Since I read your article about "Cerro Pando's Hot Springs " I wanted to send you an e-mail. I visited those places in July, 1999. I remember that was an interesting tour. There were butterflies, birds, squirrels and many kinds of prickly caterpillars on the trees' leaves and walking on the ground. The road was in very bad conditions. We had to walk for three hours while it was drizzling. We had to pass creeks that cross the road and walk over a trunk. Years later, the road to "Los Pozos" continues in the same condition. I don't know why the government or local authorities don't do something about it. This area has a great tourism potential.

A rock carving in Panama

Your newest article published on January 26th, attracted my attention specially. I believe those petroglyphs have not been studied as they really need. Since long time ago, people have said there are some kind of ruins or buildings among the forests of Chiriqui or Bocas del Toro, but there isn't any photographs of those ruins.

I have a book, it's name is "Un pueblo visto a través de su lenguaje" ("A nation seen through its language"). It was written by Beatriz Miranda de Cabal, one of the best historians of Chiriqui during last century.

In her book, she described the Dorasque/Dorace people, their way of living, language (she included a dictionary of words and phrases), traditions and legends.

Who were Dorasques/Doraces, you could ask. They were indigenous people that used to live in Chiriqui, Bocas del Toro and near Terraba River ( Costa Rica ). They gave Chiriqui its name, not the Gnöbe-Bugle indigenous, like many people believe. They became extinct before 1950. Beatriz Miranda de Cabal interviewed an elderly indigenous woman (the last Dorasque) for her book, but she only could publish it several years later, in 1974.

Beatriz Miranda de Cabal was my grandmother's godmother and she dedicated and signed the book for her. She handwrote short notes about legends, one of them said: "There are colonial documents that confirm an Aztec village in the Isthmus' North coast" (in Bocas del Toro). Another one says: "Juan Landau (one of the pioneers of Boquete) found in "Potrero de La Estrella " (between Caldera and Jaramillo Arriba there is the village of La Estrella ) monumental ruins similar to Mayan buildings. I don't know but I think that she was a reliable historian and she would not write a lie.

I suggest you and your wife to visit Museum Jose De Obaldia y Barrio Bolivar, David, and then go to Fundacion Cultural Gallegos, next to the museum. There, you can ask for Mr. Mario Molina (Historian) or his wife, Mrs. Dalva Acuña de Molina (History Teacher). I think they or another historian could help you to know more about Chiriqui's past. Before going to explore you should know what you want to look for.

Another suggestion: please, you should not believe people without History's knowledge. Petroglyphs tell us about real ancient villagers of our lands and that is more interesting than UFO's and aliens. I think if there is something unusual among our forests. It could be only ancient, forgotten ruins, instead of secret pyramids or treasures that some ingenuous country people imagine for telling to tourists. Anyway, whoever gives the truth to the rest of the world will be famous, like archaeologists or explorers interviewed in Discovery or History Channel.

Mr. Dell, thanks for writing those interesting articles about Chiriqui for "The Visitor".

Congratulations and continue writing!!

Laura Nieto Bruña
David, Chiriquí
www.lauranieto.4t.com

In this letter to our correspondent, David Dell, a reader gives The Visitor some fascinating clues to an ancient civilization