I have to write about the first time we arrived here. The drive from the airport to our property was like something out of a movie – I thought I knew what this place would be like, but it was more than I ever imagined.

The airport (Enrique Malek airport in David) was small, but it was really nice for a Central American airport. They keep it clean and everyone’s very welcoming.

The espresso we had while we were at the airport comes the Kotowa coffee company, and it’s considered one of the finest coffees in the world. It’s amazing to think that the coffee fields are only about 30 miles from the airport. You can’t get fresher or more organic than that.

David Panama Airport

David Grocery Store

David itself is the third biggest city in Panama, and it was great to know that even though we’ll be out in a tropical area, civilization is right nearby. We stopped at a grocery store for some supplies, and the place was modern – nothing lacking here.

I don’t think I’ll be hanging much around the city, though. There’s way too much exploring to do around the property.

The drive winds through these small towns that dot the area here and there. We could see this huge volcano off in the distance. I stopped to ask someone about it and they said it was Volcan Baru, which has a height of about 12,000 feet. Amazing.

The landscape kept changing as we drove, moving from jungle to towns to ocean-side road and back to jungle. We crossed the Chiriqui Viejo river, which I’ve since found out is a whitewater rafting river with over 90 class II to V rapids over a 13-mile stretch.

I’m there.

The peninsula is split between two countries, with Panama on one side and Costa Rica on the other. There’s a duty-free zone at Paso Canoas, and I heard someone mention at the airport it’s a great place to get cheap liquor. We didn’t stop this time, but next trip, we’ll stock up for sure.

I got lost at Puerto Armuelles, which is a freakin’ maze to navigate. The streets don’t really have a pattern I could follow. But getting lost gave us a good chance to take a tour of the town.

Chiquita (yeah, the banana company) built the town for its workers and executives. The company moved out a few years ago and left the town, so the place looks a little bit down and depressed.

On the other hand, there’s a feeling that it’s going to take off again. Everyone looks happy and the place is right on the ocean. I can see how easily it’ll become a nice coastal town within a couple of years.

Once we got past Puerto, there was this big tanker checkpoint, which was cool. It’s a petrol station that you have to drive through, and there are these huge tankers from the Pacific docked about 50 yards from shore.

The tankers hook into the station’s pipelines and they send petrol through the pipes. The pipes cross the whole country to the Caribbean, where other tankers are hooked up to pick up the petrol. I’ve never seen anything like it.

We took the new road after that and headed in. It’s still under construction, and the drive takes you right onto the beach. (Beware chicken crossings.) If the tide is in and high, you can’t cross, so you have to catch the low tide to get through.

That five-mile drive down the beach was truly amazing. The ocean with its sand and rocks and waves was on one side and the palm trees, locals and animals were on the other. Suzie kept taking pictures because she figured no one would believe us if we told them about the “road”.

We had to drive right through a river, too, which was wild as hell. By the time we got through the first one, my heart was pounding like I’d been bungee jumping. It was great. There were a few more small rivers after that, and by the time I crossed the last, I had the hang of it (but I could still use some practice.)

We arrived at the end of the peninsula about two hours after we left the airport – and man, that’s when the real fun began.