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Day 7 started out with me feeling a bit run down...tired for sure...a little sore...old maybe?
The day before was my first surf in many months and although my work requires pretty serious physical activity, it's just not the same as surfing. Never the less we got moving a spot better than the day before and were readily plowing down old Central America 1 headed for Las Lajas for another surf. I spent a bit of time the night before researching the swell direction, the size, and the tides. As explained previously the tides mean everything in Panama when it comes to surfing especially. Low tide was around 8am and while the perfect show would have been between 8:30 and 11:00 we arrived around 9:30 and did not get into the water till just before 10am which as a result only gave us about an hour of the really fun 3-5 foot punchy peaks.
It was nice to finally feel the board under my feet, to not catch a rail on every turn, to sort of feel "right" on the board again. It's the free feeling of surfing and there is nothing like it. Kalum, Cath, JT, and myself took turns tearing apart the fun little peaks the best we could. Again, we were the only people in the water with the exception of a large group of Lifeguards doing some trading. It's one of the things I love about Panama, you can really find solace in what ever form it is for you fairly easily. In between surfs we took turns sitting on the beach front teak couches drinking beer, eating all sorts of great food like shrimp in garlic and butter, rice, beans...and beer..did I say that already?
Mid afternoon we took off and headed northwest to David to stop by a recently owned surf shop that a friend of mine owns. His name is Gary Saavedra and he is 16 time Panamanian surfing champion!! He is a consumate professional, a self marketing genius with sponsers coming from Corona to Nissan and of course Reef and other surf companies in the middle. I picked up some really nice Reef sandals for my wife...ultra basic and her favorite kind. His niece was working in the shop and after a short conversation with her we were off to TGI Fridays for afternoon snack...
Yea TGI fridays...silly as it sounds...they have free WIFI and it was a great break for JT and Cath's kids! Not too mention catching up on Sportscenter was nice. After the snacks we were off up into the Mountains to check out Boquete. I wanted to show the Temple clan what was only 2 hours from the hot steamy paradise where our property was. Everybody needs a break...even in the tropics..lol
Once in the mountains the scenery changed drastically and immeadiately from tropical palms, mango and papaya, cashew tree's, birds of paradise etc. to pine trees.......yes pine trees, and all sorts of tropical plants that survive in the high elevation very wet and cool climate. It' reminds me of being up in the mountains in the Hawaiian islands. The tropical steam turned into sub tropical misting rain and the 90's fell out of the temperature range and in place left very comfortable 70's. We got to the Panamonte Inn and checked our stuff into the quaint bungalows that are part of an old Coffee plantation from the late 1800's owned by the Jansen family. The halls are filled with rustic black and white photos of the family and it's workers on the plantation.
The Temple clan was quite pleased with the change and with that we set a time for dinner. We met for dinner in the main dining room around 7pm and began our evening feast. The restaraunt fare in Boquete is incredible, delicious, and affordable...a combination rarely found in my experience's. We started with cocktails, carpaccio, and shrimp coctail. Then moving on to soups and salads and following up with Angus filet's, brown trout, braised chicken...you name it..awesome! We didn't have room for dessert but trust me the choices there are just as amazing as the rest of the dinner was.
We called it a night shortly after dinner and I went back to my room leaving the window open and enjoying the cool high 50's and steady but light rain throughout my sleep. What a way to get a rest!
Bueno Noche' from Boquete Panama!
Manyana we do fun mountain stuff and then drive to the big city once again!
The day before was my first surf in many months and although my work requires pretty serious physical activity, it's just not the same as surfing. Never the less we got moving a spot better than the day before and were readily plowing down old Central America 1 headed for Las Lajas for another surf. I spent a bit of time the night before researching the swell direction, the size, and the tides. As explained previously the tides mean everything in Panama when it comes to surfing especially. Low tide was around 8am and while the perfect show would have been between 8:30 and 11:00 we arrived around 9:30 and did not get into the water till just before 10am which as a result only gave us about an hour of the really fun 3-5 foot punchy peaks.
It was nice to finally feel the board under my feet, to not catch a rail on every turn, to sort of feel "right" on the board again. It's the free feeling of surfing and there is nothing like it. Kalum, Cath, JT, and myself took turns tearing apart the fun little peaks the best we could. Again, we were the only people in the water with the exception of a large group of Lifeguards doing some trading. It's one of the things I love about Panama, you can really find solace in what ever form it is for you fairly easily. In between surfs we took turns sitting on the beach front teak couches drinking beer, eating all sorts of great food like shrimp in garlic and butter, rice, beans...and beer..did I say that already?
Mid afternoon we took off and headed northwest to David to stop by a recently owned surf shop that a friend of mine owns. His name is Gary Saavedra and he is 16 time Panamanian surfing champion!! He is a consumate professional, a self marketing genius with sponsers coming from Corona to Nissan and of course Reef and other surf companies in the middle. I picked up some really nice Reef sandals for my wife...ultra basic and her favorite kind. His niece was working in the shop and after a short conversation with her we were off to TGI Fridays for afternoon snack...
Yea TGI fridays...silly as it sounds...they have free WIFI and it was a great break for JT and Cath's kids! Not too mention catching up on Sportscenter was nice. After the snacks we were off up into the Mountains to check out Boquete. I wanted to show the Temple clan what was only 2 hours from the hot steamy paradise where our property was. Everybody needs a break...even in the tropics..lol
Once in the mountains the scenery changed drastically and immeadiately from tropical palms, mango and papaya, cashew tree's, birds of paradise etc. to pine trees.......yes pine trees, and all sorts of tropical plants that survive in the high elevation very wet and cool climate. It' reminds me of being up in the mountains in the Hawaiian islands. The tropical steam turned into sub tropical misting rain and the 90's fell out of the temperature range and in place left very comfortable 70's. We got to the Panamonte Inn and checked our stuff into the quaint bungalows that are part of an old Coffee plantation from the late 1800's owned by the Jansen family. The halls are filled with rustic black and white photos of the family and it's workers on the plantation.
The Temple clan was quite pleased with the change and with that we set a time for dinner. We met for dinner in the main dining room around 7pm and began our evening feast. The restaraunt fare in Boquete is incredible, delicious, and affordable...a combination rarely found in my experience's. We started with cocktails, carpaccio, and shrimp coctail. Then moving on to soups and salads and following up with Angus filet's, brown trout, braised chicken...you name it..awesome! We didn't have room for dessert but trust me the choices there are just as amazing as the rest of the dinner was.
We called it a night shortly after dinner and I went back to my room leaving the window open and enjoying the cool high 50's and steady but light rain throughout my sleep. What a way to get a rest!
Bueno Noche' from Boquete Panama!
Manyana we do fun mountain stuff and then drive to the big city once again!
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