Panama is Wild: Sloth Edition

Take a hike with me up the rainforest mountain located in the middle of Panama City, Panama

I recently found myself planning a last-minute getaway to Panama City. Not out of a desire to start the new year with travel, although it turned out to be an incredible kickoff to 2024. I actually made the trip out of necessity.

I'm currently waiting for my Colombian visa to be processed, and in the meantime, I ran out of time on my temporary visa. That meant a quick border run to exit by January 2nd, then re-entering the country and resetting my 90-day visa.

I compared a few options. The most cost-effective options were a bus to Ecuador or a flight to Panama City, Panama. While a bus trip to Ecuador was cheaper, it had a few drawbacks—primarily the 14-hour drive on winding mountain roads through a still somewhat dangerous area of Colombia.

Ultimately, the one-hour flight to Panama was more appealing. I tend to get nauseous on winding roads through high elevations. So, I booked the flight and started planning.

I was only going to be in Panama City for approximately 48 hours, so I wasn't sure how much I'd be able to do during my stay. I figured I'd get a feel for the area and find some beautiful places to sit and write.

In the end, the experience far exceeded my expectations. The highlight was a morning hike to the top of Cerro Ancon (Ancon Hill), also called Cerro la Bandera (Flag Hill), a national park in the center of the bustling metropolis.

Before leaving, I considered scheduling an excursion. I was most tempted by a half-day trip to Monkey Island, promising up-close encounters with wildlife, including monkeys and sloths.

Seeing a sloth in the wild has long been a bucket list item of mine. However, I'd been on a similar boat tour in neighboring Costa Rica previously and was unsure if I wanted to make the half-day commitment. Also, I tend to be suspicious of tours offering staged encounters with wildlife as inauthentic or potential "tourist traps."

I decided I preferred to be free to roam, doing and seeing whatever inspired me in the moment. So, I held off on the tour. Instead, I planned to ask a local for their recommendation. I’ve used this tactic on many past trips, always resulting in great experiences.

When I arrived, I seized the opportunity to solicit a recommendation from my Uber driver. His suggestion was to hike La Bandera, which he pointed out as we passed the mountain, a literal urban jungle abnormally situated within the city and sporting an enormous Panamanian Flag at its peak.

He explained it was a short 4 km (2.5 miles) hike and a great place to see wildlife. I was sold immediately and decided to do some research that afternoon and go the following morning when it would (hopefully!) be cooler.

I awoke to my alarm at 7 am the following morning. I brought nothing but a fanny pack containing money, my room key, and my phone.

Though it was only about a 2 km walk from the hotel, I opted to take a taxi to the trailhead since I didn't know the area well and wasn't sure it'd be safe to walk alone.

This driver, too, was excellent, something I've often encountered in areas where tourism is a big part of the economy. He dropped me at a quieter local entrance, not the usual tourist entrance. As we arrived, he informed the gate attendants I was there to hike, and they permitted him to drive in and drop me at the foot of the trail, where he pointed out the way.

I hadn't gone more than a few steps when I had my first up-close wildlife encounter. As I approached the path, a gigantic black vulture hopped around on the ground nearby in his apparent capacity as a people greeter.

This brief encounter with the admittedly less-than-handsome bird served as a crucial reminder. In the craziness of travel and deciding what I wanted to do, I almost forgot why I wanted to do it. I was reminded to walk quietly, take my time, and stay vigilant if I hoped to spot any creatures along the way.

With that in mind, I meandered slowly, snapping photos of vibrant flowers and exotic foliage along the way. As I rounded the first curve, my efforts paid off when I spotted an animal I initially thought was an unusual-looking cat.

I froze immediately, afraid I’d scare whatever it was off before I could identify it. Using my phone camera’s zoom to get a closer look, I realized it couldn’t be a cat unless it were the oddest-looking tailless cat I’d ever seen.

Slowly and silently, I advanced a few more paces and couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw what now appeared to be the world’s largest rat.

Then it hit me: an animal that’d been on my “must-see” list for years. Not particularly rare in South America, yet I still hadn’t encountered one in person. I didn’t even know they could be found in Panama. It was a capybara!

My husband told me about capybaras and sent pictures of large ones he’d seen while studying in Brazil. Ever since, spotting one of these giant, hampster-like rodents has been an obsession of mine.

In my daydreams, I imagine myself one day living in a secluded mountain finca (a country home in Colombia) surrounded by lush jungle. I can typically be found on the patio sipping café and writing, as hoards of dogs, cats, capybaras, lizards, birds, and other animals come and go, free to roam or visit for cuddles and pets. What a dream!

Anyway, I continued in short, careful increments, stopping every few feet to snap pictures, hoping to get better-quality pictures with each advancement. I knew it could be startled and scamper off at any minute.

Nevertheless, soon, I was close enough to see him clearly without the zoom and stayed a while to watch him scamper around, searching for something tasty amongst the leaves scattered on the ground.

Because I’m incapable of walking away without at least offering pets to the wild animal, once the shock had passed and I was ready to resume my walk, I crouched down, stuck my hand out, and made a tsk-tsk sound I hoped sounded like capybara for “I’m nice. Come here if you want me to pet you. But please don’t bite me.”

I assume my American capybara accent confused him, though. He looked at me suspiciously, then scurried off toward the grass, not terrified but certainly not interested in my pets — his loss. I give excellent pets, according to my dog.

So I moved on, and when I turned to check on him before the next bend, I was happy to see him again in the street searching for treats.

Post Publication Edit: After publishing, I learned something new and relevant from a reader. I was incorrect in identifying this animal as a capybara. It’s, in fact, an Agouti, another member of the rodent family often confused for a baby capybara. While capybaras are going back on my “must-see” list (they never really came off since I still wanted to see a large one), I was excited to learn about this new adorable creature.

I was invigorated. I couldn’t believe my luck spotting such a fascinating animal that I hadn’t even known to be on the lookout for.

In my research, I’d seen photos of toucans, iguanas, and even sloths posted by other visitors. These now fueled my mission to see as many amazing critters as offered themselves up for viewing.

Along the path were many great spots for snapping photos of the views, and each bend in the trail offered a new spectacular one.

To the northwest: mountains, volcanoes, and the famed Panama Canal

To the northeast: a flourishing cityscape of one-of-a-kind, modern skyscrapers.

To the southwest: The canal entrance meets the Pacific Ocean as ships come and go along their voyages between the Atlantic and Pacific.

To the southeast: The vast Pacific Ocean melds with the morning sky along the horizon.

Along the way, I passed only a few other hikers. Some tourists stopped along the path for their own photos of the various views, and some locals strolled with their dogs in the quiet park. Mostly, however, it was peaceful, tranquil solitude. The perfect ambiance for thinking, savoring nature’s stunning beauty, and spotting wildlife.

Eventually, my neck began aching from the constant upward angle of my gaze, my head constantly on a swivel. But my efforts finally paid off when I spotted what appeared to be a medium-sized bear hanging upside down from a high branch and scratching his belly.

A sloth!

He was so much larger than I had imagined. And yes, I had the fleeting thought he would probably give excellent hugs. Nevertheless, I managed to resist the urge to climb the tree and find out.

In Spanish, sloths are called “Perezosos.” The same term for “lazy” when used as an adjective in Spanish. And aptly named since “a sloth at top speed can cover only 1 meter in 1.5 seconds.”

However, that wasn’t my experience with any of the three (yes, three!) I encountered that day.

This first sloth's silly antics immediately reminded me of my husband's morning routine, quietly stretching and scratching as he prepares mentally and physically to take on the day.

As I watched him, I was elated my vigilance had paid off. I proudly pointed him out to several groups of grateful tourists who approached as I stared fixedly skyward.

Another bucket list animal spotted. I was satisfied. Continuing my ascent, I remained vigilant but no longer hyper-focused on "sloth-spotting."

It was then I was able to appreciate the other wildlife around me, noticing butterflies, new and exotic plants, and stunningly vivid, colorful flowers.

One tree, in particular, caught my eye. It appeared to have a large bunch of something that looked like kiwi, hanging plantains-style. I took a photo to remind myself to find out later if kiwis, in fact, grew on trees. They do. However, the trees are much smaller. This tree is actually a Shapaja, an American Oil Palm.

Finally, I knew I was nearing the top when I reached the cruel joke of nearly any hike I’ve taken up a mountain. Just when you think you’ve made it, stairs!

About halfway up, as my leg muscles started to burn, I spotted this industrious little ant making the same journey with his treasured flower petal. Realizing my struggle would be laughable to him pushed me the rest of the way.

At last, I reached La Bandera!

My reward was an opportunity to snap a few more incredible shots of the canal, including Miraflores locks.

The Miraflores Locks are the first set of locks ships pass through when entering from the Pacific. They allow ships to cross between the Atlantic and Pacific by raising and lowering the water level and, consequently, the ship’s elevation. Which enables them to pass through the mountain range rather than circumnavigate South America. A voyage of an additional 15,000 km (8,000 nautical miles).

At the peak, I had another up-close encounter with the adorable black vultures as a kettle (a group of vultures on the ground) danced around in celebration.

On the descent, I was already more than satisfied with the experience when I had one of my most memorable travel experiences yet.

Not far from the peak, I spotted a second sloth. This one was hanging high in the treetop, more typical sloth behavior than Mr. Scratchy. However, I spotted something strange when I brought out my phone and zoomed in for a better look.

This sloth appeared to have an extra limb, possibly a second head. As I stood there puzzled, the sloth made a few slow movements that gave me a better view. The strange protuberance was, in fact, a second tiny head, I realized when its distinctive little face popped up and looked toward me.

It was a baby sloth perched atop its mama’s belly!

Their interactions were so incredibly common to any mother and young child. She attempted to maneuver toward another branch while simultaneously wrangling the baby. The baby, of course, made it as tricky as possible, squirming and refusing to stay still. He preferred to stick his head out, checking out his adoring crowd of spectators.

As passersby stopped to join me, I found I wasn’t alone in my excitement. A woman from another city in Panama was equally overjoyed to see the baby. Despite seeing sloths so often, she said she forgets how exciting it must be for others to see them for the first time.

A European couple made my day by sharing their binoculars. Seeing the mom and baby interact so clearly through them was incredible. Investing in a quality pair is the next item on my travel wishlist.

I couldn’t pull myself away. I remained there long after I’d finished taking photos and videos to share with my 4-year-old niece. She had made a spectacular sloth impression when I told her I was going to look for one.

Eventually, the ache in my neck was too intense to ignore, and I feared I’d go cross-eyed from trying to squint the pair into focus for so long. So, I had to move on.

I wasn’t far from where I’d seen the first sloth. So, I thought I’d see if he was still there. I knew they were slow, but after the two hours or so, I was sure he’d have moved on.

Surprisingly, however, I spotted him just where I’d left him. And again, he reminded me of my husband, slow to get moving in the mornings. The only thing the sloth had moved on from was scratching his chest. He was now right side up and scratching his butt!

https://youtu.be/v-bzwKkcrnw?feature=shared

Ending my foray into the jungle, I couldn’t help reflecting on what an incredible opportunity this bureaucratic-necessity trip had been. I remembered how fortunate I am to now live in an equally incredible and exotic place.

The mundane necessities of daily life, work, household chores, appointments, and obligations, often feel too urgent to ignore. However, recalling how a short trip into nature or a new destination can invigorate and inspire is crucial. It, too, should be prioritized — a necessity to maintain peace, creativity, and curiosity.

Exiting the park, the friendly attendant I’d seen chatting with a local on my way up further demonstrated this point when he asked how my walk had been and pointed out yet another sloth. The third for the day. This one is attempting a slow ascent.

When I told him what a great experience I had and that this was the 3rd sloth I’d seen as well as a capybara, he pointed out an area on the hill where they liked to hang out, hoping to help me spot another.

It struck me that this man enjoyed and appreciated what he did. Some people would find greeting visitors and answering the same questions daily mundane. They’d stay comfortably seated in the hut, their nose in their phone, only glancing up to glimpse visitors entering and exiting the park.

This man, however, undoubtedly valued the natural wonders that surrounded him and the opportunity to share them with enthusiastic travelers each day. He seized opportunities to enhance their experience, sharing his passion.

I strive to be like him, satisfied and fulfilled in my work and life, taking the time to appreciate it daily and rejoicing in every opportunity to share my passions. The way I feel when I write, sharing my experiences with readers.

Though I left for Panama with a plan to do nothing but write, checking tasks off my list, returning, I found my “to write” list had tripled. Nature and travel never fail to inspire.

Thank you for taking the time to go on this adventure with me. While I enjoy peace and solitude on a hike, I get to experience it twice by writing and sharing it with readers. I hope you have enjoyed it!

If you did enjoy this story, be sure to follow me. I’m already working on sharing my walking tour of Casco Viejo, Panama City’s historic district where I stayed on my trip.