Ngobe Bugle Girl in El Salto

Amistad International Park is in C. America’s Talamanca Mountains. Amistad is home to the largest virgin forest remaining in C. America. Amistad is a fitting name since it straddles the Costa Rica – Panama border and Amistad is Spanish for “friendship”. The park is home to stunning biodiversity with the following species counts: 600 bird species, 250 amphibians and reptiles 180 endemic plants, 115 fish, and 215 species of mammals including cats such as Jaguars, Ocelots, and Pumas.

Human habitation in Amistad dates back 12,000 years according to pre-ceramic sites discovered near Volcan Baru in Chiriqui, Panama. According to UNESCO, “such sites are extremely rare in C. America and represent some of C. America’s earliest human inhabitants”.  About early inhabitants on the Costa Rica side of the park, UNESCO notes that “skillfully created elaborate gold ornaments, jewelry, and huge symmetrical stone spheres are the most outstanding evidence of the cultural development of pre-Colombian man over the last 3,000 years”.

UNESCO speaks of the indigenous Teribe residing in Amistad. However, my visits to Amistad’s Rio Teribe in 2007 revealed a tribe calling itself the Naso, a monarchy governed by a King.  The Spanish likely called the tribe by the name of the river ‘Teribe’ which runs through the 7 Naso villages.  The Naso are small tribe of 3,500 people living in villages connected by footpaths. The river provides for the primary traffic route to the Caribbean coast.  Naso use rafts to trade fruit such as cacao in Bocas del Toro for the few items they do not produce in the rainforest themselves, such as machetes.  I had the pleasure of meeting a university professor who has recently launched an eco-lodge to help the Naso capitalize on adventure tourism opportunities. It is called Wekso.

There are much smaller tribes that live in or near Amistad, such as the Bribri, Boruca, and Cabesar. All the Talamanca peoples maintain their ancient folklore, customs, agricultural and hunter/gatherer traditions.   They also maintain their languages which are now supplemented with Spanish. By far the largest indigenous tribe is the Guaymi, which is a bit of a misnomer created by the Spanish who called many tribes Guaymi, such as the Ngobe and the tiny Bugle tribe. The Ngobe are the most populous indigenous tribe in the region with 200,000 members in Costa Rica and Panama. ‘Guaymi’ is based on the Buglere term for the Ngobe, which was ‘Guaymiri’, shortened by the Spanish.

The Spanish found three distinct tribes which they called Guaymi. At that time each tribe was known by the name of its current chief and each spoke a different language. The chiefs were Nata, Parita, and Urraca. Urraca is famous for never having been conquered by the Spanish who tried too many times and grew to fear all “Guaymi” because they didn’t learn to distinguish the tribes.  Urraca forced Spanish Captian Diego de Albitez to sign a peace treaty in 1522. Urraca was later betrayed by his successor and captured by the Spanish, but he escaped and died a free man and legendary figure.

In 1997 the descendents of the blended ‘Guaymi’ tribes, calling themselves Ngobe-Bugle, joined forces to obtain a Comarca (autonomous lands) that comprises roughly 10% of Panama’s land area. Many Ngobe-Bugle live outside their Comarca near Amistad around the Chiriqui-Bocas del Toro-Costa Rica borders.  In Costa Rica and a few places in Panama they still use the name Guaymi.  I have the privilege of serving as an English tutor to a young Ngobe woman attending university in Chiriqui. Many of her tribe’s women speak very little Spanish and no English; the men speak Spanish for work and use their native tongues at home.  Women wear brightly colored traditional handmade dresses called naguas and men wear trousers and, often, shirts made from manta-sucia.

This is a warm and friendly culture, cohesive and unchanged by modern neighbors with whom they co-exist peacefully.  The dominant Hispanic culture tends to be a bit cynical regarding the indigenous, perhaps because they live apart from the mainstream culture.  The growing European and N. American expatriate cultures near Amistad tend to view the indigenous with fascination.  Many indigenous peoples migrate to pick coffee for half the year and live on the Comarca for the balance of the year. Others manage coffee farms or other fincas year round. If you drink coffee in this region, you are certainly benefiting from the efforts of its indigenous peoples.

Panama on your left, Costa Rica on your right.

The border between Panama and Costa Rica is very appealing, as borders go, an example of how neighbors can coexist with dignity, peace, and brotherhood. There are no fences, hi-tech surveillance equipment, or gates to herd people into lines. Driving down a dirt road toward Puerto Armuelles, turning left takes you into a Panamanian driveway while turning right allows you access to a Costa Rican driveway. It’s that simple.

When it’s time to officially exit one country for the other, passports can be presented at the appropriate immigration desks for processing. The Paso Canoas crossing is amidst a free trade zone.  Visitors amble back and forth shopping, dining, and visiting friends and families without having to present any identification, unless planning to go into the interior.

When headed to the interior, first-time visitors have to look to find the proper immigration desk, because they are not situated in a linear this side/that side fashion.  This is so refreshing compared to the US-Mexico border, which is uncivilized to the point of being hostile.  You can actually process out of Panama, stop for tacos and pick up some supplies in town, and then process into Costa Rica, or vice versa.  The town is united, not divided.

The town of Paso Canoas is not much too look at. It is more like a Wild West town.  However, the people are friendly and there is good food and decent lodging. Everyone accepts U.S. dollars and Panamanian merchants accept Colónes.

There is another border crossing at Sixaola and Guabito which is also wild, an off-the-beaten track border post that mostly sees visitors to and from International Park Amistad.  Amistad is Spanish for friendship and the park, an UNESCO World Heritage Site, is in both Panama and Costa Rica.  A bridge facilitates the crossing.  Here again, formalities are relaxed but there are limited hours, few stores and bars, and no lodging or dining options.

To experience the Osa Peninsula’s incredible biodiversity, you’ll fly to Puerto Jimenez from San Jose or drive five hours out of Boquete, Panama and boat across Golfo Dulce after a border crossing right out of the ‘wild west’.  Deep sea fishing enthusiasts will want to stay more than one night in the port.  There are also excellent surfing and birding opportunities from this hub.

When you are ready to leave civilization, you’ll enjoy a two hour drive on dirt roads from the port to Carate, crossing several large rivers.  After this road, you’ll be ready for the 45 minute hike along a pristine beach bordered by tropical jungles to reach a comfortable eco-lodge with excellent food.  Your bags will follow by pony cart.  Here you are in paradise.

When you are ready to hike into the national park, it is important to time the tides.  It is six hours to the first ranger station and your biologist guide will point out animals, plants, and native burial grounds.  You’ll drink fresh coconut milk, enjoy crustaceans, and maybe even have fresh cacao for dessert.  You’ll see thousands of phyto-geographically unique plants, rare insects, and a stunning population of birds, mammals, reptiles, and marine life.

You’ll sleep at the ranger’s station (tents or dorms) and share meals unless you packed your own grub.  Now you have many exciting options.  You can explore the surrounding areas looking for tapirs, monkeys, scarlet macaws, crocodiles, anteaters, and snakes.  You can rest up for a night hike to see the jungle’s nocturnal side.  You can hike to the next ranger station for more camping, indigenous villages, and a different return route.   Or, you can return the way you came via the eco lodge.

The Osa has something for everyone’s thirst for adventure.  We recommend a week and will arrange for more or less comfort depending on how much wilderness you seek to explore.  This is an unforgettable journey with authentic jungle experiences within reach of all types of travelers.

The home of Glenn & Teri Jampol is many things. It is a gourmet bistro bar. It is a boutique hotel, the best near San Jose. It is a coffee plantation. It is tropical gardens with foot paths and fruit orchards. It is a luxurious spa. It is Finca Rosa Blanca, the first hotel in Costa Rica to win a 100% sustainability rating.

To learn more about this spectacular hideaway in Santa Bárbara, Heredia, visit http://www.fincarosablanca.com/ Plan on staying awhile. You will not want to leave. Check out the inn’s list of activites before you go. Make sure you plan dinner outside at sunset. The views overlooking the valley are breathtaking.