try to find it…” We begin to hear the sound, which echoes almost like a puppy’s cry.

We hook around a few corners to see another birding group on the trail looking out towards the canopy. Felix walks up to the other guide to see if they see it, but they haven’t yet. “C’mon,” Felix waves to us. We go around the next corner and begin our own I-Spy game.

We stand there for several minutes before Felix nearly jumps! “Come here, come here, look!” He excitedly yet very quietly waves me over to his scope… THERE HE IS!!!

A gorgeous male quetzal glides through the vegetation and perches on a tree branch, not too far away! His bright blue and green feathers shine in the sunlight. His long regal tail feathers droop below the branch gracefully. His bold cherry-red breast and belly plumage accented with white pop with color, while iridescence shimmers with his every slightest movement. I am absolutely beaming with excitement. Felix confirms the other group sees it too. Finally, after a while of simply watching this gorgeous bird like creature from a fantasy book, we say goodbye and begin our hike back to the car. I can’t believe it; I actually got to see a quetzal for my birthday. Mission accomplished!

For the true birders out there, a few other notable species we saw were a Scintillant hummingbird, Three-wattled Bellbird, and a White-tailed Trogon.

We scoot into the car and drive back into town. Instead of going back to the Airbnb, we ask if Felix for a lunch recommendation and he drops us off at one of his favorite local restaurants. We give him many many thanks for such an amazing time, and I keep grinning from ear to ear.

We fill our last couple days with delicious eats, a tour of a coffee farm, a butterfly conservatory, more hiking, and of course enjoying our cozy eclectic bungalow while we can. Boquete is certainly a spectacular place. While this mini trip was a bit more of a celebratory splurge for us, we plan to visit this charming town again in the future. Maybe even hike to the top of Volcán Barú next time?

For now, we hop back on the long bus ride to return to Belafonte, still waiting for us back in Bocas del Toro. I stare out the window again, watching time move from the other side of a windowpane. It’s unclear what the next months will bring, and I find myself having to bring my mind back to the present often. It’s hard not to wonder about the unknown. It’s what drives science, exploration, and often motivation. However, there’s a fine line between wonder and worry. And sometimes I don’t know what side of the line I’m on.

Again, here I am snapping myself back into the present.

I break my stare through the foggy window as jungle passes by and open up my book for the ride home.

~ Day 103