Rio Canyon Day

The Canyons - River at the Bottom of the Split in the Rock

On a blistering hot Carnivale Sunday in Panama we were looking for a getaway up into the higher ground above David where some mountain breezes and maybe a swimmable river or two might fall victim to our need to cool off. I’d seen some pictures from one of my wife’s cousins of Los Cangilones de Gualaca (the Canyons of Gualaca) which looked interesting. I asked my wife who in short order mustered a sizable contingent of her family and we were headed on the hour long drive to Gualaca.

Wife Surrounded by Cousins at the Canyons

I’ve always possessed an almost childlike and sometimes embarrassing delight at visiting places I’ve never been before. I’ve been to Panama dozens of times and lived there for three years when I was young but I’d never seen this place before. It’s definitely off the beaten track but well worth the effort as rural Panama has a beauty that’s hard to deny. We passed through the small town of Gualaca and pulled up to the entrance for the Canyons park. The guy collecting the $2 per car entrance fee turned out to be a former student of my wife’s cousin (she of the legendary laugh).

Another View 

The canyons mark a spot where a small river, the Rio Esti, cut a narrow path into the rock which left a ¼ mile stretch of canyon ranging from 20 to 40 feet in depth, depending on the time of year (rainy versus dry season). It was every bit as beautiful as hoped but the entire site was literally teeming with people. My wife said she expected this since it was Carnivale Sunday and almost everybody has today off. Panamanian families lined the sides of the canyons with grills and there was hardly a spot to swim.

My wife pointed out one particularly athletic young Panamanian who was showing off for the various troops of young ladies touring the canyons. He would climb spiderlike up the walls of the canyons, including some sections that went beyond vertical before diving back into the river. A couple times he even leaped across the canyon from one side to the other. Since I missed one of the vertical ascents my wife asked him to show me and of course he fell both times I tried to catch it on camera.

My Wife From Across the Canyon - Spiderman in Red Bathing suit

The Crew

Spiderman Starting his Ascent

We decided to take a short ½ mile hike up the river when a local said there was an additional site to see. It was a nice walk in the Panamanian jungle, especially since I wasn’t weighed down with fifty pounds of military gear and was holding my wife’s hand for most of it. Definitely an improvement over my earliest days in Panama. The upper site was nice and a lot more peaceful; we soaked our feet I the warm river water before heading back to the car.

A massive tour bus had arrived during our walk and was disgorging even more hordes of young Panamanians who set up camp for an overnight church retreat at the lower canyons. This bus driver was really good as he maneuvered his huge beast on the narrow road through the hundreds of cars lining every available spot. We definitely plan of returning next year, on a less crowded weekday and hopefully with both of our "kids" along with WingMan and the ABFA.

Lower End of the Canyons

Wife and Her Sister

Hiking Up River With my Wife

The Upper Site

Getting Some Gringo Feet Wet

We left the canyons planning on stopping at a swimming spot on the Rio Gualaca which passed underneath the road back to David. It was also very busy with the locals firmly established but, as with most Panamanians, they were very welcoming, I was definitely the only gringo around and something of a curiosity. Changing into my bathing suit in a small car in 95 degree heat was probably the low point of the day but that was followed by nearly three hours floating in the cool river water with my wife and her family. River swimming in Panama is one of my favorite activities as is hanging with this group of cousins so it was just about a perfect afternoon. I became my wife’s water taxi as she didn’t want to get her recently coifed hairdo wet so I also managed a pretty good workout as well. We ran into another collection of young Panamanian adventurers who ventured up to the highway bridge and then jumped the fifty feet into the river.

The Group at Rio Gualaca

At one point a small herd of cattle joined us in the river, luckily downstream. One of my wife’s cousins was a poor swimmer which didn’t dissuade her from trying to keep up with the rest of us so I was appointed to keep an eye on her for my wife. She would decide she need to swim to re-join the group, put her head in the water and engage in a furious thrashing before completely running out of energy. The only problem with her technique was she invariably turned 45 degrees from her intended target as soon as she started. Everyone would stop when she set out just to see where she would end up. My wife would then direct me to where the wayward cousin was headed to retrieve her.

The Bathing Beauties - River in the Background

The Legendary Laugh Cousin and I

The sun was setting as a very waterlogged but happy group emerged from the river. We finished up the cooler full of refreshments while drying off and changing. Nobody wanted the day to end so we stopped at Gallardo’s on our way back to David where we absolutely dominated the outside porch while consuming sangria and steaks. One of the PanaGals snuck in her own beverage since she’d failed to finish it off at the river. It resulted in a comical attempt to hide her non-restaurant beverage from the waiter with a serious of obstacles that had the entire table laughing.

At Gallardo's

Eventually and regrettably the night had to end. This was my last night in David as I fly to Panama City tonight and home tomorrow. I wanted to capture as much of the pleasure of hanging out with these special people as possible and store up some energy for the upcoming return home. While I was cavorting in the rio and drinking riverside beers my fellow New Englanders were battling yet another huge storm. A co-worker reported five to six snow foot drifts back in Worcester so I can only imagine what my haunted driveway from hell must look like. But that’s for tomorrow to worry about – I’ve got another day with my wife’s family to warm me up for tomorrow’s challenges.

The Entire Group
I Would Definitely Recommend the Medical Effects of Hanging With this Bunch