After speaking to a few other travellers/holiday makers on Boca Brava we decided to change our plans and go to the nearby mountain town of Boquete. Boquete is rated as one of the best places to retire in the world due to its perfect climate and wonderful mountains and therefore it is full of Americans - just going to a bakery to people watch is an attraction on its own!

We were given a lift some of the way to Boquete by a German couple, on their honeymoon, who had also stayed on Boca Brava (they had stayed in one of the posh rooms while we had the cheap ones). Just before we got in their car the new wife told us that she had not much driving experience so we might have been safer on the local buses. We arrived safely and checked into a small hostel which might be better described as a house. We had our own room and bathroom but the rest of the time it felt like we were in their front room and they hogged the kitchen which should have been ours to use as well. Anyway it was a nice feeling to be in a homely environment and we also got to enjoy the company of Ricky the parrot and two dogs. In Ricky's repertoire was "Hola" and some horrible loud shrieking when he wanted his owner to pay him some attention.

On our first full day we caught a small bus into the hills and visited a coffee plantation which also had a luxury hotel attached. We had to pay but were able to walk their forest trails - where we heard lots of birds and some howler monkeys - and drink some of their world famous coffee. From there we walked along the road to the trail head of the three waterfall hike. On the way we passed very small and simple concrete houses which we presume were the homes of the coffee pickers. It was a sharp contrast to the $275 dollar a night hotel we had just walked through and saddening. We only succeeded in reaching 2 of the 3 waterfalls as it was getting late and our legs were tired from walking all day. The waterfalls were fun and we finished the day with some great fish tacos once in town.

On our second and last day in Boquete our legs were aching from the previous days hiking so we decided to visit a garden and walk along the river instead of another hike. The garden was a bit strange as at first it looked like we weren't allowed in and then, once in, we saw large plastic flamingos and cows dotted around the grounds. We had the place to ourselves and it was a nice way to spend the morning. After another coffee, which we are both taking a liking to, I had my haircut at a 50% mark-up from the last one in Honduras, this one $3!

Simon