Waterfalls, butterflies, and (not quite) a sunrise

Choosing our next destination after Santa Catalina was difficult for Sofi and me. Finally, we decided on Valle de Anton. It is located on the way between Santa Catalina and Panama City. The town 'El Valle' is located in the crater of an inactive volcano that has been inactive for thousands of years. Therefore, there are many hiking routes to the surrounding peaks. Other highlights include waterfalls, hot springs, and a butterfly house. The climate in Valle is slightly cooler than on the Pacific coast, which I was happy about after the heat in Santa Catalina.

We decided to take public transportation again because it didn't seem too complicated with two transfers. It worked out quite well, except that we got off too early once. Normally, a bus would have also been leaving from there, but it was Sunday and the buses were running very irregularly, which a nice woman at the bus stop explained to us. I was very happy that my Spanish skills had come back to me to the point where I understood her. So we jumped on the next bus to Panama City, went to the next bus stop, and after another transfer, we finally reached El Valle.

Sofi stayed only one night and then decided to continue to Panama City. I stayed three nights in the valley. On the second day, we met a German couple (Martin and Sara) and I met old acquaintances - Jonas and Dominique (from Volcan Baru) - again. With the four of them, I visited the well-known, but rather unspectacular waterfall 'Las Mozas' and the hot springs. And we went to the butterfly house, where you can admire numerous and partly poisonous caterpillars alongside adult butterflies.

For the second morning, the five of us agreed to go on a hike to one of the peaks - 'La India Dormida' - to hike there and see the sunrise. At about five o'clock in the morning, the four of us set off (Sara didn't feel well and stayed at the hostel). After a half-hour walk through the town to the start of the hiking trail, it started raining, and Jonas and Dominique decided to turn back. So Martin and I climbed the peak alone.

The path was steep, and it took us about an hour to reach the summit, but it was a piece of cake compared to Volcan Baru. Unfortunately, we didn't see much of the sunrise, but the clouds that moved over the valley and the surrounding peaks in the dawn still offered an unforgettable sight.

Back at the hostel, we were happy to have a hot shower and fresh pancakes. We spent the rest of the day eating, drinking, and playing cards. A group of three young German women who had just arrived in Panama joined us. All in all, it was a very successful day and a beautiful time in El Valle.