Boquete

Boquete, a small community in the province of Chiriqui, is rated as one of the top five places in the world to retire (according to the British “Happy Planet Index”), and it’s where we’ve called home for the last few days. We are visiting in the dry season but it has been “unseasonably cool and wet”. As Boquete is in the hills, bajareque, a fine mist in the air, is a frequent phenomenon. And while we did experience some bajareque, the phenomenon we most experienced was rain. However, rain or sun, the flowers in the area are absolutely stunning, and the many rivers combined with lush vegetation provided for incredible scenery.

Coffee, oranges, celery, lettuce, cabbage, potatoes, onions, carrots - we’ve seen all of these growing in the hills in the surrounding area. In Canada, it would be unfathomable to see crops grown on hillsides so steep, and yet in Chiriqui crops are planted in rows with amazing precision. There are no irrigation systems and the locals rely on the bajareque and the rain to provide the moisture required for their crops.

Who would think that we would actually see toques and gloves for sale in Panama, and yet, not only did we see them for sale, we also saw a young boy wearing both. In fact, many of the locals in Volcan and Cerro Punta were dressed more for a cool Canadian fall day than for a summer day in Panama; long pants, sweaters and coats were the norm in these highlands. We passed through these towns on our way to Volcan Baru, a dormant volcano and the highest mountain in Panama at 3474 meters (over 11,000 feet) high.

Every country has its indigenous people, and these people are often amongst those who live in poverty. Panama is no different. Approximately fourty-five percent of Panama’s population live below the poverty line; the indigenous people, the Indians, make up twelve percent of the population, and most are very poor. There are eight Indian tribes in Panama, with the Ngobe being most predominant in the mountainous areas in Chiriqui and in their reserve (from the Pacific to the Caribbean coast). We saw many of the Ngobe, particularly in the coffee-growing areas where they are often employed to pick coffee beans; the women easily recognizable as they wear traditional bright gowns of various colours.