2019/04 Panama trip - Canopy Tower |
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After the Americans left in 2000, the tower looked like the b & w picture. It has since been given new windows and a coat of 
paint, but it still looks like a radar tower, with a roof-top yellow bubble that used to protect the equipment from the weather.
The building’s entrance was ringed by hummingbird feeders with birds buzzing around our heads. The building’s ground floor looked to be part office and shop and gathering area. We were met by Lory. She said all the guests were out on trips at the moment. Our room was two floors up a spiral staircase that hugged the outside wall; the 
steps were a bit too small for my feet; I’d have to be careful. 
Our room was wedge shaped with twin beds backed by a large window looking out on trees and jungle. We had a bathroom to the side. Most of the window was an open screen with an overhead fan for comfort.
Lory. S
Above our floor was a common area with bookshelves, sofas, dining tables, and kitchen, with nearly 360 degrees of windows. In a few minutes we had seen toucans, howler monkeys, and tamarins, small monkeys. 
The howlers were true to their name, but the sound is not threatening, even when loud, more a murmuration that we became fond of and missed when we moved to the Lodge a week later.
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Howler monkeys (3.40) |
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Hummingbirds (0.45) |
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Tamarins (0.45) |
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There was a steep set of steps which led up to a hatch and the top floor, an observation deck that 
surrounds the yellow dome. We’d just got up there when the spitting turned to torrential rain and a worker came rushing up to close the hatch and avoid a flood of the commons area. A couple of howlers came to the open windows to check us out. They also seem to like a good backscratch on the branches.
The guests came back, an oldish mix of English, Americans, Canadians, and a younger couple from Spain. These were obviously serious birders, reviewing the day’s sightings with their guides against a bird and mammal checklist.
Prior guests include David Attenborough and Jimmy Carter.
This was officially “happy hour” when we had access to booze on the honour system, recording consumption in “the book”. No one seemed to drink much. Wine was included with dinner. With only a dozen rooms there was only one meal on the menu but there was enough that you could pig out on meat or veggies or salad and ignore the rest. Sandie wasn’t very keen; too much sugar in the veggies but I was happy with Panamanian food, spicier than what we’d had in Costa Rica.
We were scheduled for a night excursion after dinner, but postponed it as we were just too tired to enjoy it. Instead we set the alarm for 4.30 am (2.30 am Vancouver time!) and collapsed into bed. The room had cooled off a little, enough anyway, and the fan helped.