Boquete, Panama

Our last week of Spanish school was in Boquete, Panama; in the central highlands, just over the border from Costa Rica. This was lovely high country, with cool (even cold) temperatures and the hardest rain we have seen yet. It rained a lot - days worth in a matter of hours. We had a load of clothes washed and it took 2 days to dry on the line.



This was a pleasant quiet place with fantastic colourful woodland tropical birds. One afternoon, we visited a wildlife rehabilitation park, run privately in Boquete. In a large landscaped grounds and a large house, many birds and mammals (including an elegant teenage marguay cat) are nursed and loved back to life after some major trauma. This started with one injured animal, then blossomed over the years to all sorts of creatures. Panama offers rules and permits, but no funding or in-kind help, so this operation runs on donations from visitors.



While there, we talked with a woman who manages the place. This blue macaw was sitting on her shoulder. Talk about a distraction! He is originally from Brazil, and came with her from the US before the current rules prohibiting their transport. They are very rare because they are poached and sold on the black market as exotic pets. A magnificent bird that can live 100 years. They are often included in wills, as they normally outlive their owners.



He either likes you or does not. Like means he will walk onto your shoulder or arm and not peck or bite if you immediately shuttle him to his owner. Like, as in Give me a lift or lose an ear. He is convincing. He walked down this cage and onto my shoulder, gazing at me with yellow-ringed bottomless eyes. I gave him a lift. I did not have a feeling he liked me, but I still have both ears so he must have.








This fellow is about 2 feet tall in the body with another 18 inches of tail. His beak can exert 20,000 lbs of compression (cracking the hardest nuts, and easily removing fingers if needed). When he sits on your shoulder, you do what he wants.