“If you go to Boquete, you must hike Barú volcano” – they said. We haven’t planned much along the way but this was one of our plans. Go to Boquete, hike up Barú. Move on. But Petrus, cheeky bugger again, didn’t agree on this. It heavily rained from the moment we arrived to the moment we departed. There were some short (what’s the adjective for shorter than short?) sunny intervals but not long enough to motivate us to go on a 10-hour hike. We love hiking but the thought of being soaked after 5 minutes of hiking didn’t appeal to us. We met a few brave hikers and they didn’t look like happy chaps when they came back. I mean it is a long and demanding hike up to see… nothing… So thank you but no thank you! 

We used instead our Boquete time to have a most needed down time. Being unemployed (or retired as M likes to tell people we meet) has its perks: the right to be lazy without feeling hotly! Priceless! It was simply perfect: a rainy day, a lovely communal area with cabled TV and a great kitchen to bake a yummy pizza. We ‘chillaxed’ on the couch, watching some TV shows (oh how I have missed this) and cheering on our teams during the very entertaining Switzerland -France Euro game. The game might have ended with a draw (but hey there might have been a bloodshed in our couple otherwise) but the players gave us a great show, from ripping the high quality t-shirts of the Swiss team apart to turning into swingers (as the national Swiss sport of course). They kept us entertained and hopeful for 97 minutes. Good job, boys! 

While we couldn’t check the volcano Barú nor go on hikes through fincas, we walked to the free botanic garden that was located half an hour away from our hostel. Rain miraculously (almost) stopped and we had a beautiful time, strolling through the diverse flowers the garden was hosting. This could surely be an even more wonderful place when the sun would shine, as you could sit by the fountains, admiring the (carps) Koi and listening to the noise of the small waterfall. There was also a tiny chapel that offered a refuge to travelers in need of a peaceful place. It was a nice place and we definitely liked the fact that it was free. Great way to spend a few hours in Boquete! 

We were planning to stay two full days in Boquete but one day of laziness was enough for both of us. Even though we met great people at true hostel, we thought it was time for us to go on the long cross country bus ride and settle for a few days in the capital city. Next stop: Panama City. 

Happy trails and remember: Carpe Diem!

Travelling backpacking central america panama