Hiking Los Cajones

We were off hiking again this week at a spot called Los Cajones (drawers in English). This hike was one of my favorite hikes we've done since we've been in Panama. The fact that water was close by definitely is a plus! Los Cajones has been on my to do list ever since I found out about it, some months ago. The flat rocks followed by the cliffs leading into a gentle swimming river immediately called my name. Luckily, we've been on a hiking streak, so what better place to pick for our next hike?

Robert and I weren't exactly sure where the hike was or what to expect. Although I talked to some friends about it and the drive, it still wasn't super clear on where we'd be driving and what kind of a hike we might encounter. I imagined that the area couldn't be too strenuous since it is also a popular place to go swimming.

Los Cajones was surprisingly easy to find.  Almost immediately we found ourselves in a picturesque environment, surrounded by green foliage on top of a plateau, below us the calm tranquil sound of a gentle river. Pictures do no justice here, but I included some anyways.

After further exploring we saw small rapids and waterfalls too!

This was a peaceful way to start the morning. The rest of the week ended up being busy with the normal hustles and bustles with day to day life. Outside of the hike, nothing else is new this week. Everyone is happy, healthy, and living life as usual. Life is good!

Hacienda San Isidro and Rum

It doesn't matter where you live, there is always something to explore. That is exactly what we chose to do.  We got a group of friends together and took a three hour drive to Hacienda San Isidro, which is also known as the Abuelo Rum and Seco Herrerano distillery.

What is Seco Herrerano? Like rum, both come from sugar cane. The sugar cane is harvested and processed. The processing basically results in two liquids: sugar cane juice and molasses. The sugar cane juice gets distilled into Seco Herrerano while the molasses gets distilled into rum. Seco Herrano is often used as a replacement for rum or vodka. We did not get to see the Seco Serrerano being distilled, however, we did get to see the process for rum.

On the tour we got to ride a cart being pulled by oxen. The oxen carts were the original way that the sugar can would be transferred from the fields to the first start of the processing plant.

The fermentation process begins once liquid is extracted and separated from the sugar cane.

You can see the molasses in the picture. 

After the rum is distilled it gets put into barrels for aging. This process can take anywhere from 4 to 30 years. Did you know that at the start of the aging process the rum is clear liquid? The rum gets the color from the tannins (coloring) of the barrels barrels. The longer the rum stays in the barrel, the darker the color of the rum.

The tour included several opportunities to try rum and Seco Herrerano. We got to try their version of a Cuba Libre, which was refreshing after touring some very warm buildings. We then got to taste the different aged rum that Abuelo offers. They offer rum that has been aged 4 years, 7 years, 12 years, and 30 years. Anyone want to make bets on which rums everyone liked the best? Hint: it wasn't the 4 year rum. It also turns out that the 12 year rum (my favorite) has won awards for being the best rum for under $100. Cool stuff!

It was a fun tour over all. Not only did we get to learn about distilling rum, we also got to taste it. It was a full day. Anyone visiting and wanting to go on the tour should either be visiting for more than a
a few days and/or be into rum. For those of you who may be intrigued and in the mood to taste some of this awesome rum, it is available in the US. This nifty product finder can help you locate where to purchase either Seco Herrano or Ron Abuelo. Just be sure to specify the brand you're looking for. Cheers!