Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
fiesta in progress and, of course, plenty of cockfighting and drinking. In the interior of the
Panama republic most inns have a cock-ring, which consists of a circular fence, some three
feet in height, made of bamboo canes. This keeps the birds in, and outside, all round it, stand
the spectators, who usually bet all the money they have.
Inmostplacesthefliesandmosquitoesarethick,apartfromthelonglistofotherinsectsto
which one has to grow accustomed. A story is told of a foreign traveller who arrived at an inn
long after the midday meal was finished. Much to the stranger's surprise he could not see a
singleflyinthehouse.Heaskedtheinnkeeperhowonearthhemanagedtokeeptheplacefree
ofthem.'Señor,'answeredthenative,'Panamanianflies,likethepeople,areblessedwithrare
intelligence, and well do they know the meal hours. At 6 o'clock this evening the flies will
againcomeswarmingintothedining-room,justintimeforournextmeal,butinthemeantime
they have gone into the backyard where they have a dead horse and other tit-bits.'
Into the Green Labyrinth
From Concepción we travelled through forests, following narrow trails that lead in all direc-
tions. The huts where we spent some of the nights were extremely primitive. Food was very
scarce, and unfortunately I was too liberal with my supplies, giving a great part of them away
to people who enviously watched us eat good things whilst they only had small portions of
yucca(aroot),riceandbeans.Theresultofmymisplacedgenerosityandsoft-heartednesswas
that we were soon left with nothing in our saddlebags but clothes, instruments and ammuni-
tion.
The Rio Chiriqui was a hard nut to crack, for it happened to be rather high and extremely
turbulent when we came to it. The further we progressed, the denser became the jungles and
the forests. We were twisting and winding through thick vegetation; above our heads the high
trees formed a roof through which the sun could not penetrate. Every now and again we came
toasmallopenspacewherebeautifullycolouredbutterfliesflutteredaboutandhummingbirds
darted among the flowers. Soon the country became very hilly and the trail more difficult.
Lookingdownonthejungle forest fromahill, thethick greenroof,covered with creepers and
parasitic plants has the appearance of a rolling prairie.
We saw occasional herds of wild pigs and troops of chattering monkeys. The latter seemed
quiteannoyedatourinvasionandoftenthrewberriesanddrysticksdownatus.Toamusemy-
self I sometimes fired a shot, and then they all disappeared as if by magic. Birds that whistle
strange double notes could sometimes be heard answering each other; but what we liked best
was the call of the wild turkeys. I shot several of them and they made excellent eating.
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