The weather redeemed itself today rewarding us with a double rainbow as we boated off to the north.

The United Fruit Company, which marketed Chiquita Bananas, built a 7-mile long, 6-foot deep canal in the late 19th century to transport bananas for shipments abroad. For all the work, it was only used for seven years, then railroad transport prevailed. The canal makes for a great lazy boat ride spotting birds, forest on both sides.

A picnic lunch at the mouth of the Changuinola River was the antidote to yesterday's chill, the mountains of Costa Rica on one horizon, the Caribbean on the other. The afternoon sun was strong and hot; it was comfortable when the boat was moving, but not so much as we idled around Isla Popa searching for a Snowy Cotinga (unsuccessfully).

At dusk we made a final ascent up the tower (I am getting better at this). Parrots squawked past as the sky changed colors, wispy clouds tinged red. This is our last night here, so peaceful, so easy to forget the outside world.