The footprints of the locals who often run cattle over the pass, churn the ground to deep mud slowly cutting the track deeper and deeper, higher up the moss laden branches are covered by orchids, interlacing and dripping moisture of the temperate rain forest hemming one in, and only occasionally can glimpses of the scenery be had.
The ground becomes saturated by the wetter climate and the banks of the path often tower overhead, giving the impression one is walking up a canyon. The Sendero or path then crosses the brook and steeply climbs, switching back and forth to reach the ridge high above and a place called el Mirador (the lookout). The jungle closes in with a high canopy above, here some local indigenous people have cut small gardens to grow food and run a few cows, their humble shacks built on the steep mountain sides. Then it turns north and the track soon gives way to the path itself following the left tributary of the creek. The path they chose strikes north north east, following the creek and through some cattle farms, it follows a four wheel drive track of uneven stone, the gradient is not steep yet. Keen on hiking and exploring, the surrounding mountains provided ample opportunity to get out and burn off some excess exuberance, coming from the Netherlands the scenery must have been especially impressive. They had come to Panama principally to learn Spanish and were staying at a hostel that Specialises in teaching mostly young foreign travellers called Spanish on the river, which is located a little out of the town in the Barrio of Palmira. Lisanne Froon aged 22 with long blond hair and brown eyes and around six feet tall, and her friend Kris Kremers of 21 years of age also with long blond hair and blue eyes, a little shorter at around five foot nine inches tall, they made a striking pair, their enthusiasm shines brightly in their photos. The trail in question starts high to the north of the main town at the restaurant of the Pianista, it has a prominent three legged sign and sits alongside a small brook, which falls steeply downward towards the town, the vegetation is lush and there are many small stone houses and gardens, it was here that the girls directed the taxi. It is certainly not the atmosphere which conjures the dark shadows of the imagination, but on this day was set in motion a set of events which ultimately led to tragedy for many. It is generally known for tourism, fine restaurants, beautiful flowers, farming and retirement, and has a small mountain river which flows down from two main branches which unite to run through the town close to the plaza, There are always many people watching its progress from the bridge and delighting in the cool breezes of the place, a welcome respite from the countries baking tropical heat. It’s a picturesque town that nestles at the base of the Volcan Baru which dominates the Chiriqui skyline, because of the fertile volcanic slopes it has been the epicentre of some of the best coffee growing in the republic of Panama for generations. The indigenous people, the Ngabe and Bugle use the path over the mountains to get from Chiriqui Grande on Atlantic side of the country, to the Province of Chiriqui and the work they find tending the coffee plantations in Bouquet. It was April the first 2014, and in the small mountain town of bouquete when two young women got into a taxi to go and walk the Sendero or track of the Pianista, a well known and much used hiking trail.įate was about to deal them all a dark and complex trick, ultimately no one whom was in that car on that fateful day was to survive. This story recounts some of the events of the tragic disappearance of two young women in the Mountains of Panama.
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