Day 18 - February 17

 

SLOTH DAY IS HERE!

Today was one of those days that makes you stop mid-thought and go, Is this actually my life right now?

We woke up early because the drive to the sanctuary is just under two hours, and we were on the road a little after 9 a.m., coffee in hand, full of excitement. About three-quarters of the way there, we realized we’d missed a turn and added an extra 10 minutes to the drive. Oh well — in Panama, time feels a little more flexible anyway. We rolled into the resort around 10:50 and immediately discovered parking was… ambitious. Paul checked us in for the tour while Kiefer and I circled until we finally snagged a spot.

We boarded a bus that took us deeper into the sanctuary, officially kicking off the day. The first stop was the frog exhibit. At first, nothing. Just greenery and silence. Then the guide turned on mist sprinklers, and suddenly the tiniest frogs imaginable started appearing. I don’t know what I expected, but these were miniature. We caught a glimpse of a bright red one for a split second — extremely camera shy — and several black frogs with neon green markings on their backs. We learned that the sanctuary puts out mushed bananas to attract fruit flies, which the frogs happily feast on. I briefly considered smuggling one home to solve our fruit fly problem once and for all… purely hypothetical, of course.

Next up was the orchid exhibit, which was way more fascinating than I expected. The guide explained that all orchids have six petals — five outer petals and one specialized inner petal designed specifically for pollination. Different insects are drawn to different orchid species, making the whole process incredibly precise. It was one of those moments where you realize nature is running a far more complex system than anything humans could ever design.

And then… THE SLOTHS.

The moment we’d all been waiting for. When we arrived, every single sloth was asleep, curled up and completely unbothered by our presence. The handlers gently woke them by rubbing them with edible flower petals. Honestly, if that’s not how I wake up tomorrow, I’ll be disappointed. They woke slowly — turning over, stretching, even eating in slow motion. Some went right back to sleep, while others started climbing and interacting, still moving like time itself had slowed down just for them.

Fun sloth facts we learned:

• Sloths sleep about 15–20 hours a day. Honestly? Respect.

• Their slow movement isn’t laziness — it’s survival. Moving slowly helps them conserve energy and avoid predators.

• They digest food very slowly. A single meal can take weeks to digest.

• And while they look cuddly, they are absolutely not. Those claws are serious business.

One sloth named Angela has been released back into the wild three times… and she keeps coming back. She clearly knows a good thing when she sees it. The handlers explained that sloths rescued as babies can’t be reintroduced to the wild, but older sloths can. They know a sloth is ready when it starts becoming aggressive toward human handlers — basically when it’s done with people and ready to fend for itself again. Cute? Yes. Cuddly? Hard no.

After the sloth exhibit, we headed back to the resort for lunch. I had a Caesar salad, while Paul and Kiefer went all-in on burgers. They were massive — homemade and absolutely not messing around.

Then we hopped back on the bus for the cable car and high tower lookout. The tower was over 10 stories high, but thankfully built with ramps instead of stairs, which made the climb feel slightly less cruel. Riding the cable car through and above the rainforest was unreal.

Here’s the part that really got me:
The land we were standing on was completely cleared to build the Panama Canal. Every tree. Every plant. Gone. And yet, the rainforest surrounding us has fully regrown in just 60 years. Sixty. What we saw was dense, lush, alive — you would never know it had been clear-cut not that long ago.

Fun Panama Canal / rainforest facts:

• The Panama Canal relies heavily on the surrounding rainforest to function. The trees help regulate rainfall and prevent erosion, which is essential for keeping the canal operational.

• Panama is home to nearly 10,000 plant species and more bird species than all of North America combined.

• The canal itself is one of the greatest engineering feats in human history — but the rainforest reclaiming the land around it might be just as impressive.

Standing up there, looking out over miles of green, it was impossible not to feel grateful. Grateful to be here, to experience this as a family, to witness how resilient nature truly is.

By the time we finished, Paul and I were absolutely BEAT. It was the most energy we’ve exerted since arriving. We both keep saying that reality is going to BITCH slap us upside the head when we get back — but for now, we’re soaking up every second of this slower, fuller, wildly beautiful experience.

Until tomorrow. 🦥💚