Tue 13th 1839 On terrace at hostel. Not too bad a day so far. FWIW I had four pints (5-6%ish) at BBC this afternoon and while I've been to supermarket (for spices and a bit of rice and some onions) this afternoon it wasn't that long ago but while not feeling utterly sober a) I have staggered a bit getting up eg after lunch this afternoon while stone cold sober b) I feel *massively* more together than I did after two pints yesterday afternoon, it is hard to be precise but it is not as if I'd eaten nothing yesterday (eg on top of not-desperate food on day park of hike I had been to MB place for lunch) and I can't help wondering if there is a tiredness element which was making me feel extra prone to drunkenness yesterday.
Woke up - on alarm? not sure - 9ish and maybe got up 940ish. I decided I'd prob book at L+F (which is in guide book but electronic unbrowseability plus using a different conjunction symbol plus not using phrase "jungle hostel" hid it from me other day) but was going to hang about a bit before booking and also after mild dithering and brief web search decided I'd go to Pipeline hike - taking it easyish post volcano - and so I headed out maybe 10ish to get colectivo over there (I slightly missed start point and had to ask to get off bus a couple of mins after and was mildly whiny out loud but in private) but all no fuss.
I didn't feel at all "hurt" this morning on waking. Post/during Pipeline hike my left little toe and right hip hurt a bit, but nothing huge, and maybe there's a general tiredness/muscle strain background feeling but nothing huge. (I do plan to have a sneaky cut of toenails in shower in a bit.)
I was gonna put off booking L+F but given colectivo said 15 mins wait when I got in I figured fuck it and did the "booking" on phone sitting in bus/van. I *still* haven't had confirmation - it's not really automated - but I "booked" for four nights in Tucan (just cos I like toucans post CR and have never seen a quetzal) starting tomorrow. They have a FAQ on their site and I'm not gonna wuss out on a pricey shuttle, I will do the short two bus hop via David tomorrow morning.
Jumping ahead, unlike Bolita where you *have* to cook for youself, they do have restaurant (book ahead) and bar at LF and they AFAICT have a provision shop at *base* of 20 min entry trail, but I figured I ought to be prepared to cook for self and for prices/selection to be bit shit. So I bought 900g rice, packet chilli flakes and packet "mixed seasoning", two largeish fresh onions and a nice cheap tin of grated sardines at Baru post beers with the thinking these will augment provisions there (given salt+oil+drinking water I can *survive* on these for four days even ignoring fact I could prob literally survive four days with nothing but water, and more realistically "all" I need to buy semi-ideally are cans of frijoles and ideally tuna) and are relatively light/low bulk. (If this were a Bolita "bring your own provisions for sure" deal I'd have bought these extra things. Main thing I think is to have the chilli+mixed seasoning, as these are the kind of things they are least likely to reliably sell.)
Finger break.
1851 Random volcan hike notes:
- not far from top/dawn (but still v much night) we found a hummingbird (black?) sitting on track - luckily having not been run over by recently passed 4WD - which we thought was injured but someone went to pick it up and it did fly off. Kind of cool. Hope it was OK. Some photos of this if they came out.
- gah there was something else
- not it, but my (drunk out of WTF-ish feeling on morning hike back rather than desperate need) Raptor energy drink was amicably mocked as looking like motor oil (I am drinking the second one as I write this, not out of need but out of "I have it" reasons - oh, and my mojito can is suddenly clearly visible in fridge and I will drink it (much-ish) later tonight)
- FWIW having now done it, I *would* (twats on web notwithstanding) now do it on my own if there were no easy alternative - there were (except for utterly optional+done in daylight bits on top scrambling around the cross) no obvious "oops, I lost the trail and fell over a precipice" bits, no dangerous animals etc - yes it would be slightly creepy to be alone on night trail with no other lights, but you'd probably meet people on the trail pretty soonand as long as you had a backup light source you'd be fine if you didn't - and again if (unlikely but possible - it can happen on random urban kerb, etc) you twisted your ankle etc, chances are someone would be along and find you as they hiked trail too, and lower down at least at this time of year it is not "dying of exposure on mountain" territory, only the very very upper reacher were like this.
I did wonder about going to BdT before LF but assuming my reservation confirms OK I think this is best. There may well be shuttle or public transport options from BdT direct to PC if I want to spend remainder of time in BdT and it's good to retain these options etc.
I will say that I am enjoying Panama - perhaps biased by recent successes - but it does feel like I'm on more of a tourist route (albeit not absolutely on rails) because there isn't that much else or because getting off tourist route is hard work given accom and maybe transport issues, whereas in Colombia I didn't feel like I was breaking new ground or going places no tourist had been before *but* I did feel I was going to relatively unknown and "unspoiled" (puke pretentious phrase but basic idea stands) sounds sometimes - not VdL, but Tunja for example was not massively tourist-oriented.
Anyway, Pipeline hike itself OK but not amazing. There are various other hikes a few mins beyond it on the colectivo, eg 3 cascadas, but I reminded myself I was having an easy-ish day post Baru hike. I nearly didn't go all the way to the waterfall as there is a "peligro no pase" sign but as other people ignored it I did and I *suspect* this sign is actually telling you (as if anyone would) not to scramble across a small chasm on a white plastic pipe or is playing vague liability games to cover anyone complaining about injury after not that dangerous at all but not trivial scrambling around on subsequent bit on trail. But the "hidden waterfall" (if that's what they call it) is very nice, tall and you can scramble round the base and it's cool and as wind blows and you move around you can get lightly sprayed (it also rained very lightly and intermittently today, not just there but also in Boq as walked over to BBC) and the sun catches the drops in a cool mist spray way etc etc. And the hike itself is not bad (TBH I found my thoughts wandering and was not 100% "present" , this is not unusual and was not a huge deal either but FWIW) and some of the scenery is cool but I wasn't utterly blown away. The 1000 year old tree is cool enough (and I did walk round it, tho the v short trail is a bit wappy at one point and tho others were doing it too I am not entirely sure it *is* a complete circular trail), there was a "2km sendero habitat del quetzal" or something side trail signposted but I tried to follow it and it rapidly semi-disappeared and as (eg some Germans were staring at a tree at one point on main trail and *may* - tho they didn't seem that sure/excited - have seen a quetzal but I couldn't see anything with naked eye) the reality is I could walk right past a quetzal/sloth/whatever without noticing it without a guide+telescope, I didn't push myself to wander down a "maybe" trail which kept semi-disappearing.
Overheard some chat of some "we're from London, bloody everyone is from London" people and a random presumably-non-English tourist earlier talking about volcano hike and I think they are booking a cab to pick them up 1230. Vaguely tempted to butt in and offer unsolicited advice but as I'm not 100% sober (feel pretty sober) plus in reality the main advice is "it's not *that* hard" and they seem confident enough, I didn't feel it was necessary or worth it and might be unwelcome.
1911 Fingers hurting. I think that basically covers today. I may go shower+cut toenails now I feel more-or-less sober. Clothes got bit dusty on hike (mainly scrambling around at waterfall base), I am gonna wear ss shirt tonight and rewear the current ls top on journey tomorrow as I assume bus and/or hike up to hostel will be sweaty-ish. Gonna take laundry off line up to room too.
Oh, I also wd 250 at a Multibank machine before afternoon food, not desperately short but given cash only isolation at LF plus fact that a) need cash for boat b) modulo theft it's hardly harmful to go home with loads of USD, I figured why not. I am 95% sure the machine said USD5.5 fee but on getting back to hostel Starling app on K1 said USD6.5 fee, which feels shitty but not worth actually making a fuss about - except instead of preferring MB machines now I will prefer the other 6.50 banks who are at least honest, and of course keep trying random other machines which may do USD5 fee.
1956 Had shower, cut nails, shaved. Still no mails confirming tomorrow. At least given am not going via shuttle this isn't too disruptive, but fingers crossed.
Back on terrace, got coffee. Busy in different way to yday, single largish group chatting. Will have mojito in a bit.
Feel broadly OK. Feels like - given age etc - I've been broadly successfully social lately, not feeling
Wed 14th 0026 Been chatting with Bruce since interrupted bit. In bed now.
Woke up - on alarm? not sure - 9ish and maybe got up 940ish. I decided I'd prob book at L+F (which is in guide book but electronic unbrowseability plus using a different conjunction symbol plus not using phrase "jungle hostel" hid it from me other day) but was going to hang about a bit before booking and also after mild dithering and brief web search decided I'd go to Pipeline hike - taking it easyish post volcano - and so I headed out maybe 10ish to get colectivo over there (I slightly missed start point and had to ask to get off bus a couple of mins after and was mildly whiny out loud but in private) but all no fuss.
I didn't feel at all "hurt" this morning on waking. Post/during Pipeline hike my left little toe and right hip hurt a bit, but nothing huge, and maybe there's a general tiredness/muscle strain background feeling but nothing huge. (I do plan to have a sneaky cut of toenails in shower in a bit.)
I was gonna put off booking L+F but given colectivo said 15 mins wait when I got in I figured fuck it and did the "booking" on phone sitting in bus/van. I *still* haven't had confirmation - it's not really automated - but I "booked" for four nights in Tucan (just cos I like toucans post CR and have never seen a quetzal) starting tomorrow. They have a FAQ on their site and I'm not gonna wuss out on a pricey shuttle, I will do the short two bus hop via David tomorrow morning.
Jumping ahead, unlike Bolita where you *have* to cook for youself, they do have restaurant (book ahead) and bar at LF and they AFAICT have a provision shop at *base* of 20 min entry trail, but I figured I ought to be prepared to cook for self and for prices/selection to be bit shit. So I bought 900g rice, packet chilli flakes and packet "mixed seasoning", two largeish fresh onions and a nice cheap tin of grated sardines at Baru post beers with the thinking these will augment provisions there (given salt+oil+drinking water I can *survive* on these for four days even ignoring fact I could prob literally survive four days with nothing but water, and more realistically "all" I need to buy semi-ideally are cans of frijoles and ideally tuna) and are relatively light/low bulk. (If this were a Bolita "bring your own provisions for sure" deal I'd have bought these extra things. Main thing I think is to have the chilli+mixed seasoning, as these are the kind of things they are least likely to reliably sell.)
Finger break.
1851 Random volcan hike notes:
- not far from top/dawn (but still v much night) we found a hummingbird (black?) sitting on track - luckily having not been run over by recently passed 4WD - which we thought was injured but someone went to pick it up and it did fly off. Kind of cool. Hope it was OK. Some photos of this if they came out.
- gah there was something else
- not it, but my (drunk out of WTF-ish feeling on morning hike back rather than desperate need) Raptor energy drink was amicably mocked as looking like motor oil (I am drinking the second one as I write this, not out of need but out of "I have it" reasons - oh, and my mojito can is suddenly clearly visible in fridge and I will drink it (much-ish) later tonight)
- FWIW having now done it, I *would* (twats on web notwithstanding) now do it on my own if there were no easy alternative - there were (except for utterly optional+done in daylight bits on top scrambling around the cross) no obvious "oops, I lost the trail and fell over a precipice" bits, no dangerous animals etc - yes it would be slightly creepy to be alone on night trail with no other lights, but you'd probably meet people on the trail pretty soonand as long as you had a backup light source you'd be fine if you didn't - and again if (unlikely but possible - it can happen on random urban kerb, etc) you twisted your ankle etc, chances are someone would be along and find you as they hiked trail too, and lower down at least at this time of year it is not "dying of exposure on mountain" territory, only the very very upper reacher were like this.
I did wonder about going to BdT before LF but assuming my reservation confirms OK I think this is best. There may well be shuttle or public transport options from BdT direct to PC if I want to spend remainder of time in BdT and it's good to retain these options etc.
I will say that I am enjoying Panama - perhaps biased by recent successes - but it does feel like I'm on more of a tourist route (albeit not absolutely on rails) because there isn't that much else or because getting off tourist route is hard work given accom and maybe transport issues, whereas in Colombia I didn't feel like I was breaking new ground or going places no tourist had been before *but* I did feel I was going to relatively unknown and "unspoiled" (puke pretentious phrase but basic idea stands) sounds sometimes - not VdL, but Tunja for example was not massively tourist-oriented.
Anyway, Pipeline hike itself OK but not amazing. There are various other hikes a few mins beyond it on the colectivo, eg 3 cascadas, but I reminded myself I was having an easy-ish day post Baru hike. I nearly didn't go all the way to the waterfall as there is a "peligro no pase" sign but as other people ignored it I did and I *suspect* this sign is actually telling you (as if anyone would) not to scramble across a small chasm on a white plastic pipe or is playing vague liability games to cover anyone complaining about injury after not that dangerous at all but not trivial scrambling around on subsequent bit on trail. But the "hidden waterfall" (if that's what they call it) is very nice, tall and you can scramble round the base and it's cool and as wind blows and you move around you can get lightly sprayed (it also rained very lightly and intermittently today, not just there but also in Boq as walked over to BBC) and the sun catches the drops in a cool mist spray way etc etc. And the hike itself is not bad (TBH I found my thoughts wandering and was not 100% "present" , this is not unusual and was not a huge deal either but FWIW) and some of the scenery is cool but I wasn't utterly blown away. The 1000 year old tree is cool enough (and I did walk round it, tho the v short trail is a bit wappy at one point and tho others were doing it too I am not entirely sure it *is* a complete circular trail), there was a "2km sendero habitat del quetzal" or something side trail signposted but I tried to follow it and it rapidly semi-disappeared and as (eg some Germans were staring at a tree at one point on main trail and *may* - tho they didn't seem that sure/excited - have seen a quetzal but I couldn't see anything with naked eye) the reality is I could walk right past a quetzal/sloth/whatever without noticing it without a guide+telescope, I didn't push myself to wander down a "maybe" trail which kept semi-disappearing.
Overheard some chat of some "we're from London, bloody everyone is from London" people and a random presumably-non-English tourist earlier talking about volcano hike and I think they are booking a cab to pick them up 1230. Vaguely tempted to butt in and offer unsolicited advice but as I'm not 100% sober (feel pretty sober) plus in reality the main advice is "it's not *that* hard" and they seem confident enough, I didn't feel it was necessary or worth it and might be unwelcome.
1911 Fingers hurting. I think that basically covers today. I may go shower+cut toenails now I feel more-or-less sober. Clothes got bit dusty on hike (mainly scrambling around at waterfall base), I am gonna wear ss shirt tonight and rewear the current ls top on journey tomorrow as I assume bus and/or hike up to hostel will be sweaty-ish. Gonna take laundry off line up to room too.
Oh, I also wd 250 at a Multibank machine before afternoon food, not desperately short but given cash only isolation at LF plus fact that a) need cash for boat b) modulo theft it's hardly harmful to go home with loads of USD, I figured why not. I am 95% sure the machine said USD5.5 fee but on getting back to hostel Starling app on K1 said USD6.5 fee, which feels shitty but not worth actually making a fuss about - except instead of preferring MB machines now I will prefer the other 6.50 banks who are at least honest, and of course keep trying random other machines which may do USD5 fee.
1956 Had shower, cut nails, shaved. Still no mails confirming tomorrow. At least given am not going via shuttle this isn't too disruptive, but fingers crossed.
Back on terrace, got coffee. Busy in different way to yday, single largish group chatting. Will have mojito in a bit.
Feel broadly OK. Feels like - given age etc - I've been broadly successfully social lately, not feeling
Wed 14th 0026 Been chatting with Bruce since interrupted bit. In bed now.
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