Another Hiking Bust in Gamboa
Panama Travelog #7
Gamboa, Panama - Mon, 23 Dec 2024. 12:30pm.
First our hike this morning at the pipeline road was a bust. "Abundant wildlife!" gushed one recent review. Others praised the quantity and variety of wildlife we'd see. We saw none. None. It was just a walk through the rain forest on a dirt-and-gravel road.
At least we shortened the walk to 2 miles, from 4, by driving the first half of it. The first half was open to vehicles, though some weak-sauce city folks types quailed at the dirt-and-gravel road and parked near where the pavement ended. The vehicle trail was passable to almost any ordinary vehicle, including our small, fake SUV with low ground clearance and no 4x4. Heck, there were two taxis waiting at the trailhead, where the remainder of the road was gated off to foot traffic only.
We consoled ourselves after seeing nothing on the pipeline trail by looking forward to our next hike, a waterfall hike just a few miles south of town. We'd driven past the trailhead last night on our way to Gamboa, driving through Soberania National Park. So after a tasty little lunch in town- and a surprise bird sighting on the ordinary-road road- we drove out to Sendero del Charco, the trail for Charco waterfalls, in Soberania National Park. It was closed.
Closed! Who closes a hiking trail? And why, on a Monday?
Apparently it's because the national park wants to charge for the trail but doesn't have the ability to put a self-payment kiosk there. So it's closed on Monday so they can give the fee-taker in this remote area a day off.
It's not like the trail is blockaded, though. I mean, we could totally park off the side of the road across the street and walk around the gate at the trail. We physically could do that but we decided not to risk whatever wrath there may be of the authorities. Fooling around with nominally illegal activity is something I make a habit of not doing in foreign countries.
Maybe we'll be able to make a side-trip out here the day we head back to Panama City. But for today, we've got a drive in the opposite direction. We're headed out to Valle de Antón, a resort area in the caldera of a long-dormant volcano!
Gamboa, Panama - Mon, 23 Dec 2024. 12:30pm.
First our hike this morning at the pipeline road was a bust. "Abundant wildlife!" gushed one recent review. Others praised the quantity and variety of wildlife we'd see. We saw none. None. It was just a walk through the rain forest on a dirt-and-gravel road.
At least we shortened the walk to 2 miles, from 4, by driving the first half of it. The first half was open to vehicles, though some weak-sauce city folks types quailed at the dirt-and-gravel road and parked near where the pavement ended. The vehicle trail was passable to almost any ordinary vehicle, including our small, fake SUV with low ground clearance and no 4x4. Heck, there were two taxis waiting at the trailhead, where the remainder of the road was gated off to foot traffic only.
We consoled ourselves after seeing nothing on the pipeline trail by looking forward to our next hike, a waterfall hike just a few miles south of town. We'd driven past the trailhead last night on our way to Gamboa, driving through Soberania National Park. So after a tasty little lunch in town- and a surprise bird sighting on the ordinary-road road- we drove out to Sendero del Charco, the trail for Charco waterfalls, in Soberania National Park. It was closed.
Closed! Who closes a hiking trail? And why, on a Monday?
Apparently it's because the national park wants to charge for the trail but doesn't have the ability to put a self-payment kiosk there. So it's closed on Monday so they can give the fee-taker in this remote area a day off.
It's not like the trail is blockaded, though. I mean, we could totally park off the side of the road across the street and walk around the gate at the trail. We physically could do that but we decided not to risk whatever wrath there may be of the authorities. Fooling around with nominally illegal activity is something I make a habit of not doing in foreign countries.
Maybe we'll be able to make a side-trip out here the day we head back to Panama City. But for today, we've got a drive in the opposite direction. We're headed out to Valle de Antón, a resort area in the caldera of a long-dormant volcano!