Adventures Star On Strike

Original airdate: February 10, 2009

Eden Feuer, star of the hit series The Adventures of Yumiko and Eden in Panama, has gone on strike to protest the lack of fan mail she has received.

"I work hard," she says, pouting. "I brave biting insects, suffocating heat and humidity, hardcore birders... Is it so much to ask for a little appreciation?"

Co-star Yumiko Ishida is standing by her traveling companion. "People look at Eden and only see the intrepid adventurer with great hair. They don't see beyond the tough exterior to the sensitive soul with approval issues."

The Adventures will resume, Eden and Yumiko assert, once Two Crazy Chicks receive sufficient accolades from their adoring public.

© Eden Feuer

The Quest for the Quetzal

Original airdate: February 12, 2009

Two Crazy Chicks Productions is pleased to present Episode 4 of The Adventures of Yumiko and Eden in Panama, an epic journey of discovery fraught with peril… 

There is still no sign of Chago when our intrepid heroines sit down for breakfast the next morning. Frustrated and dispirited, they are discussing their options over some of the area’s internationally-acclaimed coffee when they receive the news that Chago has agreed to lead Yumiko and Eden into Finca Lérida to seek the resplendent quetzal. 

Finca Lérida is Panama’s highest farm, the producer of some of its finest coffee, and one of its most famous birding locations. It is atwitter with binocular-bearing birders who peer up into the trees hopefully. 

Chago imitates the call of the quetzal as the trio walks the trails, stopping to admire green violet-eared, snowy-bellied, and scintillant hummingbirds. And then it happens. Into the morning sunlight flies a male resplendent quetzal, absurdly long tail trailing behind, its emerald and ruby feathers luminous.

Thus it is a happy pair that climbs into a taxi that afternoon and makes the 2-hour journey to the other side of the volcano, which, they discover, is teeming with hardcore birders who carry spotting scopes worth thousands of dollars and chirp cheerily (and endlessly) about Chiriquí yellowthroat, crested guan, and collared trogon. 

The following 2 days are spent hiking and birding. Our intrepid heroines are in no hurry to leave the cool, lush highlands, but they must return to Panama City to recover from warbler neck and prepare for the ultimate adventure: an excursion into the rugged and isolated Darién. 

What will the Darién bring? Be sure to tune in to our next episode! 

And remember: fan mail required. 

photo 1: white-throated mountain-gem

photo 2: magnificent hummingbird

Two Crazy Chicks apologizes for the lack of a quetzal photo. If you are curious as to what a quetzal looks like, please click here.

© Eden Feuer

Laying It on the Line

Original airdate: February 9, 2009

Two Crazy Chicks Productions is pleased to present Episode 3 of The Adventures of Yumiko and Eden in Panama, an epic journey of discovery fraught with peril…

“Who wants to go first?”

“I do!”

The smirk on the guide’s face, the one that clearly conveys his certainty that no one would volunteer to be the first to zip-line across the chasm, disappears. He looks appraisingly at Eden, then nods and proceeds to put her on the cable.

“Remember your safe position,” he reminds her before letting go.

“Wooooohooooooooo!” Our intrepid heroine lets out a war whoop as she hurtles over the lush rainforest.

Yumiko peers down from the platform and breathes deeply. Not one to back down after committing to something (though at this moment inclined to smack Eden upside the head for talking her into this), she assumes the safe position and takes the plunge. 

It’s exhilarating, the speed, the spectacular views, the feel of the wind on their faces.

13 lines (including one 409 meters long) later, our fearless females find themselves back on the ground and wishing they could do it all over again.

But the highlands’ other attractions beckon. Having already gone horseback riding and soaked in the hot springs, our intrepid heroines decide that tomorrow they will commence their quest for the elusive resplendent quetzal, the most sought-after bird of western Panama.

There is only one person for the job, Chago, reputed to be the best quetzal-spotter this side of Volcán Barú. But Chago, it seems, is nearly as elusive as the bird Miko and Eden hope to see.  All attempts to contact him fail.

Will our dynamic duo secure the guiding services of Chago? And will they find the resplendent quetzal? Tune in to our next episode to find out!

© Eden Feuer

Jungle Love

Original airdate: February 7, 2009

Two Crazy Chicks Productions is pleased to present Episode 2 of The Adventures of Yumiko and Eden in Panama, an epic journey of discovery fraught with peril…

Dawn finds our intrepid heroines on the observation deck of the Canopy Tower, an ecolodge in Soberania National Park. From their vantage point above the treetops, they watch the sun rise over the Panama Canal and listen to the howling of the howler monkeys before setting out for Pipeline Road, Panama's most famous birding destination.

The day's outing yields some 60 different species of birds as well as anteaters, coatis, sloths, monkeys, and agoutis.

Uncooperative weather makes the night drive less successful. A heavy downpour soaks our intrepid heroines, who huddle together for warmth as they search the canopy for olingo, kinkajou, and opossum. It is after midnight by the time our exhausted, bug-bitten (and in Yumiko's case, heat rash-covered) peerless protagonists crawl into bed.

But once again Yumiko and Eden rise before dawn and head to Soberania. Their dedication is rewarded with more mosquito and chigger bites, but also with sightings of area specialties such as blue-crowned motmot (photo), bat falcon, and boat-billed heron. 

Be sure to tune in for Episode 3, when our fearless females venture into Panama's Chiriquí Highlands. And be sure to bring on the fan mail!

© Eden Feuer