Chorro de Macho

I had an early start today -- the usual - go to the supermarket across the street, buy a thing of yogurt, fruit loops, a can of tuna, and bread...head back to Hotel Don Pepe, sunscreen, eat the yogurt and fruit loops, then pack my bag for my morning hike.

I decided to go to Chorro de Macho (Man´s waterfalls?) today. My legs are sore from yesterday´s hike up Cerro la Cruz, so I briefly contemplated catching a cab. Luckily, I decided not to. The walk was just an ever so slight incline uphill, for a few miles. Nothing to difficult.

It seems like the Canopy tour here owns the land where Chorro de Macho is, so you have to pya $3.50 to get in to the trails for the waterfalls. Other people were doing the canopy tour - 6 ziplines for $52. I didn´t do that since it was way out of my budget (not to mention that lonely planet has the tour misstated for $40). But I´m glad I didn´t do the ziplines here, because they looked pretty drab and boring compared to the Boquete Tree Trek.

I went on to the Chorro de Macho and hung out there for a while, watching the frigid mountain waters cascade down the rocks. It was nice, peaceful, tranquil. A guy said Buenas to me, and it scared me because I didn´t expect that there would be someone right behind my back. He was a tour leader and had 6 tourists. They were checking out the falls. I watched the falls, and all of a sudden, noticed a flash to my side. When I looked, an insensitive curly haired blond lady of the tour had taken my picture. I was like..um..okay. haha. She must think I´m a local. So a few minutes later, she asked to take my picture (maybe she should have asked the first time!), so I said okay. I just played along with the game. I thought it was quite hilarious, actually. And she thanked me when she left, acting like I didn´t know English. And all she has is a picture of some American traveller by the falls. Funny. But now I know how the locals feel if someone tries to take your picture. It is an odd feeling, like I am part of the show or part of a zoo. In a way, it puts things in perspective.

I walked back to the hotel to take a rest and to have lunch. It is a windy day today, with a little bit of rain. I waited a while until the rain subsided to head back out for my second hike-walk of the day.

Using my crappy Lonely Planet Panama guidebook, I decided to find these ´square trunked trees´ that they say are 10 minutes behind Hotel Campestre. I walked, and never found these trees. Oh well, at least it was a good way to burn off my lunch!

I´m going to veg out for the rest of the day. Tomorrow, I think I am going to try to climb La India Dormida - one of the well known peaks around here. I forget the legend to the mountain at the moment (I´ll post the legend with the pictures, whenever I get around to it), but something about the hope of finding love. It´s a tougher hike around the area, and Lonely Planet says to consult for guides, but I´ve been fine so far. I´ll figure it out...