Fresh recovery beverages

On my trip to Panama last month, 3 of us hired a boat to take us snorkeling near Isla Boca Brava on the Pacific coast.  As we relaxed on the beach after snorkeling, we watched a group of local guys climbing up trees fully loaded with coconuts.  Or, it was more like this group made the youngest most fit guy climb up the tree.  As we contemplated asking if we could buy some coconuts, they came over with three coconuts with freshly prepared drinking holes and would not accept our money.  Fresh coconut water beats anything I can buy from the my local health food store.  Cheers to fellow traveler Anne from Canada. 

 

Sick of Heights, Who knew?!

While hiking up Parque Nacional Volcan Baru in Panama this past Thanksgiving, I discovered that I am prone to altitude sickness.  The plan was to hike up the 3,474 meters and I never once considered making the conversion into feet (11,398).  Which wouldn't have made any difference since I didn't know I would get sick past 8,000 feet.  Actually not sure where it started but the wobbly walking, nausea, pounding headache and constant fumbling dropping of my flashlight were my first clues. It was rainy, dark and a little cool when we started our hike at 1 am.  Why?  To be at the top at sunrise and hope that the clouds will part.  Because guarantee the clouds will come rolling back in before noon.  Anyway, somewhere along 9 or 10,000 feet, I was ready to curl up on the side of the trail.  I told my husband I had nothing to prove and did not need to go to the top.  He could continue on and I'd wait for him.  Well he was not going to leave me behind and I felt a tad better.  Well, not exactly better but since I had finished a marathon a few weeks ago, I was still in the mode of giving myself pep talks.  And I did a lot of self talking to get myself moving.  The sun had now risen and I find myself at a plateau with LOTS of cell towers.  Did I puke up to the top of this national park to view Panama's finest cell towers?  I was content to just stop here at cell tower central.  But nooo, our guide came down and practical dragged me up to the top.  The reward:  the best panaroma of the Pacific on one side.  Turn around and the Caribbean on the other.