“Rumi was saying that if your soul feels abused and bruised in this life, send your soul up to a willow tree and leave it there for a while. But then it’s hard to get back. You got to be careful about that.” — Jim Harrison, from a recent interview
I arrived at the cottage on Saturday. I had entered Panama in my Jeep Grand Cherokee the previous day, and had reserved a room in a house in David thru AirBnB. I was planning on staying there for the month I would be in country. However, the room was dark and the house was kind of shabby and in a location I did not care for, it was not really residential but more commercially oriented. I cook most of my meals and the kitchen was not great either. Finally, there was no running water. They said it would be fixed by the next day or so. I was in serious need of a shower and could not take one. So I got online that evening and booked another place, up in Boquete, a 45-minute drive east and 1000 meters higher. I got lucky and the owner responded within 12 hours and said yes.
I had looked at the place previously and thought it would be a good fit for me, as someone who prefers a rural location most of the time. It has turned out to be better than I could have imagined. The residents are a middle-aged man and his mother. Today I met his sister and her husband as well, who live in Panama City and are visiting during the Easter weekend. The land is a former coffee plantation, purchased by the parents over 50 years ago. They proceeded to convert it into a botanical garden, and they charge $5 admission today. As the pictures will attest, they have a great sense of humor in addition to their botanical skills.
The last two pictures are of the cottage I have rented thru April 11th. It is a short distance from the main house and in the middle of it all. Occasionally a visitor to the gardens will stick their head in the door to see what might be inside, but of course it is just me.