Cafe Limon
*** KARTER IN FRONT OF CAFE LIMON ***
*groan* *moan* *yawn*
Three nights in a row of very little sleep. I’m actually very surprised at how awake I am, but not surprised that I haven’t been able to nip this nagging cough in the bud. It’s been hanging on (and getting slightly worse even) since before we came to Panama. Karter is struggling with asthma, so Kristian and I were up with him for a bit in the middle of the night. I think he’s got a little bug, too. I couldn’t go back to sleep, so I was up since 4 a.m. working.
Our plans to snorkel off of Isla Iguana have been postponed a day while Karter recuperates a bit more. This morning has been slow and relaxing, and I’ve been enjoying the beauty of the trees outside my window while working on the blog. Kristian’s been downstairs catching up on some work, too. We haven’t had great internet since Panama City, so work has been slooooow to complete.
*** KRISTIAN WORKING DOWNSTAIRS AT DESK ***
While we waited for Neymi to serve breakfast, Karter and I walked around the grounds and took pictures. There are so many amazing tropical plants on the grounds here. I’m inspired to transform my yard when I get home. For real. Here’s some inspiration for you!
*** 10 PIC COLLAGE AMAZING ***
Neymi created a lovely and delicious omelet for me and some fun, mango crepes for the three guys.
*** 4 PIC COLLAGE OF BOYS AND OUR BREAKFAST ***
She also made a frothy latte for Kristian and I, that was oh, so good.
*** 3 PIC COLLAGE OF LATTE & BOYS IN FRONT OF CAFE LIMON DOOR ***
We were eager to hit the road with Devin as our tour guide today, so we inhaled breakfast and set out for an exploration adventure! Mission? To see howler monkeys! On our way, we stumbled on a herd of cows and some cowboys! Devin just honked and inched forward and the cows tripped over each other to get out of the way.
Los Asientos
*** COLLAGE OF COWBOYS ***
Devin owns a huge piece of land in Los Asientos complete with rolling hills separated by small jungles with howler monkeys! It was the most amazing and scenic place I think I’ve ever been (not that I’ve been many places.) I’m pretty sure it could take anyone’s breath away, though. A gentle breeze caresses the hills almost constantly making that area about 5-10 degrees cooler than Pedasi. It really was a breath of fresh air. You can see Isla Iguana from the tops of the hills.
*** 3 PICS OF SCENERY FROM THAT TRIP ***
Above: Isla Iguana out there in the Pacific – our destination tomorrow!
*** MORE SCENERY PIC ***
Howler Monkeys!
We searched high and low for monkeys for quite awhile. Devin has perfected his howler monkey call and used it to get a response to make locating them easier.
*** VID: OUT LOOKIN FOR HOWLER MONKEYS IN PEDASI, PANAMA ***
Howler Monkeys!
We searched high and low for monkeys for quite awhile. Devin has perfected his howler monkey call and used it to get a response to make locating them easier.
Lookin’ for the howler monkeys!
Finally, in a last ditch effort to see them before heading back in for lunch, we stopped at one last jungle area. Sure enough, Devin spotted a group of monkeys! He even took my camera and hiked down where he could get some good shots for us! We all stood on the hillside, eye level with the jungle canopy, completely in awe of what we were seeing. These were not zoo monkeys. These were real-life, in their natural habitat, howler monkeys – approximately 4 adults and 2 babies! It’s just about the coolest thing I’ve ever experienced. Mission accomplished! Thank you, Devin, for allowing us to have that experience! We will remember it for the rest of our lives!
*** PICS OF HOWLER MONKEYS ***
We drove through the untouched-by-the-world town of Los Asientos. It’s a tiny town and within a few blocks, we saw a young man carrying a dead chicken (obviously just having had it’s neck broken) home by the legs. Dinner! Around another corner we saw an old, mud house. Apparently, this is the type of house Neymi grew up in and there aren’t very many left in this area.
*** PIC OF MUD HOUSE ***
We decided to hit up Smiley’s for lunch/dinner, as it’s now almost 3pm! Smiley’s is owned by John, another expat from North America. His restaurant offers a huge variety of things including a Texas favorite: beef brisket! On our way in, we ran into Allison, the traveler from Chicago that we had met the night before. We exchanged goodbyes, as she’s leaving Pedasi in the morning. Back at Smiley’s, I decided to be good and order the grilled red snapper and veggies. All 3 guys ordered the pork ribs and fries.
Across the street from Smiley’s is a grocery store. Karter has been doing better with his asthma, but I wanted to see if I could get him some kind of antihistamine for tonight. The only thing they carried comparable was something called Gripe Kid. The ingredients and instructions are in Spanish, so I need to look it up online and figure out if it’s what he needs. The two places I’ve looked for medicine so far have had a very small selection. Pretty much one type of medicine for each ailment. 1 antihistamine, 1 pain reliever, 1 anti-diuretic, etc. and they keep them all behind the counter, so it’s hard to even get a look at what they have.
Cafe Limonmonkeys cafe
*groan* *moan* *yawn*
Three nights in a row of very little sleep. I’m actually very surprised at how awake I am, but not surprised that I haven’t been able to nip this nagging cough in the bud. It’s been hanging on (and getting slightly worse even) since before we came to Panama. Karter is struggling with asthma, so Kristian and I were up with him for a bit in the middle of the night. I think he’s got a little bug, too. I couldn’t go back to sleep, so I was up since 4 a.m. working.
Our plans to snorkel off of Isla Iguana have been postponed a day while Karter recuperates a bit more. This morning has been slow and relaxing, and I’ve been enjoying the beauty of the trees outside my window while working on the blog. Kristian’s been downstairs catching up on some work, too. We haven’t had great internet since Panama City, so work has been slooooow to complete.
cafe limon working
While we waited for Neymi to serve breakfast, Karter and I walked around the grounds and took pictures. There are so many amazing tropical plants on the grounds here. I’m inspired to transform my yard when I get home. For real. Here’s some inspiration for you!
monkeys plants 1
monkeys plants 2
monkeys plants 3
monkeys plants 4
monkeys plants 5
Neymi created a lovely and delicious omelet for me and some fun, mango crepes for the three guys.
monkeys breakfast
She also made a frothy latte for Kristian and I, that was oh, so good.
monkeys coffee
We were eager to hit the road with Devin as our tour guide today, so we inhaled breakfast and set out for an exploration adventure! Mission? To see howler monkeys! On our way, we stumbled on a herd of cows and some cowboys! Devin just honked and inched forward and the cows tripped over each other to get out of the way.
Los Asientos
monkeys cowboys
Devin owns a huge piece of land in Los Asientos complete with rolling hills separated by small jungles with howler monkeys! It was the most amazing and scenic place I think I’ve ever been (not that I’ve been many places.) I’m pretty sure it could take anyone’s breath away, though. A gentle breeze caresses the hills almost constantly making that area about 5-10 degrees cooler than Pedasi. It really was a breath of fresh air. You can see Isla Iguana from the tops of the hills.
monkey jungle 1
monkeys family
monkeys jungle 2
Above: Isla Iguana out there in the Pacific – our destination tomorrow!
monkeys jungle 4
Howler Monkeys!
We searched high and low for monkeys for quite awhile. Devin has perfected his howler monkey call and used it to get a response to make locating them easier.
Lookin’ for the howler monkeys!
Finally, in a last ditch effort to see them before heading back in for lunch, we stopped at one last jungle area. Sure enough, Devin spotted a group of monkeys! He even took my camera and hiked down where he could get some good shots for us! We all stood on the hillside, eye level with the jungle canopy, completely in awe of what we were seeing. These were not zoo monkeys. These were real-life, in their natural habitat, howler monkeys – approximately 4 adults and 2 babies! It’s just about the coolest thing I’ve ever experienced. Mission accomplished! Thank you, Devin, for allowing us to have that experience! We will remember it for the rest of our lives!
monkeys 1
howler monkey 2
We drove through the untouched-by-the-world town of Los Asientos. It’s a tiny town and within a few blocks, we saw a young man carrying a dead chicken (obviously just having had it’s neck broken) home by the legs. Dinner! Around another corner we saw an old, mud house. Apparently, this is the type of house Neymi grew up in and there aren’t very many left in this area.
monkeys house
We decided to hit up Smiley’s for lunch/dinner, as it’s now almost 3pm! Smiley’s is owned by John, another expat from North America. His restaurant offers a huge variety of things including a Texas favorite: beef brisket! On our way in, we ran into Allison, the traveler from Chicago that we had met the night before. We exchanged goodbyes, as she’s leaving Pedasi in the morning. Back at Smiley’s, I decided to be good and order the grilled red snapper and veggies. All 3 guys ordered the pork ribs and fries.
Across the street from Smiley’s is a grocery store. Karter has been doing better with his asthma, but I wanted to see if I could get him some kind of antihistamine for tonight. The only thing they carried comparable was something called Gripe Kid. The ingredients and instructions are in Spanish, so I need to look it up online and figure out if it’s what he needs. The two places I’ve looked for medicine so far have had a very small selection. Pretty much one type of medicine for each ailment. 1 antihistamine, 1 pain reliever, 1 anti-diuretic, etc. and they keep them all behind the counter, so it’s hard to even get a look at what they have.
monkeys stores
We left empty-handed and decided that while it’s still light, we’ll try out one of the nearby beaches. We head 25 minutes south to Playa Venao, a popular surfer beach. We had to drive back through Los Asientos to get there. We’re really getting to know our way around this place!
Upon arrival, we immediately ooh and ah at how beautiful this beach is. At closer inspection, we came to find out that walking on the sand is like walking on memory foam. I’ve been to many a good beach, but I’ve never felt a texture like that between my toes. It felt so squishy and soft. The beach is sandwiched in by two tree-covered hills and is lined with beach hut style restaurants and resorts. I can see why it attracts surfers in addition to the fact that it has perfect waves. I really enjoyed watching several of the surfers and even caught a few great snapshots of them in action!
monkeys kole
monkey beach
monkeys surf
kristian monkeys
monkeys surfer
The boys were once again doing their thing: Kristian and Kole couldn’t be kept out of the surf, which created so much foam that it was like a bubble bath. Karter once again mostly enjoyed just digging in the sand and collecting various beach treasures. Why does he always want to take home the big ones? Little shells and rocks? Nope. Tree branches and boulders? Sure. I cherish it… and talk him into the little ones.
kole surf
monkeys kristin
surfin monkeys
karter monkeys
2 monkeys
We stayed until dark and then decided to try out one of the beach restaurants for dessert. Score! Key lime pie! Oh, and it was mouth-watering key lime pie. The best I can remember.
monkeys dessert
During the drive home, it was like playing a video game where you have to avoid hitting the obstacles. We probably dodged something like 200 crabs trying to cross the street, 15 huge toads, an iguana, and a handful of cats and dogs. It was insane! I’ll tell you, we didn’t always succeed. It would have been nearly impossible to miss them all, especially when they tried to cross in groups. There isn’t always safety in numbers, people!
What a full and amazing day! Now for a good night’s sleep… hopefully.
Goodnight from these monkeys!
boys monkeys
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