Pictures from Guadalupe
In Guadalupe we stayed at the Los Quetzales Lodge. There were several buildings there; our dormitories were in the low building at the right.
Outside the lodge were hummingbird feeders, of course. And trees and shrubs which attracted many other species of birds.
The lodge was well-appointed and the dining room could seat quite a few guests. In November we were the only ones there.
The food was also good and well-presented.
A short distance up the hill was Finca Dracula, where they raise hundreds of species of orchids for sale around the world.
November was not the time to see orchids in bloom, but Finca Dracula did have a few varieties which were flowering.
We spent a night and part of two days at one of the lodge’s cabins. They are in the national park above Guadalupe, near the rough road up through the forest.
From the patio outside the cabin there was a view out over the river valley below, towards distant mountains.
Inside the cabin there was a large living room with a view out onto the patio. There was also an inefficient wood-burning stove which did very little to heat the building.
On the upper floor was the bedroom.
And in the back was the kitchen. It was fully equipped but all food had to be brought up from Guadalupe.
Behind the cabin was the path through the forest to the neighbouring cabin, just up the hill a little.
Hanging from the eaves of the cabin were several hummingbird feeders which were almost always attended by one or more hummingbirds. There were Magnificent Hummingbirds...
and White-throated Mountain-gems...
and Violet Sabrewings...
and more Magnificent Hummingbirds...
and more White-throated Mountain-gems...
The patio was supplied with seed feeders that attracted birds like this Large-footed Finch.
And this Yellow-thighed Finch.
And this Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch.
And, surprisingly, a small flock of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks which were in their winter homes.
We went for a couple of hikes with our guide Abel.
One of the hikes went uphill from the cabin, following the river and climbing nearly to the Continental Divide.
Although it was the wrong season, there were still a few flowering plants to be seen.
We had the Panama bird book, but we could not find a Panama flower book, so we could not identify any of them.
Our second hike was the Tres Cascadas (Three Falls) trail. It looped over a ridge between two tributaries of the river.
It involved several stream crossings, although none of them were difficult.
Back in Guadalupe, we walked around the area. The farm fields, where they were growing all kinds of vegetables, ran steeply up the slopes.
Over in neighbouring Cerro Punta, it was one of Panama’s independence days, celebrating Colombia’s independence from Spain. There were marching bands from all over Chiriquí, waiting for their turn to march past the reviewing stand in the centre of town.
Although it was pouring with rain, the marchers didn’t seem to mind much.
