Jungle Lodge Continued

Although we left the lodge four days ago,  I wanted to share a few more pictures from the experience.

path down the hill

I didn't take pictures of the dinners we were fed, as they were cande-lit communal affairs (I didn't want to be obtrusive AND end up with dark pictures).    Most days we were on excursions and the lodge would pack us a lunch, but on our last day we ate a noontime meal together.

Quiche (eggs from the farm, which I ate) stuffed with veggies, yucca salad, beets, avocados.  Afterwards we tried something called the miracle fruit, which came off a tree in the farm.

We sucked on a lime wedge to verify it was sour, then ate the small red fruit slowly, coating our tongue and spitting out the seed.  Afterwards we ate the limes again, but this time they tasted like key lime pie, or super sweet limeaide.  It was incredible.  Everything we ate for about an hour afterwards was uber sweet.  It was so much fun!  We heard there is a man in NYC who hosts tasting parties with the miracle fruit.   That would be a blast. 

After our jungle lodge time TH said he didn't care if he ever saw a sloth again.  I guess they aren't the most titillating of wildlife to view, but I still thought they were cute.  

One afternoon, after doing lots of this:  

it started to rain really hard.  We had big curtains we could pull closed when we had sideways rain to keep our room semi dry.  I pulled a curtain, and when I did something big landed on my head.  After having a little scream and panic session I discovered a bat on the floor.  

I thought it was dead, but when I gently nudged it over the edge with our creature-sweeper broom (supplied by the lodge for times just like this) it flew away!  It had been sleeping, and didn't wake up when it fell on my head or the floor.  I decided bats are much cuter when they are not nestled in my hair.

We have been enjoying our beach time on Bocas del Toro, which I hope to blog about before long.  We leave by ferry and bus today, back down the Pacific Coast to Panama City.  We will then fly out to the San Blas Islands, which are independently owned by an indigenous group called the Kuna.  I'm excited. 

Question:  Have you ever tried the "miracle fruit"? 

La Loma Jungle Lodge

We've just returned from four nights at La Loma Jungle Lodge on Bastimentos Island in Bocas del Toro.  Our raised cabin was open on three sides, with mosquito netting around the beds.  There was no electricity, which was really nice, as we had lots of time to focus on our natural environment.

outdoor shower

The cacophony of noises which surrounded us day and night was unreal.  We listened to layers upon layers of birds, insects, and frogs.  It was almost impossible to separate a particular noise individually.  Our wildlife viewing included sloths, giant tree iguanas, hundreds of birds, bats, frogs, lizards, snakes, and crazy insects.  My favorite were these cute little red frogs, which are slightly poisonous.  

This stay was the big splurge of our trip, at $100 a night per person.  The price included all of our meals, for which most of the ingredients were grown on site.  The lodge also ran a chocolate farm, which meant that we enjoyed many fabulous cacao/coconut milk desserts.  

cacao pods

One of my favorite new fruits, the biriba:

It's very sweet and rich, like a creamy custard.  Mmmmm.  

A jungle hike:

Notice how drenched in sweat I was.  The humidity in the jungle is intense!  Excellent toxin removal.

Question:  What's the weather like in your neck of the woods?