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The drive to El Valle takes less than two hours. The road is pretty good, and the scenery is lovely since lately it has been raining almost every day in Panama and everything is in bloom - the trees overflowing with fruits, the green grass, humongous green hills – the kind you want to slide down with a snowboard – too bad it never snows in Panama! On the way there are plenty of gas stations, kiosks - including the famous Panamanian “Queso Chela” - (Chela’s Cheese), plants for sale, small fruit and vegetables stands, local arts and crafts. Once we got off the Pan American Highway and turned onto the road that leads to El Valle, we started to see small houses with family names selling the family’s crafts, we saw the beautiful banana trees and many small houses with stands of family-grown vegetables or fruits. The winding road also revealed amazing country homes, a number of which had “For Sale” signs. There were also signs for hotels, cabins and restaurants. Once we got to the street that led us to Park Eden Inn the smell of freshness hit our noses- the smell of the grass after the rain, the smell of flowers and can I perhaps say the smell of tranquility? Lionel and Monica received us so warmly; we were amazed how attentive they were. We got their Limoneros room, which has a separate entrance and a little patio with benches and a table with a candle in case we felt like chatting outside. We put our bags down and off we went to the lovely greeting room, where Monica was waiting for us with some fresh ice tea and a dip with colorful vegetables. It was only when I went back to the room that I noticed all the details it had- Monica puts a lot of emphasis on trying to make her guests feel at home and tries to provide everything a guest will need. That’s exactly how we felt - comfortable and at home. Our room was equipped with books and magazines, lemony clean towels, night tables covered with lovely cloths—What can I tell you: from A to Z – it was there. We wanted to
eat lunch, but not waste too much time since we had come only for one night.
So off we went to the main street, to the local Pinocchio’s Pizzeria which
Monica and Lionel recommended. We had a tasty pizza with tomatoes and basil
- a very cheap lunch, a simple place, nice service, about 10 small tables
and a helpful owner who also speaks English.
We returned to Park Eden hotel at about 5 PM. The minute we entered Monica and Lionel greeted us and wanted to hear everything we’d accomplished and seen. Monica served us apple pie with a glass of ice tea and we chatted away in the most charming French window they have in their enclosed porch. Later on, we explored the beautiful colorful gardens which have an old tree probably 300 hundred years old which Monica says she receives energy from, and a garden fountain - an amazing site at night when Monica and Lionel turn on little Christmas lights all over the gardens - we felt as if we were in a dream. “We started out with a lovely country home for weekend living,” said Monica. “But when Lionel retired after 40 years in the design and advertising world, we decided to convert our country home into what today is the “Park Eden/ Bed &Breakfast - Country retreat”, which we now share with so many interesting people from all walks of life.” Among the guests at Park Eden have been staff members of the U.S. Embassy, Counsels of Japan and Mexico, and families from all over the world. We went of course to check out the other accommodations of this romantic getaway. All are well appointed and decorated. One of these is an entire 2-bedroom house with rooms named after their daughters Nicole and Tiffany - perfect for a whole family, another is a romantic honeymoon suite and the others are cuddly rooms. One of Park Eden benefits in my eyes is that it’s a place for everyone—it can be a romantic getaway or it can be a great family vacation. We had a short
rest, freshened up a bit and went to a fancy dinner at La Casa de Lourdes-
an elegant restaurant and hotel. The entrance to La Casa de Lourdes
is very impressive - a Tuscan villa located on the top of a little hill
surrounded by the mountains of El Valle. The Casa also offers two exclusive
and comfortable rooms surrounded by gardens and a pool. Lourdes de Ward,
a professional chef with many years of experience, who also owns the well-known
restaurant Golosinas in Panama City, prepares excellent food. An extensive
menu includes fish and seafood, meat and chicken entrees. Among the
specialties are the Club 21 hamburger and linguini with grilled tomatoes
and smoked mozzarella. When I asked her husband if they serve international
cuisine, he said he would rather call it “Lourdes cuisine”!
While we were bicycling away we saw the view of the spectacular mountain La India Dormida - the Sleeping Indian. Our guide told us the story about the Sleeping Indian that has been passed from generation to generation and is today part of El Valle’s history. The Sleeping Indian myth took place many years ago and is about a princess called Flor de Viento- Flower of Wind who was engaged to a young warrior called Yaraví. However, with the arrival of the Spaniards, the young princess fell in love with a Spaniard. When he found out, Yaraví committed suicide and when Flor del Viento learned about this tragedy she ran into the forest and never came out again. Many locals say that when the wind blows hard you can still hear her crying. We also stopped for a few minutes at their miniature museum, located next to the church, where we immediately recognized the interesting painting of the princes Flor del Viento and her two lovers - the local Indian warrior and the Spaniard. We also saw pre-Columbian art dating from 8000 B.C., rocks that were used to grind corn and coffee, inscriptions on stones and rocks and also religious pieces of art. The museum also has a small collection of the arts and crafts created by local artisans. Our last stop was at the La Piedra Pintada - The Painted Stone - just outside of town, large pre-Columbian drawings of figures on huge boulders. While there are no official archeological explanations of these petroglyphs, the local kids are happy to give you a tour for a small tip. Before going back to Panama City, we decided to take a dip in the ocean and eat corvinas at Las Veraneras at the Santa Clara beach. This was the best way to end a perfect weekend and we fit it all into one night and two days. Other Things To See And Do In El Valle · Chorro
Macho – an 85 meter high waterfall in a rainforest with a pool at the bottom
where you can cool off.
General information · Year
round temperature: 68F-78F
E-Mail addresses and phone numbers · Park
Eden Hotel: parkeden@cwpanama.net
Tel and fax- 507-2268858 El Valle- 507-9836167 www.parkeden.com
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