My destination was Ivan's Bed and Breakfast (pictured at right), just about the only place to
stay in town except for the pricey and impersonal Gamboa Rainforest Resort.
I couldn't seem to get my bus driver to understand where I wanted to be dropped, and he placed me by the entrance of the Rainforest Resort
(where most gringos go, I suppose), but Ivan drove down to pick me up moments after I called him.
The B&B is in the home of Ivan and Gladys Ortiz; he is Panamanian, she is of
Italian-Venezuelan origin. Their union has resulted in two gorgeous children, a handsome young man of 17, Ivan Jr., and a
beautiful daughter of 14, Natasha. Both kids are bright and friendly, and
articulate in English, the result of being educated in a bilingual school in nearby Paraiso. They also both enjoy a
healthy diversion in their interest in the annual cayuco event
(click here read about the cayuco race), a race
in traditional kayak-type boats that traverses the length of the Panama Canal.
The whole family pitched in with the care of the guests; no maid was doing all the work here, and the kids are polite
well-versed in the art of formal presentation.
I had found this place at the recommendation of a couple of casual acquaintances, and Ivan was pleasantly
aggressive in making sure I came for a visit during my long stay in Panamá.
Ivan Ortiz himself is a gregarious fellow, one who lived in Miami for a time (and thus speaks flawless English), and enjoyed
a long career in marketing for car dealerships (still a part of his life). I liked him immediately.
He embarked on this enterprise after having taken courses in guiding birders, and having been certified as a tour guide,
but he is also smart enough to know that he is a relative novice in this field; he sub-contracts local experts
to guide more experienced birders. Ivan chatted with me at every opportunity, not only to be hospitable, but I think
to pick up ideas from an experienced eco-tourist. This inquisitive nature is the mark of a smart businessman. In the interest
of full disclosure, I must admit that Ivan and I have become good friends since my initial visit, and
I expect that this friendship will last a long time!
Gamboa is a town founded originally to house workers from the dredging division of the Canal, and since the U.S.
officially departed the town has been reclaimed by Panamanians, not to mention
a large number of visiting researchers from the resident Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.
There are few services in town, although I've found a post office and a mini-super (with some help from Ivan).
The homes in Gamboa are huge, having been built to last by the U.S., and also built to house multiple families.
You can see in the photo above that Ivan's home has three large floors, and his place is, if anything,
small by Gamboa standards. The Ortiz family occupies the top two floors, and the three guest rooms (one a double)
take up most of the piso bajo. Update: Ivan is in the process of converting three additional rooms on the first floor
to guest housing, capacity and pricing to be announced.
My room was fairly small but comfortable, really only containing a queen-sized bed, two dressers, and a good closet with shelves.
My bathroom was spacious, and here's the best thing about this B&B; the hot water shower is the best in Panamá!
Ivan has installed rainshower heads, and the water pressure is great, and I felt clean for the first time on my stay in this country.
The hot water is provided (to save energy) at customary shower hours (morning and evening) or upon request.
Hearty breakfasts were, of course, included in the daily rate of $35 per person, and Gladys even tossed in local delicacies
like empanadas and carimañolas. My breakfast on my first day was actually more substantial than I was used to,
and Gladys took it down a notch on succeeding days. They set a timed pot of coffee to be available before my early-morning walks.
I took care of my own lunches, but purchased dinner, which I think was about $9 a pop (I didn't check my bill too carefully-
thanks to Ivan for writing to provide me with updated and accurate prices). Laundry service was also provided at a reasonable price, more than
self-service but less than a fancy Panama City hotel.
Gladys is a great cook, and besides the regular Panamanian fare she mixed in a bit on excellent pasta, which I had
missed greatly in my long stay in Panama. My favorite dessert was a treat called ñáfiti, which consists of a
slice of guava paste and one of queso blanco, topped with sugar syrup (miel de caña- literally "honey of sugar cane"-
Ivan and Gladys were kind enough to give me a portion to bring home).
It was a perfect mix of tartness and sweetness. Ivan seems to get a lot of last-minute vistors; on my second night
it was an odd fellow from Spain named Jesús, and the last two nights a group of three from Quebec.
The group consisted of a young woman named Sarah, her boyfriend Nicolas, and her sister
Delphine. Sarah had been living for some time in Panamá, doing agricultural research as part of an internship.
They planned to hike on Pipeline Road early on their first morning; having heard that near-record
Christmas Bird Counts had been recorded here, they intended to go out to see some birds. The truth is, of course, that
these counts are compiled by experts, and many of the species are heard-only. I offered to guide them for a couple of hours,
and I was pleased to show them a couple of the flashier birds, and to point out the songs of many others.
I admit that I am a pushover for pretty French-speaking young women, but I must say that their company at dinner that night
was outstanding, and, along with Ivan, we had had a fascinating discussion regarding politics and environmental issues
that incorporated the perspectives of the residents of three disparate nations. This was typical of my stay; Ivan is
articulate and knowledgeable regarding a wide range of subjects, and I found our conversations invigorating.
To top things off, the Ortiz family had a nicely vegetated backyard (surrounding a funky, tiki-bar style dining and
bar area), and every day I watched a Central American Agouti taking care of her rambunctious pair of young ones (pictured at left).
Ivan also has a boat that one can hire (for fair prices) for excursions on the Canal, although I must admit that this is one subject on
which we disagree; Ivan takes the boat to a place called Monkey Island, where tourists hand bananas to
well-acclimated, but still wild, Central American Spider Monkeys and White-throated Capuchins.
I strongly disapprove of this kind of contact between wild animals and humans, but Ivan is far from the only person doing this,
and I know he means well. Unless everybody stops engaging in this practice, I suppose that one more group doing it won't hurt.
In short, Ivan's B&B is a great value in a great location, and is worth a visit when touring the Canal area,
especially in combination with a stay at the nearby Canopy Tower.
That's enough for the good p.r. for now; now let's talk about what I actually did during my stay in Gamboa.
The following section will only be of interest to those individuals who are planning to use
Ivan's B&B as a springboard for birding excursions along Pipeline Road.
The b&b is walking distance (albeit about 2 kilometers) from the entrance to Pipeline Road, a world-famous birding site, but
one that is sadly in a state of decline (at least in part).
Ivan and I took a short field trip to the Ammo Dump Ponds, before the entrance to Pipeline, on our first afternoon,
where we ran into José Soto leading two couples who were staying at the Canopy Tower. I had not seen José,
an old friend, thus far this summer, so I was glad to chat, and to make arrangements for catching up later.
I was wise to plan my biggest excursion for my first full day; I had the energy at this point to hike farther down
Pipeline Road than I ever had before. I got about 10 kilometers in (more than halfway to its end)
before turning back. Including the walk to the entrance, this means I hiked more than 24 kilometers in my ten-hour day.
After about 5 km the road starts to cross the low foothills
onto the Caribbean slope, and the gentle hills seemed like mountains on the walk back. My strategy of getting out early and going
straight for the deep forest paid off, as I saw several species of birds for the first time (Moustached Antwren,
Gray Elaenia, Buff-throated Foliage-Gleaner), and others that are hard
finds in the area (Rufous Piha, White-ringed Flycatcher, Sulphur-rumped Tanager). Perhaps the most exciting find was a bird
I did not see (and therefore does not make my Life List),
a deep booming sound that could only come from a Great Curassow. This ground-dwelling bird is extremely rare on Pipeline Road,
having been hunted to the brink of extinction in Panamá; the only recent sighting of which I am aware is one by Carlos Bethancourt
last September. I was in a bad spot to search out the vocalizing bird, and had to scramble up a slope to get a
view of the forest floor in the direction from which the sound came, probably spooking the bird in the process. Still, it's
nice to know that the bird is still hanging on in the area- the deeper parts of Pipeline Road are seldom-visited by either STRI researchers or
birders, so the area may serve as a last regional refuge for the curassow.
The long hike wore me out for the second day, and I birded with José and his clients for only a few hours before I called it a day. I did have a brief glimpse of a Pheasant Cuckoo, a highly sought-after species, and one which I wish I had been able to share with the visiting birders (they had headed back before me). On day three I headed out well-before dawn in the company of the Canadian group, hoping to catch a glimpse of Rufous Nightjar at the start of Pipeline Road. I was successful in this regard, and the Quebecois really enjoyed my narration of the dawn chorus of bird songs. I was a bit overwhelmed myself, and would like in the future to find more time to spend on Pipeline in the pre-dawn hours. My next stop was to be the Canopy Tower, and Ivan was kind enough to give me a lift to the entrance on his way to pick up the kids from school.
In summary. I can offer nothing but the strongest recommendations for Ivan's Bed and Breakfast (Click here for a look at Ivan's website). The accomodations are comfortable, the food outstanding, the location superb, the price reasonable, and the company invigorating. You cannot find a better value in central Panama.