I know I’m getting really behind on my posting of photos and writeups, but in between Spanish classes (3-4 hours a day), homework and hanging out with Tori, there just has been so little time! But here are some photos from yesterday in the meantime. We went to some hot springs in the town of Caldera, Panama, which is not too far from Boquete, where we’ve been staying for the last week. The owner of the springs really has life good (his property also has a river, ponds, forests, bridges, a bamboo guest house, panoramic mountain views), and yet he was charging just $1 to let us sit in his pozos. Que bueno. Anyhow, more photos are here.
“Voy a nadar en el rio esta tarde con Andrea,” Anna informed Tori and me over lunch. “¿Quieres venir?”
It only took me the time to swallow the arroz y frijoles that were in my mouth to jump at this opportunity to go for an impromptu swim in the Caldera River. After all, sunny skies overlooking the verdant mountains that practically enveloped the postcard-perfect town of Boquete were just beckoning us to strip off some clothes and absorb some rays, all while exploring the vigorous river bisecting el pueblo. Continue reading »
Having a 20-yard lap pool with lane lines and mountain views 800 feet from home is great. Having that and Richard’s Lake 500 feet away is heavenly. So on a day when record heat was recorded (mid-90s), I decided to jump in the lake for the first time.
Why I’ve waited until now, I’m not sure. Continue reading »
On my way up to Bend, I decided to camp overnight at Crater Lake in Oregon. Formerly a volcano that collapsed after an eruption 7000 years ago, Crater Lake is the only national park in this state. It also happens to be the deepest lake in the nation — 1943 feet at its maximum depth — and 7th deepest in the world. The water, some of the most pristine in the world, is a blue hue a tad deeper than that of the sky, and so placid that the enclosing rock walls are mirrored with perfect symmetry. Continue reading »
The year was 1990, with 9th grade in its final weeks. For one of our last homework assignments, Mrs. Hall, my social studies teacher, had asked us to write down our vision of “an ideal day” in the future. What would we do, where we would go, and how would we get there? The latter, for a sports-car dreaming guy was easy (never mind that it would still be a couple of years before I could drive)–it would be in style, in either an MG or Alfa Romeo, in British Racing Green. The “where” would be a little harder. In haste, while flipping through a picture book of California State Parks, I searched out for the most beautiful photo, deciding upon… Burney Falls. Continue reading »
