Grand Escapades
Travel Photography & Travel Experiences of Africa, South America, the Middle-East & Asia
Central American Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri oerstedii), also called Mono Titi, Punta Burica, Golfo de Chiriqui, Panama
I only stayed one week in Panama, and spent most of that time in the remote “Mono Feliz”, a safe heaven for endangered monkeys near the border to Costa Rica. I also had the opportunity to have a glimpse at Panama City and the Panama Canal. Continue Reading →
Our first view of the Zona Cafetera in Colombia was from the bird?s perspective, when we approached Pereira in a small plane coming from Panama City. The sheer beauty of the land beneath made Heidi immediately forget that she was in a small plane and really afraid.
Heidi left Vienna on July 7th to catch an 11 hour flight from Amsterdam to Panama City. Impatiently waiting to finally set her feet on real ground after about 10 hours into the flight, the following announcement by the captain was rather disturbing. Continue Reading →
Highly endangered specie, Central American Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri oerstedii), also called Mono Titi, in the secondary rain forest, Punta Burica, Golfo de Chiriqui, Panama, close to the Border to Costa Rica, Central America
Juancho’s main goal was to create this protected area and establish a safe habitat for the monkeys in this area. Maybe I was lucky, but los monos visited several times a day, always one species at a time, always in groups, mainly waiting to get fed with bananas. Afterwards they would goof around producing as much noise as possible or just throwing mangoes on the ground. Juancho explained that the monkeys generally complete a tour of the property most mornings, late afternoons & often even more frequently. Continue Reading →
These crabs do not only live on the beach but in the forest and even on top of the hill. They are simply everywhere. But what was most stunning was to discover they also climb trees to reach new leaves to munch on. So yes, in and near the Mono Feliz, you will see crabs in the trees!
The first thing I noticed when arriving at the Mono Feliz were the hundreds of small crabs that run on the ground and hide in small holes when they feel threatened. Of course I have seen crabs on numerous other occasions before, but these were special. First of all, the sheer number was outlandish and then the colour: black, with orange legs and purple pincers. Continue Reading →
White-faced capuchin (Cebus capucinus), also called mono cariblanco, in the secondary rain forest, Punta Burica, Golfo de Chiriqui, Panama, close to the Border to Costa Rica, Central America
Mono Feliz or “Happy Monkey” is a heaven for nature lovers and people who just want to get REALLY far away from the hustle and worries of our usual lives. Add to this the feeling of being on a remote island, cast away from the outside world. Okay, Mono Feliz is not no a real island, but it is simply inaccessible during high tide. Continue Reading →
Spider in the secondary rain forest, Punta Burica, Golfo de Chiriqui, Panama, close to the Border to Costa Rica, Central America
Going to the “Mono Feliz” would be a challenging undertaking, I knew that. This remote place is located at the very end of Punta Burica, a peninsula on the Pacific coast, a few kilometres from the border to Costa Rica. But for various reasons it turned into a true nightmare… Continue Reading →
Situated on Punta Burica, on the western Pacific Coast next to the Costa Rican border, the 7 hectares of secondary forest of the Mono Feliz are next to a deserted beach – Golfo de Chiriqui, Panama
Since Heidi will only arrive on July 7th, I will be travelling alone for the next 6 days. I decided to avoid the major touristy destinations such as San Blas Archipielago or Bocas del Toro and head to the west, the Golfo de Chiriquí. Continue Reading →
Buses in Panama City, called “Diabolos Rojos” or Red Devils
The trip Vienna – Amsterdam – Panama City was smooth, though very long. The arrival in Panama turned out to be one of the easiest I had ever experienced. Not only was the plane 20 minutes ahead of schedule, but within 20 minutes I had recovered my luggage and breezed through immigration & customs. Continue Reading →