Molas and Mud-Adventures in El Valle Panama

Begrudgingly, I rolled over in bed trying to decipher the digital numbers without my glasses. My hazy mind interpreted the time to be 7:45am. I jumped up in a blurry panic and began rushing around throwing on articles of clothing and brushing my hair with mock speed. I was surely going to be late for work. With my anxiety mounting, I reached for my tooth brush and suddenly and unexpectedly its electric pulsing began to dissolve the world around me transforming into a scene entirely different, as though a painting which was a Van Gough decided suddenly to become a Rembrandt. Finally I understood, I was only dreaming. In reality, I was snuggled up in a cozy massive king sized bed, my head gently resting on a fluffy pillow that smelled faintly of fresh cut flowers. A soft cool mountain breeze tumbled through the open window bringing me to full consciousness. I slipped out of bed, and padded barefoot across the cool tiled floor to the window. The morning was sunny and a cacophony of bird songs floated from every tree. A white silvery mist tumbled down the surrounding mountains like a ghostly waterfall. I made my way to the bathroom and proceeded to step into the shower. The travertine tiled shower was as spacious as my entire bathroom at home, the water was deliciously hot and the water pressure was perfect.
I dressed, grabbed a few sips of the complementary water stocked in my fridge and took a sniff of the fresh flowers that the staff left on my dresser. I then made my way to the patio for breakfast. Working my way down the stone path I passed the beautiful Tuscan buildings, gardens full of brightly colored flowers and occasionally a frog or lizard that scurried out of the way for fear of being trampled. Inhaling a deep breath of fresh mountain air, I was very glad I wasn’t late for work, in fact I wasn’t late for anything and there would be no work today.
Located off the main road in El Valle de Anton (just look for the signs or remember to turn right before the main grocery market), sits the lovely Tuscan inspired Los Mandarinos Boutique Hotel and Spa. The sight of it is inspiring and the feel utopian. Although the hotel is in walking distance to the main center of town it seems wonderfully intimate and secluded from the world. The buildings look as though someone went to Italy and transplanted a little piece of Tuscany in the center of this extinct volcano. The landscaping is exquisite with lush green lawns, fountains and gardens filled with pink, purple and other such colored flowers. Butterflies and birds flit around the gardens and no matter where you are you have the most magnificent 360 degree view of the surrounding mountains.
The main house has a lounge and a library stocked with books and comfy chairs for reading. There is a sprawling patio where breakfast and dinner is eaten and a bar that is open during the day and evening. Off of the patio is the pool area although the entire time we were there, we never saw a single soul in the water. I could however easily imagine how lovely it would be to sit by the pool in one of the cushiony chaise lounge chairs, sipping cold drinks from the bar and watching the clouds drift lazily through the light blue sky.
Lourdes the owner and Carlos, who worked in the main office, seemed bent on ensuring that we were having the best stay possible. They were friendly and helpful, but never overbearing. When Carlos would see us passing by the office he would pop his head out and ask how we were enjoying our day and if there was anything he could do for us. At one point we found him rounding up a soccer game with some very eager soccer fan guests. He would make dinner reservations, suggest activities and arrange tours of the spa and surrounding area. Everyone spoke English (although some more limited than others) and we had an absolutely amazing stay.
When we stayed at Los Mandarinos, the cost was $120.00 per night (plus 10% hotel tax). Although there are many less expensive places to stay in town, for the luxury you receive, it is a true value. The office has a computer with internet for guest use and they have satellite television so you will still be able to catch your favorite shows, if you are so inclined. Breakfast was included with our stay, but I noticed on the website that it is only offered on weekends now. I recommend having dinner at least one night during your stay and if you have time you can even take a yoga class or two. The spa is a good value and the scenery seems even more attractive after a nice relaxing massage. There are plenty of activities to engage in while in El Valle, but I could see that it would be just as enjoyable to while away all of your days in the tranquility of Los Mandarinos.

www.losmandarinos.com
Telephone: (507) 983-664
E-mail: info@losmandarinos.com

The air has a delightful crispness to it. It’s the kind of air that you expect to feel on a November day. We walk down the beautifully landscaped path toward the main house. There a lonely orchid greets us, standing at attention like a purple sentry. I notice the trellis that was just a tangle of vines last evening is now covered with awakening deep purple morning glories. Breakfast is included with our room stay, but non-guests are welcome to enjoy too for a very reasonable price.
Seated on a stone patio overlooking mist covered mountains, we dive into the basket of fresh baked roles, slathering them with homemade guava jelly. Our severer is exceptionally friendly for the morning and informs us that today’s choices are eggs or French toast. We dined on the light fluffy scrambled eggs yesterday, so we opt to try the French toast. He seems pleased with our choice and leaves us with cups filled to the brim with fresh guava and pineapple. Just as we conclude nibbling several pieces of queso, our server returns with plates containing large slices of French toast and two cup of café con leche. My husband is also given a tall glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. From the first bite I declare that it is the best French toast I’ve ever tasted. The thick bread is homemade and instead of being sickeningly sweet, as French toast can tend to be, the cinnamon on this toast gives it a deep almost smoky flavor. The coffee is so wonderful that we vow to buy loads of it before we depart from Panama. The waiter informs us that it is Duran coffee and we will later be told by a tour guide that it is so good because it is smooth, and does not have a lot of acid. I also note that no matter how much of it I drink, it makes me energetic without that hyped up caffeine feeling. As we indulge in our breakfast, morning birds chatter away and butterflies are enjoying their breakfast of the morning glories climbing the nearby trellises. Completely unhurried, we discuss our plans for the day. I take a final sip of my coffee as I watch the mist cascade down the mountains like a mystical waterfall. If I could wake like this every morning, I think I would look forward even to Monday.

As we stood there gawking at what soon would become our accommodations in El Valle, I became keenly aware of my furiously growling stomach. It became apparent at that moment that the last thing I ate was a strange turkey sandwich more than twelve hours ago on the plane. In need of immediate sustenance, but not wanting to get back into the car, we decided to take a leisurely stroll to Los Capitanes.

It did seem a bit absurd that our first meal in Panama should be German in origin, but we were anything but disappointed. I’m a sucker for anything that’s even a bit different than at home and so I was all a twitter when our cokes arrived in ice cold glass bottles. We took a few sips, enjoying the cheerfully painted yellow walls with no doors or window panes in sight. A pleasant warm breeze freely moved around us and so did a little scampering dog. He seemed bent on entertaining us by making a game out of running through one open doorway and racing through the restaurant out another. Our waiter wore a constant smile and gave us a sympathetic sigh when we told him where we were from.

"Ah, hace frio y muy nieve in Nuevo New Jersey" he lamented, as he delivered our entrees. I dug right into my beef stroganoff cleaning my plate of every juicy morsel of beef. My husband equally enjoyed his sea bass and both entrees were accompanied by French fries and coleslaw. The portion size was just enough, just enough that we still had room for desert. We both got ice cream sundaes and I don’t know if the "we are on vacation" delirium started to set in or if the setting was just so conducive to contentment, but simple though they were, they were some of the best ice cream sundaes ever.

We were never rushed and if we wanted, I think we could have lounged there all day sipping cokes out of glass bottles and enjoying the warm breeze. Manfred, a retired German navel Captain and the proprietor of Los Capitanes walked around mingling with all the guests. He was quite jovial as he made a visit to each table making certain that everyone was having a pleasant meal. It seemed less like dining at a restaurant and more like a lazy lunch spent at an old friend’s house

Los Capitanes is a restaurant, hotel and tour guide operation located on Calle de la Cooperativa off the main road in El Valle. Our bill, which included two sodas, two entrees and two deserts came to $40.00, which is actually a bit pricey by Panama standards, but the atmosphere, friendly owner and waiter and delicious food made it more than worth it. They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day and the main building is surrounded by a lovely landscaped yard with sweet smelling flowers.


Website: http://www.los-capitanes.com/
Tel# (507) 983-6080
Address:P.O. Box 87-4381
Panama 7,
Rep. of Panama
Cuisine: German

I would like to say "thank you", thank you to the girl who wrote the review on a website that I cannot remember who said that Plata Del Mar had the best patacones in all of Panama, because you were right!
You can almost always be assured that a restaurant is good, when you witness a truck full of locals descending upon it with an eager exuberance. That was exactly what I saw as I perused the menu at an outdoor table at Plata Del Mar in El Valle. Thanks to my anonymous reviewer, I already knew exactly what I was going to get, the bistec picado, patacones and in my now search to try as many flavors as possible, an orange bastidos. My husband, needing a little more time, decided on the pepper steak. We were very grateful for our waitress, who although spoke English, humored us by letting us practice our Spanish. I was very enthusiastic with my Spanish studies before our trip and just a tad disappointed that every server, shop owner and/or hotel worker approached us first, speaking perfect English.
Sometimes when you go to a fancy restaurant, the food looks so good that you don’t want to eat it. Well at this simple and inviting restaurant my food looked so good that it just screamed,
"Devour me, now!" My strips of beef were mingling in a delicious tomato sauce, with onions, and strips of red and green bell pepper. The bistec picado was accompanied by salad and the most perfectly thin, crispy salty patacones in all of Panama. My husband’s pepper steak, though it certainly looked like a big old mess, tasted scrumptious and was accompanied by rice, lentils and maduros. Our orange bastidos were creamy and sweet (although I like the pineapple flavored ones best I think). There was a mangy, gentle stray dog who sat politely by watching us eat. He wasn’t aggressively begging, but was merely sitting a few feet away sort of saying
"Hey I’m not trying to bother you folks, but if you have any food left over I sure would appreciate it." Although I guess since he lives in Panama he would probably say it in Spanish. I couldn’t resist those puppy dog eyes, so I gave him some food from my dinner (although, being so delicious it pained me to do so). I’m not sure if feeding strays is acceptable, but if you’re eating in El Valle and you don’t want to get suckered into feeding a stray dog, plan on eating inside. I didn’t mind, it was all part of the experience. Sitting outside at Plata Del Mar gave us the opportunity to enjoy the cool night air and watch people as they rode bikes, walked and drove this way and that along the main road. My entrée was only $4.00 and my husband’s was $7.00, and with two bastidos the bill came to an affordable $15.50.
Plata Del Mar is located on the main street in El Valle. If you are standing with your back to the market, it would be on your left, before you reach the church. It’s simple, affordable and serves traditional Panamanian food, and please, try the patacones, they really are the best!

Another gust of wind descends its wrath upon us. Diners across the patio hold down wine glasses, table clothes and wire baskets filled with rolls. A cheer of camaraderie resounds as no rolls tragically drown in the swimming pool, this time.
Wind aside, Casa De Lourdes is the most magical place in all of El Valle to dine. Making a reservation is important, as the seating is intimate and limited, ensuring that each guest is given the utmost attention. Our professionally pleasant waiter showed us to our outdoor patio table, already set just for us, thanks to the reservation we had made earlier that day. I was even more enraptured, when I had to discreetly brush a gecko from my chair before sitting down. Speakers played light piano music, which was enhanced by the natural sound of chattering tree frogs. From the patio, I soaked in the clear view of the night sky, and watched as the patio lights performed a reflective ballet dance on the pool’s surface. My attention could only be drawn away from this beauty by the menu, a menu where everything on it seemed to have the potential to bring me great pleasure. There was a dish to please everyone from seafood lovers to hard core carnivores to vegetarians. Our waiter seemed pleased with our decisions and promptly returned to ceremoniously uncork a bottle of Chilean wine. We sipped our wine and nibbled freshly baked rolls and in no time our entrees were served. As I bit into my first piece of Grand Mariner shrimp, my mind swirled as I tried to put a name to the familiar flavor. After consuming several more shrimp, it came to me, the sauce tasted exactly like a heavenly orange creamsicle. The shrimp was accompanied by cilantro rice and it all matched perfectly with the wine. My counterpart, enjoyed beef medallions in mustard cream sauce with string beans and potatoes, and even though I was only able to steal a small bite it was equally delicious.
We ordered coffee and desert and as we waited Lourdes herself appeared on the patio in a lovely green dress and a colorful glittering shawl that gave me the impression of a bright beautiful butterfly. With wine glass in hand she gracefully swooped from table to table making certain that everyone was having an enjoyable evening. She was gracious and charming and as I sipped my coffee and ate my crème brulee, I suddenly felt as though I were a very welcomed guest at an enchanting outdoor dinner party. Our total bill with dinner, wine, dessert and coffee came to $52.90 and we would have gladly spent more for such a happy evening. I’m not sure if it was the atmosphere or perhaps the very drinkable Chilean wine, but we left with our stomachs full and our hearts euphoric.

"Look, you're a power ranger!" said the mother as she finished caking
her son’s face with mud. He didn't look so sure. I thought most kids
would relish in being covered in mud, heck I'm an adult and I was having a
blast, but maybe this little boy had the beginnings of OCD or something. He
glanced in my direction and I tried to smile reassuringly, but of course I
couldn't, the mud on my face had dried and hardened and I couldn't move a
muscle. I decided it would be a good time to go rinse off.
When we arrived at the thermal pool and mud bath in El Valle de Anton,
I expected that we would pay some inflated kind of tourist fee equivalent to
back home, so when the girl standing at a little booth said "uno dollar" I
at first thought I had misunderstood. I handed over two dollars, thinking
surely she will ask for more, then walked, a bit perplexed, to the other
side of the red and green wooden bridge where we were greeted in a most
enthusiastic manner by Juan.
"Hello, English speaking?" he chirped. At first I wanted to say no,
because I hadn't spent almost a year practicing Spanish to not use it at
all, but Juan seemed so eager to show off his English skills that we smiled
and said "yes." Juan walked us around and gave us a little tour. He showed
us the thermal pool, which was exactly what you would think of when someone
uses the term "cement pond. Juan pointed out the restrooms, changing rooms
and snack bar and finally with the flair of a big grand finale, Juan showed
us the mud area. He carefully explained that the white mud was for faces
and the dark mud was for the rest of your body. The mud isn't supposed to
be spread willy nilly all over your body, but is to be used for places that
need healing. Kind of like a mud version of aspercreme. Juan departed to
pounce on the next English speaking tourists and we made our way back to the
thermal pool.
The pool was literally a big above ground looking pool made entirely out
of cement and painted a dark bright blue. The water was a dark greenish
gray and there were little pieces of debris floating around. Most tourists
I saw immediately dismissed any notion of going in the pool. The water did
look dirty, but it was only because of the thermal mud and the minerals. I
didn't think twice and proceeded to climb in. I was suddenly shocked at how
deep the pool was. Because it was above ground it appeared deceptively
shallow, but was in fact dug down into the ground and when standing it
covered me up to half of my neck. The water was perfectly warm. It was not
too hot, but not cooled either. The minerals gave me the effect that I was
being enveloped by something comforting and soothing like a greenish gray
blanket. The pool was completely shaded by trees that dropped little flower
petals that floated on top of the water like boats. There was an old woman
who was swimming around fishing them out and throwing them over the side.
She looked as though she came there every day and later didn't even use a
changing room to change out of her bathing suit.
Much like a hot tub, you were advised to stay in the pool for no more than 15
minutes, and here is the interesting part. When we got out of the pool, the
minerals we had been soaking in, made our legs feel like lead. It was both
one of the weirdest and coolest physical sensations. We must have looked
pretty funny pacing back and forth for a while remarking at how heavy our
legs felt and how we felt like we could barely lift them. After a few
minutes the sensation subsided and we made our way over to the mud.
I was determined to follow Juan's instructions exactly so I started by
putting the white mud all over my face and then proceeded to cover only part
of my arms and legs with the dark mud. After my husband did the same, we
took some amusing pictures of each other, and made our way over to the rocks
to dry in the sun like turtles. It didn't take very long and soon we began
to feel the mud tighten on our bodies like tiny boa constrictors. The
little outdoor fountain also used the thermally heated water and it was
even a delight to rinse off. Instantly I commented that my skin had never
felt smoother. On the way out they were selling mud in little containers for $1.00 and I'm still mad that I neglected to buy some to take home.
We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the lush tropical grounds
where we came to a mossy area where people, mostly children, were jumping up
and down. A woman kept pointing at us and encouraging us to join the
jumpers and since I'm not very good at resisting peer pressure we both
walked onto the moss and started jumping. Again it was the weirdest and
coolest thing. The ground, which had water deep underneath it, was bouncy
and springy like a natural trampoline. I admit that we probably stayed
there jumping far longer than any two adults should have. We grabbed some
ice cream treats from a vendor and sat at a picnic table under a pavilion.
We people watched, chastising those who weren't following the mud directions
correctly, as sticky melting drips of ice cream landed on our hands and
legs. As would become common on our trip to Panama, I lamented how we
didn't have anything like this back home and how I wished we could just stay
here forever.

Our tour guide Raul stopped suddenly. A smile, which said we were in for something special, spread across his face. I was happy for the momentary rest, as I was getting weary of pretending that all those exercise videos I crammed in before the trip had actually whipped me into enough shape for a three hour, uphill hike through the rainforest. Raul crouched down near a hole covered with what looked like a silvery- white piece of gauze. He found a stick and looking like a mischievous little boy, began poking the hole. My husband and I glanced at each other quizzically. Between pokes Raul announced
"An aggressive spider lives here, let's see if he will come out for a visit."
"Ummmm is it a fast spider?" my husband asked nervously. Raul glanced over his shoulder with a look that said he didn't understand what had been asked.
"Ummm……rapido?" my husband rephrased keeping his eyes glued to the hole
" Ahhhh Si, Si" Raul replied poking at the gauze opening with improved vigor. Apparently he wanted us to see just how rapido the spider really was. If I were awakened from a peaceful slumber by being poked repeatedly with a stick, I’d be pretty cranky, and I am neither fast nor aggressive. Trusting Raul would not place us in any real danger, we refrained from asking whether the fast aggressive spider was also poisonous. Much to our relief, after several more prods, Raul stood up, shrugged his shoulders and chuckled,
"He must be at the Mercado." Throwing his stick aside he beckoned us forward. Our hopes were that our next encounter would be with a nice gentle sloth.
Normally one would go to the Canopy Adventure in El Valle to ride the awesome zip lines hundreds of feet above the rainforest treetops. We happened to arrive after a bout of violent storms, which damaged the platforms and lines and would leave the adventure inoperable for several weeks. After the initial disappointment at our unfortunate luck, we discovered that they were still offering their three hour guided hike of the forest. The sign stated the hike was $25.00 dollars per person, but a man, who seemed to be the manager, only charged us $15.00 per person. We handed over our money and didn’t ask questions.
From behind the counter stepped a man with a friendly smile and firm handshake. He introduced himself as Raul our personal nature guide. After handing us each a smooth sturdy walking stick, we were on our way. Raul's job was to guide us along the trail and point out things of interest. If you could give out an award for patience, Raul would win a gold medal. Ten minutes into the hike he crouched down between some bushes and pointed to a jumble of intertwining branches in the distance.
"Look" he whispered, "an owl." We looked through the bushes, looked at each other, and looked at Raul with eyes full of helplessness. We could see nothing but bright green leaves and dark thin vines.
"No, No over there" he pointed encouragingly. Fifteen minutes later we in fact saw the sleeping mottled owl. He/she was in fact slumbering away in a tree.
Raul never gave up on us, he wanted us to marvel and be in awe of the place and creatures he so passionately loved. He had the sharpest eyes and saw in nature things we would have never been able to spot on our own. Enthusiasm and knowledge for birds, animals and plants just seemed to exude from his very pores. Not only was the hike enjoyable, but we learned things too.
We trudged uphill for a good part of the trip and I was glad that I had on my hiking boots, and cargo pants. Any other attire would have left me quite miserable. Every ten minutes or so, we were forced to leap over little black and green rivers. They weren’t rivers however but leaf cutter ants marching like a vast army following each other to some grand pre-planned destination. We couldn’t help but stop each time to watch them in amazement. Their numbers seemed endless. Raul just looked at us confused. In Panama they’re just ants I suppose, and I don’t think he understood what we found so fascinating.
For three hours Raul let us glimpse through his binoculars at mot-mot birds, a sleeping sloth and a variety of other rainforest inhabitants. Often the only sounds were the birds and our footsteps. Raul was also great at taking pictures. He knew all the best spots and would make certain we posed with sticks in hand so it looked like we were accompanying Indiana Jones on some quest through the rainforest.
Although I was hot and sweaty, when the tour finally came to an end I was sad. For three hours I was privileged to be counted as a member of this rainforest valley and now it was ending and although we only knew him for three hours I was sad to leave Raul as well. I now wanted to drag this patient kind man around with me through all of Panama or maybe simply through life, so he could point out all the things that my busy swirling whirlwind of a brain would never be able to see.

Website: http://adventure.panamabirding.com/
Phone number: (507) 264-5720
Open 7 days a week 6am-5pm

Orchid Conservatory - cost- nothing

The guide book said to follow the signs and that was exactly what we did. It wasn't hard at all to find the orchid conservatory. If you like orchids or are into gardening this makes a nice little activity. There is one main building and then a green house filled with orchids which are cultivated on the premises. There are orchids of every size, shape and color, some of which I've never seen. The down side, at least on the day of our visit, was that the guide didn't speak English at all and we hadn't really spent much time learning gardening or orchid cultivating terms. We were able to ask a few questions and understand the answers, but I'm sure it would have been much more interesting if we spoke fluent Spanish. It took less than an hour to explore the main building and green house, making it a great option if you are looking to kill some time before a meal.

Las Pozas - cost- nothing

If you simply follow the signs, they will lead you to this enchanting cascading stream. High rock walls rise up on both sides, topped with trees so dense that the sunlight barely peaks through, glittering off the water in sporadic patches. Iridescent blue butterflies chase each other around as brightly colored birds chirp and flutter from tree to tree. The only sounds are the birds, the rushing water and occasionally the snort of a horse who has stopped by to get a drink. The whole place smells of rich earth mixed with the lingering faint scent of flowers. It was so secluded that we felt like we were the only people in all of El Valle, even though we passed a family swimming at the upper end of the stream. My thoughts ran wild as I imagined that this was certainly the home of at least one tribe of fairies. They probably flew to their hiding places and were watching us as we spent at least an hour just sitting by the water enjoying the peace. If I ever return to Las Pozas, I will bring a picnic lunch and a bo