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Outside The Locks

Photo by SCOTT LUDLUM

The canal spreads out under the lookout tower of a tanker heading south toward Miraflores Locks and ultimately out through the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal.

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By SCOTT LUDLUM

Special to The Tribune

Published: May 18, 2008

As we relaxed over drinks at Los Lagartos Restaurant at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort overlooking the Chagres River, Norma Ponce mesmerized us by recounting how she and fellow park rangers rescued an enormous crocodile in the Bay of Panama.

We laughed as she told how she bathed the huge reptile and attempted to cleanse the barnacles from its torso while it was tied up. We all pictured her scolding the defiant creature and warning it not to move around so much.

But somehow the croc must have known Ponce was only trying to help and that it was better off taking orders from her at the headquarters of Panama's Soberania National Park than being stuck in the bay.

For many, images of Panama are limited to the Panama Canal and cruise ships transiting the locks en route from one ocean to another. But Panama is a country of extraordinary natural beauty and immense cultural and geographic diversity, with a bustling capital city as modern and vibrant as Miami while boasting the only protected rain forest within the limits of a modern metropolis.

I was lured to Panama yet again on the first of two trips within a month to explore the lush tropical rain forests teeming with exotic birds and wildlife, especially on the incredible hiking trails in Soberania National Park and Panama City's Metropolitan Park.

On this trip, I also wanted to ride Panama's only aerial tram at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort in the park.

Ponce, the park's director and my wife's long-time friend, had arranged for one of her colleagues to guide me through the park. Although four popular hiking trails wind along the canal and reach deep into the wilderness all the way to Lake Gatun and across to Colon, I had my mind set on traversing Camino del Oleoducto, or Pipeline Road.

I am a bird-watcher, so Pipeline Road was an obvious choice, since it is renowned for setting the world record for the largest number of different bird species viewed in a single day - a staggering 525.

Contrasting with the unspoiled beauty of the trail, Pipeline Road was originally constructed to provide maintenance for an oil pipeline built during World War II.

Soberania National Park comprises 48,287 acres of pristine tropical rain forest that extend along the eastern shore of the Panama Canal. The park was created in 1980 and is one of the basic pillars providing for the proper functioning and conservation of the canal. As part of the corridor of protected areas between the Atlantic and Pacific, it ensures the uninterrupted flow of wildlife and serves an extremely important ecological function.

Within the confines of the park, large, majestic kapok, or cotton, trees, soar to 100 feet tall. The abundant diversity of vegetation is so rich that more than 1,300 plants have been identified. The variety of fauna includes 105 species of mammals, 525 of birds, 79 of reptiles and 55 of amphibians.

This amazing abundance makes the park one of the most biodiverse national parks in the world within such close proximity to a capital city.

Ernesto Garcia is a man of few words but one to be respected when he speaks. He has been a park ranger in Panama for 28 years - 25 in the Chagres National Park and the last three in Soberania National Park.

Armed only with machetes, he was to lead me along the world-famous Camino del Oleoducto to ensure I would be able to name at least a few bird species and other wildlife that we saw.

The trail offers a day hike, although most people don't venture more than a mile or two down the 10.6-mile trail. But the farther you penetrate the thick, steamy rain forest, the better your chances of seeing rare wildlife and some rarer species of tropical birds.

There are three other superb hiking trails in addition to Pipeline Road - Plantation Road; El Charco Nature Trail, with a picturesque waterfall and crystal-clear water; and Camino de Cruces, an historical trail constructed by the Spanish in the 16th century to transfer merchandise and gold between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

I began the hike while jabbering away about the rain forest, but I soon learned from Garcia's example to listen intently to the noises and birds of the rain forest, to talk as little as possible and to walk with my eyes toward the sky so I wouldn't miss any of the magnificent birds. Hiking while looking up is tricky, though, since the trail has large roots and other objects jutting from it.

Although Pipeline Road is well marked and is as wide as a dirt road, only hikers or mountain bikers can access the trail.

Garcia reassured me there is little danger of encountering venomous snakes or of being stalked by an elusive jaguar as long as we stayed on the marked trail. It can certainly be hiked alone, but I decided it would be a mistake to explore this trail without a trained guide.

Garcia has eagle eyes and saw lots of wildlife and birds I never would have known existed.

Suddenly, like a flash of lightning, we spotted the bushy tail of a white-tailed deer, or venado coli blanco. I learned a couple of weeks later, when I saw Garcia on another trip to Panama, that hunters had killed a couple of these endangered deer. He seemed to think it was the same family we saw, although he couldn't verify it. He told me the hunters were caught and thrown in jail, which surprised me.

Just a few minutes later, we caught a glimpse of a family of gatos solos, or white-nosed coati, that we later heard scampering high above in the trees. But I was on a mission to view the spectacular toucan and was not disappointed by the end of the day. We ended up seeing more toucans in 41/2 hours of our hike than I have seen in all of my visits to the Panamanian rain forest combined.

We were also lucky enough to catch a glimpse of each of the three types of toucans inhabiting the park.

As I scanned the top of the canopy for a glimpse of this graceful eagle, identified by its distinctive call that seemed to be echoing from tree to tree, Garcia recounted the folk tale about how the locals don't like to hear it singing.

As the fable goes, if the eagle sings in an old tree, it is said that an old person is going to die. If it sings in a young tree, then a young person is going to die. And if it sings in a new tree, then it is said a baby is going to die. I managed to convince myself that nobody was going to die because we never actually saw it in a tree.

After walking about eight miles round trip, I was famished. My wife picked us up and dropped Garcia off at the park headquarters about 10 minutes later. From there, she and I headed to lunch at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort five minutes away.

The resort is on 340 acres in Soberania National Park, with 107 units, five restaurants and all kinds of jungle and river tours. Most accommodations have balconies with hammocks overlooking the historical Chagres River.

Lunch turned out to be a sidebar to the sweeping panoramic views of the Chagres meandering in the distance then meeting the Panama Canal.

My wife and I had always wanted to take the aerial tram tour, but something always seemed to keep us from it when we visited the resort. But today was perfect, after having conquered Pipeline Road and the rain forest in the morning. The tram travels 1.2 kilometers, a trip that takes about 72 minutes.

Howler monkeys, tree sloths (mono perezoso), toucans, parrots and other wildlife can be seen along the journey. As we glided through the trees ascending closer to the top of the dense green canopy, our guide pointed out palmas reales, or real palm trees, and even an iguana running across a tree branch.

Once we reached the top, we took a brief hike through the seemingly impenetrable rain forest to the base of the 90-meter lookout tower. From the top of the tower, we saw a 360-degree panoramic view of the Chagres River, Panama Canal and Gamboa Rainforest.

Off in the distance, we saw a tanker plowing south toward Miraflores Locks, where it would eventually cross under the Bridge of Americas and exit into the Pacific.

While some may suggest only going to Metropolitan Park if you do not have time to visit Soberania National Park, I wasn't going to miss seeing one of the most accessible rain forests in the world.

After all, where else in the world could I spend the morning hiking three world-class nature trails, take in a magnificent panoramic view of one of the most picturesque cities in Latin America and be back in the city center in time for a hearty lunch?

From downtown Panama City, it takes only 10 minutes and a mere $2 by taxi to reach the park on the northern edge of Panama City. Parque Metropolitano was established in 1985 and covers approximately 655 acres. It is billed as the "Lungs of Panama City" because of its close proximity to the city and the way it cleanses the air.

Thanks to Metropolitan Park, Panama City is not plagued with nearly the amount of smog that suffocates other Latin American cities.

It is fair to say that the three trails we hiked were not necessarily as tranquil and serene as Soberania National Park because the highway - Corredor Norte - literally runs through Metropolitan Park. Nevertheless, the amazing birds seemed to be attracted to us, and we were practically surrounded by them at times.

Once we emerged from the canopy, we saw that the day was crystal clear and we had a perfect view from the lookout. To the south, we saw the scaffolding of new buildings being constructed and changing Panama City's skyline. The reflection of Panama Bay was just beyond the skyline. To the southwest was the old historic area of Casco Viejo and Amador Causeway that juts out into the Pacific at the entrance to the canal. A sign said the Pacific was only three miles away.

On the hike back down to the ranger station, we saw many exotic birds low in the sky, some at eye level. But we missed not having a guide to point out others we could hear and to identify species we caught glimpses of.

As we ate dinner at the Miraflores Locks observation restaurant, we were mesmerized by the magnitude of the colossal vessels attempting to squeeze through the outdated locks as they came within inches of the walls.

Then it dawned on me that not everyone can experience such a site and visit a place considered the eighth wonder of the world. But more importantly, I realized that my appreciation for the Panama Canal comes from having explored the unspoiled wilderness and pristine rain forest that surrounds the canal.

No visitor should miss out on experiencing the canal. But it's best to also take the time to discover the exotic, natural world beyond the canal.

But you better not wait much longer if you want to have this tropical paradise to yourself, because the rest of the world is finally discovering what I have been telling everyone I meet since my first visit 15 years ago.

IF YOU GO

Information: For details about Panama, go to www.panamainfo.com. Frommer's has a 340-page guidebook on Panama that is extremely useful. There are also tourist information centers throughout the city, and some hotels have concierges or tour desks.

Airlines: Several airlines fly to Panama City, including Spirit, offering flights from Tampa to Fort Lauderdale and then to Panama City; Continental through Houston, American through Miami; COPA - Panama's national airline - through Orlando; Northwest through Detroit; and Delta through Atlanta. Rates vary by seasons, but generally run $550 to $650 for a round-trip ticket. While better fares are often found on travel sites such as Expedia.com, Travelocity.com or Orbitz.com, be sure to call airlines and check Web sites for the cheapest fares.

Transportation: Taxis are safe, but drivers may speak limited English. Drivers know the main tourist spots, but it may be best to have your hotel call a cab or at least write down the name and address of lesser-known places. Be sure to negotiate the price and agree on it before getting in the cab. A bus ride in the city can be quite an experience, but be careful and carry limited cash.

Accommodations: Panama has a wide variety of accommodations, including U.S. chains such as Marriott, Sheraton Four Points, Best Western, Radisson and Country Inn. One of my favorites is Hotel Panama, which charges about $150 per night. A good, reasonably priced hotel (about $50 for two people) in one of the best locations of Panama City is Hotel Marbella. Accommodations are simple but clean, and staff is courteous. Make the reservation online at major travel sites or by calling hotels directly once in Panama City. Credit cards are usually not required for making reservations over the phone.

Restaurants: Panama offers a world of culinary delights. Try typical Panamanian dishes such as chicken and rice (arroz con pollo), shredded beef made with flank steak (ropa vieja) and typical hen soup (sancocho). Good restaurants to try in Panama City include Manolos, Trapiche, Las Tinajas and any others recommended by locals.

Hiking in the rain forest: Be sure to dress appropriately for hiking in the parks; wear long pants and a light long-sleeve shirt to protect against bugs. Remember that it is called the rain forest for good reason, so bring a small umbrella if you are averse to getting wet. Water and salty foods are a must to combat the heat and humidity of the jungle. If going with a guide, bring some for them. Don't forget insect repellent.

Scott Ludlum of Riverview is a freelance writer.

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