Yesterday we trusted Google to lead us to an old radar tower built by the US in 1963. If you happened to read the blog post “The Mushroom that Saved the Day” you know how well that turned out. 😳
Today we continued the search based on more reliable information - we hoped. The kind people at the Soberanía National Park Visitor Center suggested an alternate route to the tower. We kept our fingers crossed as we set out, not because we doubted the accuracy of their directions, but because we doubted Julie’s ability to translate the Español and understand them. Reyna, we still have a LOT of work to do!
Bug spray in hand, we headed out and found a road sign for Canopy Tower. We pulled in, only to find a trail map without mention of a tower. Our choices were to embark on another trail that seemed eerily similar to yesterday’s Hero mushroom trail, or head up a paved one-lane road. Not in the mood to wander around lost again, we headed UP the road. And I mean UP. ⬆️ A few meters in and the sign informing us of a 10% uphill grade explained the protests from our calf muscles. However, walking on the road gave us the opportunity to search for slumbering sloths in the trees. We didn’t have to watch our footing as closely and the road offered a gap in the canopy making it easier to see the tree branches high in the sky where sloths hang out - literally hang 🦥 out. Equally helpful, the drop off next to the road gave us a closer look at the tops of the trees growing up from the valley. The day was ripe for spotting a sloth - something we have not done on our own yet.
Unfortunately the mile and a half hike would be without sloth or any other wildlife sighting. No monkeys stirred and the birds were quiet, leaving the predominate sound -our wheezing- as we climbed what we later learned is Semaphore Hill. Kirby and I have different styles when it comes to a hike. Kirby is a man on a mission - Got to Go, Got to Go, Got to get a Going. He is always a fair distance ahead of me, stopping ever so often - either to catch his breath or more likely to wait for me. By the time I reach him, he is raring to continue and takes off before I have a chance to rest much. “Slow and steady wins the race” is my style. I often stop to inspect something that catches my attention up, down, in between or to just listen. So I mosey, and he strides, and somehow we reach the final destination together.
The final destination today, at the top of Semaphore Hill, was the radar tower! Success!! 😄🙃☺️ Unfortunately, an 8 foot tall metal fence with razor wire on top surrounded the tower and a formidable gate was locked tight. Oh no! 😞☹️😫 We had accepted our fate and began taking photos with the camera lense crammed tightly in between the links of the fence when a woman started toward us from inside the compound. This kind woman was staying in the tower, saw our predicament and acted as our accomplice, sneaking us inside for a better peak!
The vision someone had to turn an abandoned radar tower into a lodge with 12 guest rooms, kitchen and dining hall, library and observation deck is incredible! Guests don’t just book a stay there, they purchase a package which includes various tours that educate them on the creatures and plant life in the area.
Because we were knowingly trespassing, we didn’t stay long but visited with our kind accomplice once back outside the gate. As evidenced by the 3 foot long camera in her lap, Lisa Marie Kelley is a wildlife photographer from Florida. She is headed to the Darien in search of the illusive Harpy Eagle, Panama’s national bird and one of the strangest creatures we have encountered here. I tried to photograph the one in the Summit Zoo last year but the photo’s quality equaled that of the Hero mushroom. I hope to take another shot at it with the new camera I brought but still don’t know how to use. A captive bird might stay still long enough for the multiple attempts necessary for me to snag a good photo. Fingers crossed. 🤞🏻Unlike me, Lisa doesn’t need any help capturing fantastic photos. She has had several win most shared on the “Inspiration through Photography” website. There are such interesting people in our world.
On the way back down the hill we did spot something. Not a sloth, monkey or bird - EVEN BETTER, a group of BIRDERS who SPOTTED SOMETHING! Cameras were perched on tripods and conversation was in hushed tones - there must be something good in those bushes. And there was. After creeping toward them carefully, not to dislodge a pebble or snap a twig and ruin their fun, we were treated to the sight of a sleepy owl lazing the day away. He/She? is pictured at the top of this post in a photo that is much better than the Hero mushroom - evidently my new standard for the ranking of photos. Google tells us he is a Black and White Owl. How disappointing a name is that??? In a world of Blue Footed Boobies, Horned Screamers and Red-Rump Bushed Tyrants, who chose to bequeath Black and White Owl on this handsome creature??? Look at him - in my opinion they could have tossed in No Necked, Yellow Toed or with those black and white stripes, Jail Bird, at the very least! (Kirby helped me find the crazily named birds mentioned here. Believe it or not, these birds exist. If you are ever in need of entertainment, try searching interesting bird names. What a Hoot - pun intended!)
After a cool shower and breakfast, I did a bit of research on the Canopy Tower, formerly known to us as radar tower. In 1963 the tower was erected to defend the canal in the event of attacks by the Soviet Union. In 1969 the site was also used by the FFA for air traffic control. In 1988, as the Cold War was winding down, the tower was activated as Site One in the Caribbean Basin Radar Network. The goal was to intercept air traffic running illegal drugs from South America. In June of 1995 the tower was closed and abandoned. In November of 1996, the ownership of it along with the 35,000 hectares of Soberanía National Park and Canal Zone were transferred from the US to Panama as part of the Torrijos-Carter Treaty. Canopy Tower EcoLodge was opened in 1999.
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